PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA

2
Y
ou have already learnt earlier that India (1) The Himalayan Mountains
is a vast country with varied land forms. (2) The Northern Plains
What kind of terrain do you live in? If (3) The Peninsular Plateau
you live in the plains, you are familiar with the (4) The Indian Desert
vast stretches of plain land. In contrast, if you (5) The Coastal Plains
live in hilly region, the rugged terrain with (6) The Islands
mountains and valleys are common features.
In fact, our country has practically all major The Himalayan Mountains
physical features of the earth, i.e., mountains, The Himalayas, geologically young and
plains, deserts, plateaus and islands. structurally fold mountains stretch over the
The land of India displays great physical northern borders of India. These mountain
variation. Geologically, the Peninsular Plateau ranges run in a west-east direction from the
constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on
Indus to the Brahmaputra. The Himalayas
the earth’s surface. It was supposed to be one
represent the loftiest and one of the most
of the most stable land blocks. The Himalayas
rugged mountain barriers of the world. They
and the Northern Plains are the most recent
form an arc, which covers a distance of about
landforms. From the view point of geology,
2,400 Km. Their width varies from 400 Km in
Himalayan mountains form an unstable zone.
Kashmir to 150 Km in Arunachal Pradesh. The
The whole mountain system of Himalaya
represents a very youthful topography with altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern
high peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers. half than those in the western half. The
The northern plains are formed of alluvial Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in
deposits. The peninsular plateau is composed its longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie
of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently between these ranges. The northern-most
rising hills and wide valleys. range is known as the Great or Inner
Himalayas or the Himadri. It is the most
MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS continuous range consisting of the loftiest
The physical features of India can be grouped peaks with an average height of
under the following physiographic divisions 6,000 metres. It contains all prominent
(Figure 2.2): Himalayan peaks.

2024-25
 Figure 2.1 : Himalayas

Some Highest Peaks of the Himalayas The range lying to the south of the
Peak Country Height Himadri forms the most rugged mountain
in metres system and is known as Himachal or lesser
Mt. Everest Nepal 8848 Himalaya. The ranges are mainly composed
Kanchenjunga India 8598
Makalu Nepal 8481 of highly compressed and altered rocks. The
Dhaulagiri Nepal 8172 altitude varies between 3,700 and 4,500
Nanga Parbat India 8126
metres and the average width is of 50 Km.
Annapurna Nepal 8078
Nanda Devi India 7817 While the Pir Panjal range forms the longest
Kamet India 7756 and the most important range, the Dhaula
Namcha Barwa India 7756
Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are also
Gurla Mandhata Nepal 7728
prominent ones. This range consists of the
The folds of the Great Himalayas are famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and
asymmetrical in nature. The core of this part Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh. This
of Himalayas is composed of granite. It is region is well-known for its hill stations.
perennially snow bound, and a number of
glaciers descend from this range.
• Location of Mussoorie, Nainital,
Ranikhet from your atlas and also name the state
where they are located.
• The names of the glaciers and passes
that lie in the Great Himalayas.
• The name of the states where the highest The outer-most range of the Himalayas is
peaks are located. called the Shiwaliks. They extend over a width

8 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
 Figure 2.2 : Relief

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA 9

2024-25
 Figure 2.3 : The Himalayas

of 10-50 Km and have an altitude varying categories. Find out some regional names of
between 900 and 1100 metres. These ranges the Himalayas
are composed of unconsolidated sediments The Brahmaputra marks the eastern-most
brought down by rivers from the main boundary of the Himalayas. Beyond the Dihang
Himalayan ranges located farther north. gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south
These valleys are covered with thick and spread along the eastern boundary of
gravel and alluvium. The longitudinal valley India. They are known as the Purvachal or the
lying between lesser Himalaya and the Eastern hills and mountains. These hills
Shiwaliks are known as Duns. Dehra Dun, running through the north-eastern states are
Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some of the mostly composed of strong sandstones, which
well-known Duns. are sedimentary rocks. Covered with dense
Besides the longitudinal divisions, the
forests, they mostly run as parallel ranges
Himalayas have been divided on the basis of
and valleys. The Purvachal comprises the
regions from west to east. These divisions
Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills
have been demarcated by river valleys. For
and the Mizo hills.
example, the part of Himalayas lying between
Indus and Satluj has been traditionally
known as Punjab Himalaya but it is also
known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal
Himalaya from west to east respectively. The
part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj
and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon
Himalayas. The Kali and Teesta rivers
demarcate the Nepal Himalayas and the part
lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers is
known as Assam Himalayas. There are
regional names also in these broad Figure 2.4 : Mizo Hills

