♤ They vary considerably in terms of their areas, populations and levels of economic development.

♤ They may also be divided into a number of sub-regions (Australasia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and Eastern & Southern Africa), each with their own regional groupings (such as ASEAN, SAARC, GCC and SADC, to name a few). Despite such diversity and differences, these countries are bound together by the Indian Ocean.

1.1.2.1. Piracy in the Indian Ocean