India – size and location
Q1) Describe the size and location of India?
Ans: * Location:
i) India is a vast country. It is entirely on the north of the equator. India is a southward extension of the Asian continent.
ii) the main land extend between latitude 8o 4’N and 37o 6’N and longitude 68o 7’E and 97o 25’E .
iii) the Tropic of Cancer ( 23o 30’N) divides the country into almost two equal parts.
iv) 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 .
* Size:
i) the land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million square km. India’s total area accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world .
ii) India is the seventh largest country of the world. India has a land boundary of about a5,200 km and the total length of the coastline of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7,516.6 km.
iii) India is bounded by the young fold mountains in the northwest, north and north east. South of about 22o north latitude, it begins to taper, and extends towards the Indian Ocean, dividing it into two seas, the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on its east.
Q2) Why do we need a standard meridian for India?
Ans: The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the mainland is about 30o . from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh there is a time lag of two hours. Hence to avoid confusion, the time along the midpoint of the two places i.e. 82o 30’E longitude, passing through Mizapur (in Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the Standard Meridian for the whole country.
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?
Ans: The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the mainland is about 30o . from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh there is a time lag of two hours. Hence to avoid confusion, the time along the midpoint of the two places i.e. 82o 30’E longitude, passing through Mizapur (in Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the Standard Meridian for the whole country.
Q4) the central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why? ( or in what way central location of India in the Indian Ocean has been to its advantage?)
Ans:
i) The trans-Indian Ocean routs which connect the countries of Europe in the West and the countries of East Asia provide a strategic central location to India.
ii) The Deccan peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping Indian to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
iii) No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has and indeed, it is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean which justifies the naming of an Ocean after it.
Q5) Give a brief account of India’s cultural contact with outside world.
Ans:
i) The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient travelers, while the oceans restricted such interaction for a long time.
ii) These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times. The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, the stories of Panchtantra, the Indian numerals and the decimal system thus could reach many parts of the world.
iii) The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries. On the other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural styles of dome and minarets from West Asia can be seen in different parts of our country.
Q6) Name the neighbouring countries of India ?
Ans:
i) 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.
ii) Our southern neighbours across the sea consists of the two islands countries, namely Sri Lanka Maldives.
iii) Sri Lanka is separated from India by 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.
Q7) Define the term sub-continent ?
Ans: A big geographical unit which stands out distinctively from the rest of the continent is called sub-continent.
Q8) The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India is 30 degrees. But the north south distance is larger than the east west distance. Why?
Ans: The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India is almost the same degrees. i.e 30 degrees. But the north south distance is 3214 km and the east west distance is 2933 km.
This is because of the nature of the lines. The latitudes are parallel lines and the distance is fixed between any two points and will not vary according to the area or shape. The longitudes are not parallel lines and the distance between the lines vary from equator to the poles. The distance is maximum near the equator and minimum at the poles.
Q9) why is the difference in day and night hardly felt at Kanyakumari, but not in Delhi?
Ans: Kanyakumari is located near the equator. Therefore it experiences direct sunrays for nearly 6 to 8 months continuously. Delhi is located far away from the equator. So the difference of day and night is longer in Kanyakumari.
* Additional questions
1) Name the countries which are larger than India?
Ans: Russia – Canada – China – USA – Brazil
2) Which island group of India lies to its south-east?
Ans:Andaman & Nicobar Islands
3)Which island countries are our southern neighbours?
Ans: Sri Lanka – Maldives
4)The island groups of India lying in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal?
Ans: Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman & Nicobar Islands respectively.
5)The countries consisting Indian Subcontinent ?
Ans: India – Pakistan – Nepal – Bhutan – Bangladesh – Sri Lanka and Maldives
6)The state through which the Tropic of Cancer passes?
Ans: Gujarat – Madhya Pradesh – Chhatisgarh – Jharkhand – West Bengal and Mizoram.
7)The place situated on the three seas?
Ans: Kanyakumari
8)The strait separating Sri Lanka from India ?
Ans: Palk Strait
9)The Union Territories of India ?
Ans: Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Lakshadweep Islands-Dadra & Nager Haveli – Daman & Diu – Pondicherry – (Puducherry )Delhi -Chandigarh.
10) Name the canal that shortened the distance between India and Europe?
Ans: Suez Canal
11) Name the southern most point of Indian Union?
Ans: Indira Point ( Andaman & Nicobar Island)
12) Name the smallest and largest states of India ?
Ans: Smallest : Goa Largest: Rajasthan
13) name the states of India having common boundary with Pakistan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh ?
Ans: Refer atlas