10 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
The Northern Plain The Northern Plain is broadly divided into
three sections. The Western part of the Northern
The northern plain has been formed by the
interplay of the three major river systems, Plain is referred to as the Punjab Plains.
namely — the Indus, the Ganga and the Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, the
larger part of this plain lies in Pakistan. The
Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. This
plain is formed of alluvial soil. The deposition Indus and its tributaries — the Jhelum, the
of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj
originate in the Himalaya. This section of the
of the Himalaya over millions of years, formed
this fertile plain. It spreads over an area of 7 plain is dominated by the doabs.
lakh sq. km. The plain being about 2400 km
long and 240 to 320 km broad, is a densely ‘Doab’ is made up of two words
populated physiographic division. With a rich — ‘do’ meaning two and ‘ab’ meaning water. Similarly
‘Punjab’, is also made up two words — ‘Punj’ meaning
soil cover combined with adequate water five and ‘ab’ meaning water.
supply and favourable climate it is
agriculturally a productive part of India.
The Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar
and Teesta rivers. It is spread over North India in
Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, partly Jharkhand and
West Bengal. In the East, particularly in Assam
lies the Brahmaputra plain.
The northern plains are generally described
as flat land with no variations in its relief. It is
not true. These vast plains also have diverse
relief features. According to the variations in
relief features, the Northern plains can be
divided into four regions. The rivers, after
descending from the mountains deposit
pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km
in width lying parallel to the slopes of the
Figure 2.5 : The Northern Plains Shiwaliks. It is known as bhabar. All the
streams disappear in this bhabar belt. South
The rivers coming from northern of this belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge
mountains are involved in depositional work. and create a wet, swampy and marshy region
In the lower course, due to gentle slope, the known as terai. This was a thickly forested
velocity of the river decreases, which results in region full of wildlife. The forests have been
the formation of riverine islands. cleared to create agricultural land and to settle
migrants from Pakistan after partition. Locate
Dudhwa National Park in this region.
Majuli, in the Brahmaputra
river, is the largest inhabited riverine island in the The largest part of the northern plain is
world. formed of older alluvium. It lies above the
floodplains of the rivers and presents a terrace-
The rivers in their lower course split into like feature. This part is known as bhangar.
numerous channels due to the deposition of silt. The soil in this region contains calcareous
These channels are known as distributaries. deposits, locally known as kankar. The

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA 11

2024-25
newer, younger deposits of the floodplains The Chotanagpur plateau marks the
are called khadar. They are renewed almost further eastward extension, drained by the
every year and so are fertile, thus, ideal for Damodar river.
intensive agriculture. The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass
that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The
The Peninsular Plateau Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north,
The Peninsular plateau is a tableland while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the
composed of the old crystalline, igneous and Maikal range form its eastern extensions. Locate
metamorphic rocks. It was formed due to the these hills and ranges in the Physical map of
breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land India. The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west
and thus, making it a part of the oldest and slopes gently eastwards. An extension of the
landmass. The plateau has broad and shallow Plateau is also visible in the northeast, locally
valleys and rounded hills. This plateau consists known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau
of two broad divisions, namely, the Central and North Cachar Hills. It is separated by a fault
Highlands and the Deccan Plateau. The part from the Chotanagpur Plateau. Three prominent
of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of hill ranges from the west to the east are the Garo,
the Narmada river, covering a major area of the the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills.
Malwa plateau, is known as the Central The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats
Highlands. The Vindhyan range is bounded mark the western and the eastern edges of the
by the Satpura range on the south and the Deccan Plateau respectively. Western Ghats lie
Aravalis on the northwest. The further parallel to the western coast. They are continuous
westward extension gradually merges with the and can be crossed through passes only. Locate
sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan. The the Thal, Bhor and Pal Ghats in the Physical
flow of the rivers draining this region, namely
map of India.
the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken
The Western Ghats are higher than the
is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating
Eastern Ghats. Their average elevation is 900–
the slope. The Central Highlands are wider in
1600 metres as against 600 metres of the
the west but narrower in the east. The eastward
Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats stretch
extensions of this plateau are locally known
from the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the
as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.
south. The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous
and irregular and dissected by rivers draining
into the Bay of Bengal. The Western Ghats
cause orographic rain by facing the rain
bearing moist winds to rise along the western
slopes of the Ghats. The Western Ghats are
known by different local names. The height of
the Western Ghats progressively increases
from north to south. The highest peaks
include the Anai Mudi (2,695 metres) and the
Doda Betta (2,637 metres). Mahendragiri
(1,501 metres) is the highest peak in the
Eastern Ghats. Shevroy Hills and the Javadi
Figure 2.6 : A Waterfall in Chotanagpur Plateau Hills are located to the southeast of the

