CBSE Class 09 Social Science Revision Notes Chapter - 1 Geography - INDIA — SIZE AND LOCATION

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India is an ancient civilisation but now it is a developing nation. It has shown remarkable progress in various fields.

Location

• India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
• India’s mainland extends between 8∘4′N and 37∘8′N8∘4′N and 37∘8′N latitudes, and 68∘7′E and 97∘25′E68∘7′E and 97∘25′E longitudes.
• The Tropic of Cancer (23∘30′N)(23∘30′N) divides India into two almost equal parts.
• The island groups of Lakshadweep and Andman & Nicobar are also part of India.

Size

• Covering an area of 3.28 million square kilometres, India’s total area is 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world.
• India is the world’s seventh largest country with a land boundary of about 15,200 km, with total length of the coastline being 7,516.6 km.
• India’s east-west extent appears to be smaller than the north-south extent.
• India's latitudinal and longitudinal extent is about 30 degrees.
• India's standard time is based on 82.30 degrees E meridian, which passes near Mirzapur in UP.
• Latitudinal extent influences duration of the day and night.

India and the World

• The Indian landmass is centrally located between West and East Asia.
• The trans Indian ocean routes connect countries in the west and counties in the east.
• India’s protruding Deccan Peninsula helped India to establish close contacts with West Asia, Africa and Europe, South-east and East Asia.
• India’s contacts with the world via land routes are much more than her maritime contacts.
• India is the only nation which has a ocean named after it.
• India has contributed a lot to the world in forms of ideas, philosophies (Upanishads, Ramayana, Panchtantra) and mathematics (Indian numerals and decimal system).
• In exchange, India’s architecture was influenced by Greek sculpture and architectural styles from West Asia.

India’s Neighbours

• India has an important position in South Asia and has 29 States and 7 Union Territories.
• India shares its boundaries with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan.
• The southern neighbours across the sea consist of the two island countries, namely Maldives and Sri Lanka.
• Shri Lanka is separated from India by Pak Strait, a narrow strip of sea.  
• India always have and had strong geographical and historical links with her neighbours.
• India stands apart from the rest of Asia.