India Location Class 11 Geography

India's Geography

• India extends from Kashmir in the north to Kanniyakumari in the south and Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the west.
• India’s territorial limit further extends towards the sea up to 12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km) from the coast.
• The southern boundary extends up to 6°45' N latitude in the Bay of Bengal.

• The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India are roughly about 30 degrees, whereas the actual distance measured from north to south extremity is 3,214 km, and that from east to west is only 2,933 km.
• Distance between two longitudes decreases towards the poles whereas the distance between two latitudes remains the same everywhere.
• The southern part of the country lies within the tropics and the northern part lies in the sub-tropical zone or the warm temperate zone. This location is responsible for large variations in landforms, climate, soil types and natural vegetation in the country.
• From the values of longitude, it is quite discernible that there is a variation of nearly 30 degrees, which causes a time difference of nearly two hours between the easternmost and the westernmost parts of our country
• 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 is more than one standard meridian due to their vast east-to-west extent. For example, the USA has seven time zones.

Size

India and Its Neighbours

• It includes the countries — Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and India.
• India is located in the south-central part of the continent of Asia, bordering the Indian ocean and its two arms extending in the form of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
• This maritime location of Peninsular India has provided links to its neighboring regions through the sea and air routes.

Neighboring Countries of India

• Sri Lanka and the Maldives are the two island countries located in the Indian Ocean, which are our neighbors.
• Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait.

Gulf of Mannar

Key Points

• India extends from 6°45' N latitude in the Bay of Bengal to the northernmost Kashmir, covering vast latitudinal and longitudinal extents.
• The distance between latitudes remains constant, while the distance between longitudes decreases towards the poles.
• India's vast latitudinal extent results in diverse climates, landforms, and vegetation zones.
• The longitudinal extent of India causes a two-hour time difference between its eastern and western extremities.
• The standard meridian of India, 82°30' E, helps standardize time across the country despite this time difference.
• India's area of 3.28 million sq. km makes it the seventh-largest country globally.
• India's physical diversity includes lofty mountains, large rivers, green hills, and sandy expanses.
• The Himalayas, along with other ranges, form a natural barrier contributing to the unique regional identity of the Indian subcontinent.
• India's maritime location provides a long coastline of 7,517 km, connecting it with neighboring regions through sea and air routes.
• India's neighbors include Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Maldives.

Some Solved Questions

Q.1. What is the location of India?

Ans: India’s location is in between 8°4′ and 37°6’N latitudes (Mainland) and 68°7’ and 97°25’E longitudes.

Q.2. What is the difference between local time and standard time?

Ans: Local time of a place is the time of its meridian. All places on a meridian have same local time.  A place in the east is ahead of a place in the west in time.

Standard time is the time of the central meridian of an area. It has no relation to the moon or the height of the sun. There is no change in time. So it is known as standard time. 

For instance, in India, there is a two hour time difference between its eastern and western extreme longitudes, but the standard meridian of India  helps standardize time across the country despite this time difference.

Q.3. How the central position of India is beneficial to us? Explain it.

Ans: Geographically India occupies a central position in the Asia continent.

This position is beneficial to us in many ways: 

1. India is located on the Eastern hemisphere, Europe and the Eastern part of America are at an equal distance from India.
2. The tropic of cancer passes through the center of India. So that India is a tropical country.
3. India has a long coastline that provides many deep and natural harbors.
4. Indian ocean provides a favorable route for international trade.
5. The natural boundaries are favorably located from a different point of view.
6. Indian ocean is the origin of monsoons.
7. The chain of towering Himalayas acts as a climatic barrier. It protects northern India from polar cold winds and forces the monsoon to give rainfall.

Q4. What are the three major physical divisions of India? Describe them.

Ans: 
(i) The great mountain of north.
The great mountains of the north: This physical part lie between the great mountains of the north and the peninsular plateau. It has been built by the deposition of the sediments brought by the rivers. It is alluvial and extremely level. It extends from east to west, about 2,500 km! in length.

(ii) The great plains.

The plains consist of the two river basins – Indus and the Ganga- Brahmaputra basins. The Indus and its tributaries The Jhelum, The Chenab, The Ravi, The Beas, and the Sutlej flow into The Arabian sea through Pakistan.

(iii) The great plateau Of peninsular India. 

The Ganga, Brahmaputra, and their tributaries flow into the Bay of Bengal. Indus and Brahmaputra originated beyond the Himalayas.

The entire plain region is very fertile and the major occupation of the people is agriculture. A large number of industries come up in the region. This region has a dense network of transport. This region is densely populated.

Q5.  Name a few places in India through which the standard meridian passes?

India with its area of 3.28 million sq. km accounts for 2.4 percent of the world’s land surface area and stands as the seventh-largest country in the world.