12 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
Eastern Ghats. Locate the famous hill stations more prominent near the Indo-Pakistan
of Udagamandalam, popularly known as boundary. If you visit Jaisalmer, you may go
Ooty and the Kodaikanal. to see a group of barchans.
One of the distinct features of the
Peninsular plateau is the black soil area The Coastal Plains
known as Decean Trap. This is of volcanic
The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch
origin, hence, the rocks are igneous. Actually,
of narrow coastal strips, running along the
these rocks have denuded over time and are
Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal
responsible for the formation of black soil. The
on the east. The western coast, sandwiched
Aravali Hills lie on the western and
between the Western Ghats and the Arabian
northwestern margins of the Peninsular
Sea, is a narrow plain. It consists of three
plateau. These are highly eroded hills and are
sections. The northern part of the coast is called
found as broken hills. They extend from
the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa), the central stretch
Gujarat to Delhi in a southwest-northeast
is called the Kannad Plain, while the southern
direction.
stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast.
The Indian Desert
The Indian desert lies towards the western
margins of the Aravali Hills. It is an undulating
sandy plain covered with sand dunes. This
region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm
per year. It has arid climate with low vegetation
cover. Streams appear during the rainy
season. Soon after they disappear into the
sand as they do not have enough water to
reach the sea. Luni is the only large river in
this region.

Figure 2.8 : The Coastal Plains

The plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide

and level. In the northern part, it is referred to
as the Northern Circar, while the southern part
is known as the Coromandel Coast. Large
rivers, such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari,
the Krishna and the Kaveri have formed
extensive delta on this coast. Lake Chilika is
an important feature along the eastern coast.
Figure 2.7 : The Indian Desert

The Chilika Lake is the

Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover largest salt water lake in India. It lies in the state
larger areas but longitudinal dunes become of Odisha, to the south of the Mahanadi delta.

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA 13

2024-25
The Islands Now you see the elongated chain of islands
You have already seen that India has a vast located in the Bay of Bengal extending from
mainland. Besides this, the country has two groups north to south. These are Andaman and
of islands. Can you identify these island groups? Nicobar islands. They are bigger in size and
are more numerous and scattered. The entire
group of islands is divided into two broad
categories – The Andaman in the north and
the Nicobar in the south. It is believed that these
islands are an elevated portion of submarine
mountains. These island groups are of great
strategic importance for the country. There is
great diversity of flora and fauna in this group
of islands too. These islands lie close to equator
and experience equatorial climate and has
thick forest cover.
Figure 2.9 : An Island

