In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: There is linguistic, social, and cultural distinctiveness in South Asian countries.

Reason: The mighty Himalayas in the north and the vast Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal in the south, west, and east respectively provide a natural insularity to the region.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.

The mighty Himalayas in the north and the vast Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal in the south, west, and east respectively provide a natural insularity to the region, which is largely responsible for the linguistic, social and cultural distinctiveness of the sub-continent.