Location
India is lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, as shown in the figure below.
● The land extends between latitudes 8°4’N and 37°6’N and longitudes 68°7’E and 97°25’E.
● The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30’N) divides India into almost two equal parts.
Size
India’s total area accounts for about 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world. Thus, it is the
7th largest country in the world by its size.
● India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km.
● The total length of the coastline of the mainland is 7,516.6 km including Andaman and
Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
● India is bounded by the mountains in the northwest, north and northeast. South of about 22°
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.
● Time along the Standard Meridian of India (82°30’E) passing through Mirzapur (in Uttar
Pradesh) is taken as the standard time for India.
The map below shows the Extent of India and the Standard Meridian.
India and the World
The Indian landmass has a central location between the East and West Asia. India is a southward
extension of the Asian continent. The trans-Indian Ocean routes connect the countries of Europe in
the West and the countries of East Asia. No other country has as long a coastline on the Indian
Ocean as India has. India’s contacts with the World have continued through the ages. 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 domes and minarets from West Asia can
be seen in different parts of India.
India’s Neighbours
India has 28 states and eight Union Territories. India shares its land boundaries with:
● Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest
● China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan in the north
● Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east