Locate the Lakshadweep Islands group India’s only active volcano is

lying close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. This found on Barren island in Andaman and Nicobar
group of Islands.
group of islands is composed of small coral
isalnds. Earlier they were known as Laccadive,
Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973, these were A detailed account of the different
named as Lakshadweep. It covers small area physiographic units highlights the unique
of 32 sq km. Kavaratti island is the features of each region. It would, however,
administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep. be clear that each region complements the
This island group has great diversity of flora other and makes the country richer in its
and fauna. The Pitti island, which is
natural resources. The mountains are the
uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary.
major sources of water and forest wealth.
The northern plains are the granaries of the
Corals country. They provide the base for early
Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic civilisations. The plateau is a storehouse
organisms, which live in colonies. They flourish of minerals, which has played a crucial role
in shallow, mud-free and warm waters. They
secrete calcium carbonate. The coral secretion in the industrialisation of the country. The
and their skeletons from coral deposits in the coastal region and island groups provide
form of reefs: they are mainly of three kinds:
sites for fishing and port activities. Thus,
barrier reef. fringing reef and atolls. The Great
Barrier Reef of Australia is a good example of the the diverse physical features of the land
first kind of coral reefs. Atolls are circular or have immense future possibilities
horse shoe-shaped coral reefs.
of development.

14 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
 EXERCISE
1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as
(a) Coast (c) Peninsula
(b) Island (d) None of the above
(ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with
Myanmar are collectively called
(a) Himachal (c) Purvachal
(b) Uttarakhand (d) None of the above
(iii) The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as
(a) Coromandel (c) Kannad
(b) Konkan (d) Northern Circar
(iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
(a) Anai Mudi (c) Mahendragiri
(b) Kanchenjunga (d) Khasi
2 Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) What is the bhabar?
(ii) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
(iii) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges?
(iv) Name the island group of India having coral origin.
3. Distinguish between
(i) Bhangar and Khadar
(ii) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
4. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the
Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.
5. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.
6. Write short notes on the following.
(i) The Indian Desert
(ii) The Central Highlands
(iii) The Island groups of India

MAP SKILLS

On an outline map of India show the following.

(i) Mountain and hill ranges – the Karakoram, the Zaskar, the Patkai Bum,
the Jaintia, the Vindhya range, the Aravali, and the Cardamom hills.
(ii) Peaks – K2, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat and the Anai Mudi.
(iii) Plateaus, Chotanagpur and Malwa
(iv) The Indian Desert, Western Ghats, Lakshadweep Islands

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA 15

2024-25
 PROJECT/ACTIVITY

Locate the peaks, passes, ranges, plateaus, hills, and duns hidden in the puzzle.
Try to find where these features are located. You may start your search
horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

16 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
 UNIT
I

INTRODUCTION
This unit deals with
• Location — space relations and India’s place in the world

2024-25
 Do you Remember?

CHAPTER

INDIA – LOCATION

Y
ou have already seen the map of India Practical Work in Geography – Part I (NCERT,
in the previous classes. Now you closely 2006) to find out.
examine the map of India (Figure 1.1). This difference is based on the fact that the
Mark the southernmost and northernmost distance between two longitudes decreases
latitudes and the easternmost and towards the poles whereas the distance
westernmost longitudes. between two latitudes remains the same
The mainland of India, extends from everywhere. Find out the distance between two
Kashmir in the north to Kanniyakumari in the latitudes?
south and Arunachal Pradesh in the east to From the values of latitude, it is understood
Gujarat in the west. India’s territorial limit that the southern part of the country lies
further extends towards the sea upto 12 within the tropics and the northern part lies in
nautical miles (about 21.9 km) from the coast. the sub-tropical zone or the warm temperate
(See the box for conversion). zone. This location is responsible for large
variations in land forms, climate, soil types and
Statute mile = 63,360 inches natural vegetation in the country.
Nautical mile = 72,960 inches Now, let us observe the longitudinal extent
1 Statute mile = about 1.6 km (1.584 km)
1 Nautical mile = about 1.8 km (1.852 km)
and its implications on the Indian people. From
the values of longitude, it is quite discernible
Our southern boundary extends upto that there is a variation of nearly 30 degrees,
6°45' N latitude in the Bay of Bengal. Let us which causes a time difference of nearly two
try to analyse the implications of having such hours between the easternmost and the
a vast longitudinal and latitudinal extent. westernmost parts of our country. You are
If you work out the latitudinal and familiar with the concept of Indian Standard
longitudinal extent of India, they are roughly Time (IST). What is the use of the standard
about 30 degrees, whereas the actual distance meridian? While the sun rises in the
measured from north to south extremity is northeastern states about two hours earlier as
3,214 km, and that from east to west is only compared to Jaisalmer, the watches in
2,933 km. What is the reason for this Dibrugarh, Imphal in the east and Jaisalmer,
difference? Consult Chapter 3 on the topic Bhopal or Chennai in the other parts of India
Latitude, Longitude and Time in the book show the same time. Why does this happen?

