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Indian Geography: An Overview

India has achieved multi-faceted socio-economic progress over the last five decades,
displaying remarkable progress in agriculture, industry, technology, and overall
economic development, significantly contributing to world history.

Location and Size

India is located in the Northern Hemisphere. The mainland extends between:

Latitudes: 8°4'N and 37°6'N

Longitudes: 68°7'E and 97°25'E

The country is divided into almost two equal parts. To the southeast and southwest
of the mainland are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the
Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea, respectively.

This image is a world map that situates India in the northern hemisphere between
8°4'N and 37°6'N latitude and 68°7'E and 97°25'E longitude. You can see how India
is positioned relative to other continents and oceans.

The southernmost point of the Indian Union, Indira Point, was submerged under the
sea water in 2004 during the Tsunami.

Total Area: India’s total area is approximately 3.28 million square km,
accounting for about 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world.
India is the seventh largest country in the world.

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India has:

A land boundary of about 15,200 km.

A total coastline length of 7,516.6 km, including Andaman and Nicobar and
Lakshadweep.

India is bounded by young fold mountains in the northwest, north, and northeast.
South of about 22° north latitude, it begins to taper, extending towards the Indian
Ocean and dividing it into the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on its
east.

The area of India relative to other countries, as shown in this bar graph, helps
understand India's geographical size.

Despite the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the mainland being about 30°, the
east-west extent appears smaller than the north-south extent. There is a time lag of
two hours from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, the time along the
Standard Meridian of India 82°30 E passing through Mirzapur U ttarP radesh is taken
′

as the standard time for the whole country. The latitudinal extent influences the
duration of day and night as one moves from south to north.

India and the World

India is the southward extension of the Asian continent, located between East and
West Asia. The trans-Indian Ocean routes connecting Europe in the West and the
countries of East Asia provide a strategic central location to India.

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The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, helping India establish close
contact with West Asia, Africa, and Europe from the western coast, and with
Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.

The map of India is useful for visually understanding India's geography and its
proximity to various countries and bodies of water.

No other country has as long a coastline on the Indian Ocean as India, justifying the
naming of an ocean after it. Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the distance
from Europe has been reduced by 7,000 km.

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Here you can see how the positioning of India in Asia allows it to function as a central
location for trade and travel routes between Europe and Asia.

India’s relationships through land routes are much older than maritime contacts. The
passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to ancient
travelers, while oceans restricted such interactions for a long time. These routes have
contributed to the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times.

Contributions from India: The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, the
stories of Panchtantra, the Indian numerals, and the decimal system reached
many parts of the world. Spices, muslin, and other merchandise were taken
from India to different countries.
Influences on India: 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 Neighbors
India occupies an important position in South Asia, with 28 states and Eight Union
Territories.

India shares its land boundaries with:

Northwest: Pakistan and Afghanistan

North: China T ibet, Nepal, and Bhutan
East: Myanmar and Bangladesh

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Our southern neighbors across the sea consist of two island countries: Sri Lanka and
the Maldives.

This map helps visualize the neighboring countries of India and their geographical
locations.

Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar: Sri Lanka is separated from India by a
narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Maldives Islands: These are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep
Islands.

Before 1947, there were two types of states in India:

Provinces: Ruled directly by British officials appointed by the Viceroy.

Princely States: Ruled by local, hereditary rulers who acknowledged
sovereignty in return for local autonomy.

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