India: Size and Location

♦ Key word/concepts/ Definitions

♦ Location
♦ Size
♦ India and the World
♦ Water bodies around India
♦ Neighboring Countries of India
♦ Countries of the Subcontinent

1. Latitude: The angular distance of place north or south of the earth’s equator, or of the
equator of a celestial object, usually expressed in degrees and minutes.

2. Longitude: The angular distance of a place east or west of the Greenwich meridian, or west of
the standard meridian of a celestial object, usually expressed in degrees and minutes.

3. Tropic of Cancer: Each of the two corresponding circles on the celestial sphere where the sun
appears to turn after reaching its greatest declination, marking the northern and southern limits
of the ecliptic.

4. Standard Meridian: This longitude was selected as the meridian to create the Indian
Standard Time. In winter, the Indian Standard Time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich
Mean Time. In summer, this time difference is 4 hours and 30 minutes due to adjustment made
for daylight savings time.

5. Tropical Zone: The earth’s surface between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic Of Capricorn.

6. Mainland: A large continuous extent of land that includes the greater part of a country or
territory, as opposed to offshore islands and detached territories.

7. Landmass: A continent or other large body of land.

8. Protrudes: Extend beyond or above a surface.

9. Island: A piece of land surrounded by water. E.g. Sri lanka, Lakshadweep, Andman &
Nicobar.

10. Maritime: Connected with the sea, especially in relation to seaborne trade of naval matters.

11. Bay: It is a body of water connected to an ocean or lake formed by an indentation of the
shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf.
12. Gulf: A large bay, that is an arm of an ocean or sea.

13. Peninsula: Peninsula is a landmass which is surrounded by water bodies on three sides. E.g.
India is surrounded with the Arabian Sea in the west, Bay of Bengal in the east and the Indian
Ocean in the south.

14. Strait: It is a narrow stretch of water which separates two land masses e.g. the Palk Strait.

15. Palk Strait: It is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Mannar district of
the Northern Province of the island nation of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the
northeast with the Palk Bay in the southwest.

16. Gulf of Mannar: It is a large shallow bay forming part of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian
Ocean. It lies between the south eastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka, in the
Coromandel Coast region.

Latitudes & Longitudes Degrees

1. Northern most latitude 37° 6’ North
2. Southern most latitude 8° 4’ North
3. Western most longitude 68° 7’ East
4. Eastern most longitude 97° 25’ East
5. Tropic of Cancer 23° 30’ North
6. Indian Standard Time (IST) 82° 30’ East
5. Southern point of India Indira Point: 6°30’ N.
6. Southern point of India’s Mainland Kanyakumari : 8° 4’ N.
7. India’s total area 3.28 million sq. km.
8. Land boundary 15200 km.
9. The length of coastal line (Including islands) 7515.6 km.
10. Largest State Rajasthan (342239 sq
km.)
11. Smallest State Goa (3702 sq. km.)

Introduction:
• Indian Civilization is one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

• During the last 50 years, India has made remarkable progress in both social and economic spheres.

• These spheres include agriculture, industry, technology and overall economic development.

• India has also contributed significantly to the making of world history.

 Location:
• India is a vast country located in the
1. Northern Hemisphere
Northern hemisphere.
2. Latitudinal extends: 8° 4’ N and 37° 6’ N.
• Its mainland extends between latitude 8° 3. Longitudinal extends: 68° 7’ E and 97°25’ E.
4’ N and 37° 6’ N.
4. Tropic of Cancer: It passes through 8 states
• Its mainland extends between 68° 7’ E 5. Islands: A & N, Lakshadweep
and 97°25’ E.

• India is divided into almost two equal parts by the Tropic of Cancer.
• Tropic of Cancer passes through the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep islands are the two groups of islands belonging to
India.

• Andaman and Nicobar islands is situated South-East of mainland in Bay of Bengal.

•Lakshadweep islands is situated South-West of mainland in Arabian Sea.

Size
• India’s landmass with an area of 3.28 million sq. km. 1. Area: 3.28 m. sq. km.
2. 7th largest country
• India occupies 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world. 3. Land boundary: 15200 km
4. Coastline: 7516.6 km
• India is the seventh largest country of the world, after Russia,
Canada, USA, China, Brazil, Australia.

• India has a land boundary which extends over 15200 km and the length of its coastline including

Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep islands are about 7516.6 km.