There is a general understanding among the countries of the world to select the standard
meridian in multiples of 7°30' of longitude. That is why 82°30' E has been selected as the
‘standard meridian’ of India. Indian Standard Time is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time by
5 hours and 30 minutes.
There are some countries where there are more than one standard meridian due to
their vast east-to-west extent. For example, the USA has seven time zones.

2024-25
INDIA – LOCATION 3

Figure 1.1 : India : Administrative Divisions

2024-25
 4
INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Figure 1.2 : Location of India in the Eastern World

2024-25
INDIA – LOCATION 5

Name a few places in India through which the geographical coast of the mainland plus the
standard meridian passes? island groups Andaman and Nicobar located
India with its area of 3.28 million sq. km in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep in
accounts for 2.4 per cent of the world’s land the Arabian Sea. Thus India, as a country, is
surface area and stands as the seventh a physically diverse land providing occurrence
largest country in the world. Find out the of varied resources.
names of the countries which are larger than
India. Do you Remember?
School Bhuvan NCER T is a portal
SIZE providing map-based learning to bring
awareness among the students about
The size of India has endowed her with great country’s natural resources,
physical diversity. Thus, you may appreciate environment and their role in
the presence of lofty mountains in the north; sustainable development. It is an
large rivers such as Ganga, Brahmaputra, initiative of Bhuvan-NRSC/ISRO,
Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri; based on NCER T syllabus.
green forested hills in northeast and south You can explore various maps of India
India; and the vast sandy expanse of on http://bhuvan-app1.nrsc.gov.in/
Marusthali. You may further appreciate that mhrd_ncert/
bounded by the Himalayas in the north,
Hindukush and Sulaiman ranges in the north- INDIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS
west, Purvachal hills in the north-east and by Examine the location map of India (Figure 1.2).
the large expanse of the Indian ocean in the You will notice that India is located in the
south, it forms a great geographic entity known south-central part of the continent of Asia,
as the Indian subcontinent. It includes the bordering the Indian ocean and its two arms
countries — Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, extending in the form of Bay of Bengal and the
Bangladesh and India. The Himalayas, Arabian Sea. This maritime location of
together with other ranges, have acted as a Peninsular India has provided links to its
formidable physical barrier in the past. Except neighbouring regions through the sea and air
for a few mountain passes such as the Khyber, routes.
the Bolan, the Shipkila, the Nathula, the Prepare a list of India’s neighbouring
Bomdila, etc. it was difficult to cross it. It has countries by consulting the map.
contributed towards the evolving of a unique Sri Lanka and Maldives are the two island
regional identity of the Indian subcontinent. countries located in the Indian Ocean, which
By referring to the physical map of India are our neighbours. Sri Lanka is separated from
you can now describe the physical variations India by the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait.
which you would come across while travelling
Differentiate between a Gulf and a Strait.
from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari and from
Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to Imphal in Manipur. Do you think that physical barrier is a
Peninsular part of India extends towards hindrance in interaction with our neighbouring
the Indian Ocean. This has provided the countries in modern times? Give some
country with a coastline of 6,100 km in the examples how we have overcome these
mainland and 7,517 km in the entire difficulties in the present day.

Activity: Observe the map of India on an atlas/School Bhuvan NCERT portal

and collect information about states/districts/villages located near the
international border of India.

