Social Science - Geography (Contemporary India)
Chapter 1 - India Size and Location
India is one of the world's oldest civilizations. It has progressed politically, geographically, socially, and economically over the last few decades. India has also played a significant role in shaping world history.
Location of India
● It is a vast country located in the northern hemisphere, with latitudes ranging from °4'N to 37°6'N and longitudes ranging from 68°7'E to 97°25'E.
● The Tropic of Cancer, 23° 30'N roughly divides the country into two halves.
● The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of the mainland, and the Lakshadweep Islands are in the Arabian Sea to the southwest.
Size of India
● India's landmass covers 3.28 million sq. km, accounting for approximately 2.4% of the world's total geographical area.
● In terms of landmass, India is regarded as the world's seventh-largest country.
● India has an area of about 15,200 square miles [15,200 km], and the length of the entire coastal area, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, is 7516.6 square miles.
● In the northeast, north, and northwest, India is bounded by Young Fold mountains.
● It begins to move south at 22 ° latitude north and reaches the Indian Ocean, dividing it into two seas, the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay.
● Time near the Standard Meridian of India, 82 ° 30, passing through Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, is considered the country's standard time.
● As one proceeds from south to north, the length of the day and night is influenced by the latitudinal extent.
India and Her Relationship with the World
● India is situated in the centre of the Asian continent, between the west and East. It is a southerly extension of the Asian continent. It is distinct from the rest of Asia and is referred to as a subcontinent.
● The trans-Indian Ocean routes link Western European countries with East Asian countries. No other country in the Indian Ocean has a coastline as long as India's.
● India is the only country to have an ocean after its name.
● India's land routes predate sea routes for a long time. The various routes that cut through the northern mountains provided transportation for ancient travellers because the sea had previously limited such communication.
● These routes brought the Ramayana and Mahabharata Indian epics, Panchatantra stories, Upanishads, Indian numerals, and the decimal system to the world. Besides, goods such as muslin and spices were exported from the country to other parts of the world.
● The influence of Greek sculpture and architecture can be widely seen in the country.
India and its Neighbours
India has deep historical ties with its neighbours. It comprises 28 states and 8 union territories in all. In the northwest, it borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, while in the east, it borders Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are located on India's southern coast.
Some Interesting Facts about India
● Before 1947, India had two types of states: provinces and princely states. The provinces were ruled by British officials appointed as viceroys by the British Council. In exchange for loyalty against the British government, the princely states were ruled by local hereditary rulers.
● Indira Point, the Indian Union's southernmost point, was submerged by waters during the 2004 Tsunami.
● India’s distance from Europe has decreased by 7000 km since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1896.
● India has the world's second-highest population density.
● Kanchenjunga, India's highest mountain peak, is the world's third-highest mountain peak.
● India is divided into two equal parts by The Tropic of Cancer. The central part of India lies in the Northern hemisphere.
● There are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands located in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea respectively In the southeast and southwest of India.
Size of India
● The total size of India is approximately 2.4 per cent of the total size of the world. India's total size is approximately 3.28 million square kilometres.
● The land boundary of India is almost 15200 kilometres in length. But the total length of the coastline including two islands is almost 7516.6 kilometers.
● Mountains surround the northern part of India. These mountains become thinner in the south, extend to the Indian Ocean, and divide it into two seas.
● One is the Bay of Bengal in the east, and another is the Arabian Sea in the west. The east-west extension of the mainland is smaller than the north-south extension. Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh have a time difference of two hours.
● The time at Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh is considered the standard time in the whole country. However, the latitudinal extent of India influences the day and night in the country.
India and the World
● Geography class 9 notes describe the location of India in the world. India is located in central Asia. India has this fine strategic location due to the trans-Indian Ocean routes.
The Deccan Peninsula helps India to connect with West Asia. The largest coastline of India is situated in the Indian Ocean.
● India is well-connected with the rest of the world through land and water. However, its land contact is older than water contact. The oceans have restricted travel in the country since ancient times. But, the land passages helped in the travel of ancient travellers.
● India also has a rich source of spices that are exported to many countries of the world.
The architectural styles of West Asia and Greek culture are seen in different parts of India.
India and its Neighbours
● India's geographical connection with the rest of the world and its surroundings. India has a strong historical connection with its neighbours.
● It has a total of 28 states and 9 Union Territories. It shares its border with Afghanistan and Pakistan in the northwest and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are on the southern side of India.
Exercises
1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan (b) Odisha
(c) Chhattisgarh (d) Tripura
(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97° 25′ E (b) 68° 7′ E
(c) 77° 6′ E (d) 82° 32′ E
(iii) Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with
(a) China (b) Bhutan
(c) Nepal (d) Myanmar
(iv) If you intend to visit Kavarati during your summer vacations, which one of the following Union Territories of India will you be going to
(a) Puducherry (b) Lakshadweep
(c) Andaman and Nicobar (d) Daman and Diu
(v) My friend hails from a country which does not share a land boundary with India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan (b) Tajikistan
(c) Bangladesh (d) Nepal
Answer:
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through – (b) Odisha.
(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is – (a) 97° 25′ E.
(iii) Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with (c) Nepal.
(iv) Kavarati is situated in the union territory of (b) Lakshadweep.
(v) (b) Tajikistan does not share a land boundary with India.
2. Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian Sea.
Lakshadweep islands lies in the Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep islands is a group of 36 islands and has a total land area of 32 sq. kilometer
(ii) Name the countries which are larger than India.
The following countries are larger in size than India:
(i) Russia
(ii) Canada
(iii) China
(iv) U.S.A.
(v) Brazil
(vi) Australia
(iii) Which island group of India lies to its south-east?
Andaman and Nicobar lies to the South east of India. Port Blair is the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and has an area of 8,249 km. There are 572 islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(iv) Which island countries are our southern neighbours?
India’s southern neighbors are Sri Lanka and Maldives. India shares smooth ties with both Sri Lanka and Maldives and many Indian travellers visit Sri Lanka and Maldives every year.
3. The sun rises two hours earlier in eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat in the west but the watches show the same time. How does this happen?
The earth moves around its axis and completes one rotation (360’) in about 24 hours. Also, the longitudinal gap between Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat is approximately 30’. Because of this gap there is a difference of two hours between these two states. Arunachal Pradesh is located in the east and hence, sun rises earlier here as compared to Gujarat. However, Indian Standard time is taken from the time of Standard Meridian and this is why the watches in both the states show the same time.
4. The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?
Location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered significant because:
(i) India has got strategic advantage because of the Trans Indian Ocean routes that connects the Western European countries with the countries of East Asia.
(ii) The location of India has helped her in establishing close ties with West Asian and African and European countries from the western coast and with the Southeast and East Asian countries from the Eastern coast. India’s ties with other countries are based on several factors for physiological, anatomical, spiritual, technical, and material knowledge.
(iii) The location of India has not only provided the title authority of the coastline due to its longest coastline, but has also offered a distinct climate to the country than the rest of the Asian countries.