Extend
• India is bounded by young fold mountains in the North- 1. Young Fold mountains (Himalayas)
West, North and North-East. 2. Cone shape (in South of 22° N.
3. Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal
• India’s landmass begin to form cone shape in South of 4. Latitudes and longitude: 30
22° North latitude. 5. North-South distance: 3214 km.
6. East-West distance: 2933 km.
• This landmass extends towards the Indian oceans and
divides it into Arabian sea in West and the Bay of Bengal in East.
• The latitudinal as well as longitudinal extend of the mainland is about 30 both ways.
• The fact is that the east-west extent appears smaller than the north-south extent.
• The North-South distance is 3214 km while the East-West distance is 2933 km.
 Indian Standard Time (IST: 82°30’E.)
1. Time lag: 2 hours
• There is a time lag (period of time) of almost two hours 2. Mirzapur
between Gujarat in the West and Arunachal Pradesh in the East. 3. For convenience
4. The duration of day and night
• Hence, time along the Standard Meridian of India (82° 30 E.)
passing through Mirzapur (in UP) is taken as the standard time for the whole country.
• For convenience, Indian Standard Time (IST), is followed as a standard time.

• The latitudinal extent influence the duration of day and night as one move from South to North.

India and the World

• India occupies the greater part of South Asia.
1. South Asia
• India has a central location between the East and the 2. Between the East and West Asia
West Asia. 3. The Trans-Indian ocean route
• The Indian landmass is the southward extension of the 4. The Deccan Penisula
continent of Asia. 5. Longest coastline on the Indian ocean
6. The naming of the Indian Ocean
• The trans-Indian ocean routes, which connect the countries of Europe in the West and countries of East
Asia provide a strategic central location to India.

• The Deccan Peninsula extends towards the Indian ocean, helping India to establish close contact with
West Asia, Africa and Europe from the Western coast and with South-East and East Asia from the
Eastern coast.
• India has longest coastline on the Indian ocean as compared to other countries.
• This eminent position is the reason which justifies the naming of the Indian ocean after the name of the
country.

India’s Contact with the World

1. The exchange ideas and commodities.
• The following instances states that these route have 2. The ideas of Upanishads and Ramayana
contributed to the exchange of ideas and commodities 3. The stories of Panchtantra
between India and the rest of the world from ancient 4. Indian numerals and decimal system
times. 5. Spices, Muslin and other merchandise
• The ideas of the Upanishads and Ramayana, the 6. Greek sculpture & architectural style
stories of the Panchtantra, Indian numerals and 7. two types of States
decimal system have reached many parts of the world.
• Spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries.
• The influence of Greek sculpture and the architectural style of domes and minarets from West Asia can
be seen in many parts of India.
• Before 1947, there were two types of States in India- the Provinces and the Princely States.

1. Provinces were ruled directly by the British officials, who were appointed by viceroy.
2. Princely states were ruled by local, hereditary rulers, who acknowledged sovereignty in return for
local autonomy.

India’s Neighbours
1. Strategic position in South Asia
• India has an important strategic position in South Asia. It 2. 29 states & 7 UTs
has 29 states and 7 Union Territories(current situation 28 3. North-West: Pakistan Afghanistan
states and 8 Uts) 4. North: China, Nepal, Bhutan
5. East: Myanmar, Bangladesh
• India shares its land boundaries with Pakistan and 6. The Arabian Sea: Maldives
Afghanistan in the North-West, China (Tibet), Nepal and 7. The Indian Ocean: Sri Lanka
Bhutan in the North, and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the 8. Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar
East.
• Two islands countries Sri Lanka and Maldives, lie to the South of India across the Indian ocean.

• All these countries are part of the Indian subcontinent.

• India and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and Gulf of
Mannar while Maldives lie to the South of Lakshadweep.
• Thus, India has strong geographical and historical links with its neighbours.

State having common frontier with

1. Pakistan Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu a& Kashmir
2. China Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Laddakh
3. Myanmar Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram
4. Bangladesh West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram

♦ Due to the opening of Suez Canal in 1869, India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7000
km.
♦ Telangana became the 29th State of India on 2nd June, 2014 after reorganization of Andhra Pradesh.
♦ Jammu & Kashmir divided in 2 Uts as Jammu and Kashmir and Laddakh on 31 Oct.,2019
♦ Amalgamate of Daman & Diu and Dadra Nagar Haveli in Nov. 2019.
♦ Western coast : Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Mahe ( belonging to
Pudducherry)
♦ Eastern Coast: Pudducherry and Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Questions:

1. Explain why 82° 30 E. an odd value has been chosen as the standard meridian of India.
2. Why is the difference between the durations of day and night hardly felt at Kanyakumari but
not so in Kashmir?
3. What is a subcontinent? Name the countries that coastitute the Indian subcontinent. How is
India different from other countries of Asia?
4. Justify the naming of Indian Ocean after India.
5. India’s land routes have been important since ancient times. Explain.
6. Why are Ahmedabad and Kolkata able to see the noon seen exactly overhead twice a year but
not Delhi?

7. India occupies an important strategic position in south Asia. Discuss.

8. Describe how the geographical features of India have fostered unity and homogeneity in the
Indian society.
9. Locate and label the States and Capital on the outline map of India.
10. On the physical map given, mark and name the following.

a) Island group of Lakshadweep

b) Neighbouring countries: Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh.
c) The northernmost latitude with degrees
d) The southernmost latitude with degrees.
e) The easternmost longitude with degrees.

f) The westernmost longitude with its degrees