2024-25
6 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

EXERCISES

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following latitudinal extent is relevant for the extent of
India’s area?
(a) 8°41'N - 35°7'N (c) 8°4'N - 35°6'N
(b) 8°4'N - 37°6'N (d) 6°45'N - 37°6'N
(ii) Which one of the following countries shares the longest land frontier with
India?
(a) Bangladesh (c) Pakistan
(b) China (d) Myanmar
(iii) Which one of the following countries is larger in area than India?
(a) China (c) France
(b) Egypt (d) Iran
(iv) Which one of the following longitudes is the standard meridian for India?
(a) 69°30'E (c) 75°30'E
(b) 82°30'E (d) 90°30'E
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Does India need to have more than one standard time? If yes, why do you
think so?
(ii) What are the implications of India having a long coastline?
(iii) How is the latitudinal spread of India advantageous to her?
(iv) While the sun rises earlier in the east, say Nagaland and also sets earlier,
how do the watches at Kohima and New Delhi show the same time?
Project/Activity
Activity based on Appendix I (Teachers may help in the exercises by explaining
and getting it done by the students).
(i) On a graph paper, plot the number of districts in Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Meghalaya, Goa, Kerala, Haryana. Do the number of districts
have some relationship with the area of the state?
(ii) Which state amongst Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Arunachal
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Rajasthan is the most thickly populated
and which one is the least densely populated?
(iii) Find out the relationship between the area of the state and the number of
districts.
(iv) Identify the states with coastal boundaries.
(v) Arrange the states from west to east which have only land boundary.
Activity based on Appendix II
(i) List the Union Territories which have coastal location.
(ii) How do you explain the variation in the area and population of NCT Delhi
and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
(iii) On a graph paper, draw a bar diagram to show the area and population of
all the Union Territories.

2024-25
 INDIA – SIZE AND LOCATION
1
I
ndia is one of the ancient civilisations in the The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30'N) divides the
world. It has achieved multi-faceted socio- country into almost two equal parts. To the
economic progress during the last five southeast and southwest of the mainland, lie
decades. It has moved forward displaying the Andaman and Nicobar islands and the
remarkable progress in the field of Lakshadweep islands in Bay of Bengal and
agriculture, industry, technology and overall Arabian Sea respectively. Find out the extent
economic development. India has also of these groups of islands from your atlas.
contributed significantly to the making of
world history. • The southernmost point of
the Indian Union– ‘Indira Point’ got submerged under
the sea water in 2004 during the Tsunami.
LOCATION
India is a vast country. Lying entirely in the SIZE
Northern hemisphere (Figure 1.1) the main The land mass of India has an area of 3.28
land extends between latitudes 8°4'N and million square km. India’s total area accounts
37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E. for about 2.4 per cent of the total geographical
180°W 150° 120° 90° 60° 30°W 0° 30°E 60° 90° 120° 150° 180°E

75°N

60°
North
America Europe 45°
Asia

30°

PACIFIC ATLANTIC Africa PACIFIC 15°N

OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN
0°
South INDIAN
America OCEAN
15°S

Australia
30°

45°

60°

Antartica 75°S

Figure 1.1 : India in the World

2024-25
area of the world. From Figure 1.2 it is clear
that India is the seventh largest country of
• Why 82°30'E has been selected as the Standard
the world. India has a land boundary of Meridian of India?
about 15,200 km and the total length of the • Why is the difference between the durations
coastline of the mainland, including of day and night hardly felt at Kanniyakumari
Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, but not so in Kashmir?
is 7,516.6 km.
India is bounded by the young fold INDIA AND THE WORLD
mountains in the northwest, north and The Indian landmass has a central location
northeast. South of about 22° north between the East and the West Asia. India is a
latitude, it begins to taper, and extends southward extension of the Asian continent. The
towards the Indian Ocean, dividing it into trans Indian Ocean routes, which connect the
two seas, the Arabian Sea on the west and countries of Europe in the West and the
the Bay of Bengal on its east. countries of East Asia, provide a strategic central
Look at Figure 1.3 and note that the location to India. Note that the Deccan Peninsula
latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping
mainland is about 30°. Despite this fact, the India to establish close contact with West Asia,
east-west extent appears to be smaller than Africa and Europe from the western coast and
the north-south extent. with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern
From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, coast. No other country has a long coastline on
there is a time lag of two hours. Hence, time the Indian Ocean as India has and indeed, it is
along the Standard Meridian of India India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean,
(82°30'E) passing through Mirzapur (in which justifies the naming of an Ocean after it.
Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard time
for the whole country. The latitudinal extent Since the opening of the
influences the duration of day and night, as Suez Canal in 1869, India’s distance from Europe
one moves from south to north. has been reduced by 7,000 km.

