Madhya Pradesh - Geographical Location | Course for MPPSC Preparation - MPPSC (Madhya Pradesh) PDF Download

Introduction

Historical Significance: Until the year 2000, Madhya Pradesh was the largest state in India by area. However, after the creation of Chhattisgarh from a part of Madhya Pradesh, it became the second-largest state in terms of area. Today, it ranks as the sixth-largest state in India by population. 

Geographical Location

• North-East: Uttar Pradesh 
• North-West: Rajasthan 
• West: Gujarat 
• South-West: Maharashtra 
• South-East: Chhattisgarh 

Geographical Divisions

• Medium Highland: Located north of the Chambal and Son Rivers. Composed of the Deccan Trap, Vindhya rock group, and Granite Gneiss. 
• Steep Escarpments: Found in the south and southeast, these include the Vindhyachal, Bhander, and Kaimur ranges. The northern parts of these escarpments feature extensive plateaus. 
• Satpura Mountain Range: Situated south of the Narmada-Son axis, this range is made up of Granite-Gneiss, Gondwana rock group, and the Deccan Trap. 
• Maikal Range: Located in the eastern part of the Satpura range. 
• Plateaus: The eastern part of Madhya Pradesh features a plateau divided into:
  (i) Baghelkhand Plateau (Northern part) 
  (ii) Dandakaranya Plateau (Southern part) 

 The Baghelkhand Plateau is composed of the Gondwana rock group and Pre-Cambrian granite. 

Latitude of Madhya Pradesh

• Madhya Pradesh is situated in the Northern Hemisphere, between the latitudes of 21°6’N and 26°30’N. 
• The state stretches 605 kilometers from north to south. 
• The northernmost district is Morena, and the southernmost district is Burhanpur. 

Tropic of Cancer

• The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23°30’ North latitude. 
•  This latitude divides India into two parts and also splits Madhya Pradesh into two parts. 

Districts

• The Tropic of Cancer passes through 14 districts in Madhya Pradesh: 
• Ratlam 
• Ujjain 
• Agar-Malwa 
• Rajgarh 
• Sehore 
• Bhopal 
• Vidisha 
• Raisen 
• Sagar 
• Damoh 
• Katni 
• Jabalpur 
• Umariya 
• Shahdol 

The Tropic of Cancer passes through all the districts of the Bhopal division. 

Longitude

• Madhya Pradesh is situated in the Eastern Hemisphere of the globe. 
• It lies between the longitudes of 74°9’E and 82°48’E. 
• The width of Madhya Pradesh from east to west is 870 kilometers. 
•  Due to the longitudinal difference of 8°4’ between the easternmost and westernmost points of Madhya Pradesh, there is a time difference of 34 minutes. 
•  The easternmost district is Singrauli, and the westernmost district is Alirajpur. 

Indian Standard Meridian:

•  The Indian Standard Meridian is located at 82°30’ eastern longitude and is known as the Indian Standard Time (IST). 
•  The IST passes through the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh. 

Area of Madhya Pradesh

• The total land area of Madhya Pradesh is 3,08,252 square kilometers.
• Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state in India by area, following Rajasthan.
• The area of Madhya Pradesh makes up 9.38% of India's total land area.

Political Boundary of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Bordering with Uttar Pradesh:

• Bordering Districts of Madhya Pradesh: Morena, Bhind, Datiya, Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Singrauli (14 districts)
• Bordering Districts of Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Etawah, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Banda, Jalaun, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Mahoba, Sonbhadra, Chitrakoot (12 districts)

Madhya Pradesh Bordering with Rajasthan:

• Bordering Districts of Madhya Pradesh: Jhabua, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Rajgarh, Guna, Shivpuri, Morena, Sheopur, Agar-Malwa (10 districts)
• Bordering Districts of Rajasthan: Banswara, Pratapgarh, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Kota, Jhalawar, Baran, Sawai-Madhopur, Karauli, Dhaulpur (10 districts)

Madhya Pradesh Bordering with Maharashtra:

• Bordering Districts of Madhya Pradesh: Alirajpur, Barwani, Khargone, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Betul, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Seoni (9 districts)
• Bordering Districts of Maharashtra: Dhule, Bhusawal, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara, Buldhana, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Gondia (9 districts)

Madhya Pradesh Bordering with Chhattisgarh:

• Bordering Districts of Madhya Pradesh: Sidhi, Singrauli, Shahdol, Dindori, Anuppur, Balaghat (6 districts)
• Bordering Districts of Chhattisgarh: Rajnandgaon, Koriya, Bilaspur, Mungeli, Kabirdham, Balrampur, Surajpur (7 districts)

Madhya Pradesh Bordering with Gujarat:

• Bordering Districts of Madhya Pradesh: Jhabua, Alirajpur (2 districts)
• Bordering Districts of Gujarat: Vadodara, Dahod (2 districts)

Facts

• Longest Boundary: Uttar Pradesh
• Shortest Boundary: Gujarat
• Districts with Maximum Boundary:
  • Alirajpur: Gujarat
  • Jhabua: Rajasthan, Gujarat
  • Niwari: Uttar Pradesh
  • Anuppur: Chhattisgarh
  • Betul: Maharashtra

Districts Sharing Borders with Two States:

• Alirajpur District: Maharashtra and Gujarat
• Balaghat District: Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra
• Jhabua District: Rajasthan and Gujarat
• Singrauli District: Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
• Morena District: Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan

Intermediate Districts: Districts that do not share borders with any other state. Madhya Pradesh has 18 intermediate districts, including Gwalior, Ujjain, Dhar, Vidisha, Dewas, Indore, Shajapur, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Narsinghpur, Harda, Katni, Damoh, Jabalpur, Umariya, and Mandala.

Important Centers in Madhya Pradesh

• Central Point of Earth: Mangalnath, Ujjain
• Central Point of Geographical India: Manohar Village, Karaudi, Katni
• Central Point of Madhya Pradesh: Sagar

Nicknames of Madhya Pradesh

• Hriday State: Due to its central location in India.
• Soya State: Leading producer of soybean in India.
• Home of Rivers (Nadiyo ka Mayka): Source of major rivers like Narmada, Tapti, Chambal, and Son.
• Diamond State: Monopoly over diamond production in India.
• Tiger State: Hosts the largest number of tigers (526) in the country.

State Symbols of Madhya Pradesh

• State Flower: White Lily (Lilium Candidum)
• State Bird: Shah Bulbul (Paradise Flycatcher)
• State Tree: Banyan Tree (Ficus Benghalensis)
• State Animal: Barasingha (Swamp Deer) (Rucervus Duvaucelii)
• State Fish: Mahasheer (Tor-Tor)
• State Dance: Rai
• State Drama: Maach
• State Sport: Malkhanb