G D Goenka Public School, Sector-22, Rohini Class-Ix Subject-Geography Chapter-India-Size and Location

G D GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SECTOR-22, ROHINI
CLASS-IX
SUBJECT-GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER-INDIA-SIZE AND LOCATION
Location of India
1. India lies in the north eastern hemisphere in Southern Asia, bordered by
the Arabian Sea in west and the Bay of Bengal in the east.
2. India is the seventh largest country of the world. The Indian main land
extends between latitudes 8°4‘N to 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E to
97°25'E.
• 8°4’N touches Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin and is the
southernmost latitude of Indian mainland.
• 37°6'N touches the state of Kashmir, and is the northernmost
latitude of India.
• 68°7'E touches the state of Gujarat, and is the westernmost
longitude of India.
• 97°25'E touches the state of Arunachal Pradesh, and is the
easternmost longitude of India.
3. The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the mainland is about 30°.
4. The tropic of cancer (23° 30'N) divides the country into almost two equal
parts. It passes from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram (from west to east).
Tropic of Cancer divides India in two heat zones- Torrid
(Southern) and Temperate (Northern). This gives advantage of two
different type of climates in terms of natural vegetation and agriculture.
5. India’s location in Asian continent gives certain locational benefit like:
• Tropic of cancer divides India in two heat zones due to which we
enjoy wide variety of flora and fauna.
• Himalayas on north protect us from cold winds coming from north
that can change India in a cold desert.
• On the head of Indian Ocean we also enjoy flourishing maritime
trade.
6. To the southeast and southwest of the mainland, lie the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep islands in Bay of Bengal and
Arabian Sea respectively.
7. The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million sq. km. India’s total
area accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the total area of the world.
8. India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km and the total length of
the coast line of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar and
Lakshadweep is 7,516.6 km.
9. The southernmost point of the Indian Union– ‘Indira Point’ in the
Island group of Andaman and Nicobar got submerged under the sea
water in 2004 during the Tsunami.
10.Though the north south and east west extend of India in degrees is
nearly 300, but in terms of kilometers North south (3214 km) extend is
more than east west(2933 km) as latitudes being parallel lines have
same land area between them whereas area between two longitudes
decreases towards poles.
India extend and standard meridian
• East-west extent of India is around 300. This brings difference in natural
time in extreme parts of the country. Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh there
is a time lag of two hours.
• This can create many practical problems in communication and transport,
therefore to avoid confusion one standard time was selected.
• To select standard meridian two things should be kept in mind- It should
pass approximately from the center of the country so that it is convenient
for all to use standard time and it should be multiple of 7 ½ so that the
difference between GMT and standard meridian is in the interval of 30
Minutes.
• Hence, time along the standard meridian of India (82°30'E) passing
through Mirzapur (in Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard time for the
whole country.
INDIA AND THE WORLD
• The Indian landmass has a central location between the east and the west
Asia.
• The Trans Indian ocean routes which connect the countries of Europe in
the west and the countries of East Asia provide a strategic central location
to India.
• India’s contacts with the World have continued through the ages but her
relationships through the land routes are much older than her maritime
contacts.
• The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided
passages to the ancient travelers.
• These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities
since ancient times like the spices, muslin and other merchandise were
taken from India to different countries.
INDIAN NEIGHBOURS
• India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia. India has 29
states and 7 Union Territories.
• India shares its land boundaries with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the
northwest, China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan in the north and Myanmar
and Bangladesh in the east.
• Our southern neighbours across the sea consist of the two island
countries, namely Sri Lanka and Maldives.
• Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by
the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar while Maldives Islands are
situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1: Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan (b) Orissa (c) Chhattisgarh (d) Tripura
Answer: (b) Orissa
(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is

(a) 97∘25′E (b) 68∘7′E (c) 77∘6′E (d) 82∘32′E
Answer: (a) 97∘25′E
(iii) Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common
frontiers with
(a) China (b) Bhutan (c) Nepal (d) Myanmar
Answer: (c) Nepal
(iv) If you intend to visit Kavarati during your summer vacations, which one of
the following Union Territories of India you will be going to
(a) Pondicherry (b) Lakshadweep (c) Andaman and Nicobar (d) Diu and
Daman
Answer: (b) Lakshadweep
(v) My friend hails from a country which does not share land boundary with
India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan (b) Tajikistan (c) Bangladesh (d) Nepal
Answer: (b) Tajikistan
Q2: Answer the following questions briefly.

(i) Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian Sea.
(ii) Name the countries which are larger than India.
(iii) Which island group of India lies to its south-east?
(iv) Which island countries are our southern neighbors?
A2 (i)Lakshadweep
(ii) Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil and Australia.
(iii) Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.
(iv)Maldives, Sri Lanka.
Q3: The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to
Gujarat in the west but the watches show the same time. How does this
happen?
A3: From the longitudinal extent of India it is observed that the longitudinal
expanse is about 30O from west to east. This means that there would be a
time-lag of two hours approximately from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. To
avoid such differences in local time, Indian standard time has been fixed to
give the whole country a uniform time. The local time of the Standard
Meridian of 82˚30’E is observed as the Standard Time by the whole country.
Because of this reason we find that the sun rises two hours earlier in
Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat in the west but the watches show
the same time.
Q4: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is
considered of great significance. Why?
A4: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is
considered of great significance because:
a) It has given India a strategic advantage due to the Trans Indian ocean
routes which connect the countries of Europe in the West and the
countries of East Asia.
b) This helps India to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and
Europe from the Western coast and with the Southeast and East Asia
from the Eastern coast.
c) The vast coastline and the natural harbours have benefitted India in
carrying out trade and commerce with its neighbouring and distant
countries since ancient times.
d)It has given India a distinct climate than the rest of the Asian Continent.
e) No other country has such a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India.
It is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean which has given the name
of an Ocean after it.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is

Q2: Answer the following questions briefly.

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