Source : United Nations Demographic Year Book 2015

Figure 1.2 : Seven Largest Countries of the World

2 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
 Figure 1.3 : India : Extent and Standard Meridian

INDIA – SIZE AND LOCATION 3

2024-25
 Figure 1.4 : India on International Highway of Trade and Commerce

India’s contacts with the World have

continued through ages but her relationships • The number of Union Territories
along the western and eastern coasts.
through the land routes are much older than • Area-wise which is the smallest and which is
her maritime contacts. The various passes across the largest state?
the mountains in the north have provided • The states which do not have an international
passages to the ancient travellers, while the border or lie on the coast.
oceans restricted such interaction for a long time. • Classify the states into four groups each
These routes have contributed in the having common frontiers with
(i) Pakistan, (ii) China, (iii) Myanmar, and
exchange of ideas and commodities since (iv) Bangladesh.
ancient times. The ideas of the Upanishads
and the Ramayana, the stories of Panchtantra,
India shares its land boundaries with
the Indian numerals and the decimal system
Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest,
thus could reach many parts of the world. The
China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan in the north
spices, muslin and other merchandise were
and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east.
taken from India to different countries. On the
Our southern neighbours across the sea
other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture,
consist of the two island countries, namely
and the architectural styles of dome and
minarets from West Asia can be seen in
different parts of our country.
Before 1947, there were two
types of states in India — the provinces and the
INDIA’S NEIGHBOURS Princely states. Provinces were ruled directly by
British officials, who were appointed by the
India occupies an important strategic position Viceroy. Princely states were ruled by local,
in South Asia. India has 28 states and Eight hereditary rulers, who acknowledged sovereignity
Union Territories (Figure 1.5). in return for local autonomy.

4 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25
 Figure 1.5 : India and Adjacent Countries

Sri Lanka and Maldives. Sri Lanka is India has had strong geographical and
separated from India by a narrow channel historical links with her neighbours. Look
of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf at the physical map of Asia in your atlas,
of Mannar, while Maldives Islands are situated and note how India stands apart from the
to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands. rest of Asia.

School Bhuvan, NCERT is a portal providing map-based learning to bring awareness

among the students about the country’s natural resources, environment and their role in sustainable
development. It is an initiative of Bhuvan — NRSC/ISRO based on NCERT syllabus. You can explore
various maps of India related to the secondary stage on https://bhuvan-app1.nrsc.gov.in/mhrd_ncert/

INDIA – SIZE AND LOCATION 5

2024-25
 EXERCISE

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan (c) Chhattisgarh
(b) Odisha (d) Tripura
(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97° 25' E (c) 77° 6' E
(b) 68° 7' E (d) 82° 32' E
(iii) Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common
frontiers with
(a) China (c) Nepal
(b) Bhutan (d) Myanmar
(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) Puducherry (c) Andaman and Nicobar
(b) Lakshadweep (d) Daman and Diu
(v) My friend hails from a country which does not share land boundary with
India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan (c) Bangladesh
(b) Tajikistan (d) Nepal
2 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 neighbours?
3 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?
4 The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of
great significance. Why?

MAP SKILLS

1. Identify the following with the help of map reading.

(i) The island groups of India lying in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
(ii) The countries constituting Indian subcontinent.
(iii) The States through which the Tropic of Cancer passes.
(iv) The northernmost latitude in degrees.
(v) The southernmost latitude of the Indian mainland in degrees.
(vi) The eastern and the western-most longitude in degrees.
(vii) The place situated on the three seas.
(viii) The strait separating Sri Lanka from India.
(ix) The Union Territories of India.

PROJECT/ACTIVITY

(i) Find out the longitudinal and latitudinal extent of your state.
(ii) Collect information about the ‘Silk Route’. Also find out the new
developments, which are improving communication routes in the regions of
high altitude.

6 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I

2024-25