Class 9 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers - Contemporary India - I

Q1: When the Sun rises in Itanagar, it is still night in Porbandar. Why? Give any two reasons.
Ans:

• The longitudinal extent is about 30°, meaning about 30 longitudes pass from east to west through India.
• There is a time difference of 4 minutes between two consecutive longitudes. Hence, time difference between the two secessive longitudes is
  30 x 4 = 120 Mins = 2 Hours.

Q2: How did India’s contact with the rest of world contribute to the exchanging of ideas and commodities? Explain.
Ans: 

• The ideas of the Upanishads, Ramayana, Gita, etc., have came known to the world.
• The Indian Numerals and decimal system long back crossed the border. The Arabs took these ideas to Europe.
• Our old landroutes contributed to the exchanging of ideas and commodities since ancient times.

 
Q3: Why has India adopted a standard meridian of India with an odd value of 82°30’E?
Ans: Because it divides by 7°30′, a standard adopted by almost all the countries of the World. It lies almost in the middle of India, and as such, it suits us the most.

Q4: Explain why Ahmedabad and Kolkata can see the noon sun exactly overhead in a year but not Delhi?
Ans: Ahmedabad has a latitude of 23°N, Kolkata has a latitude of 22.5°N, and Delhi has a latitude of 28°N. This means that the first two cities lies within the Tropic of Cancer. The Tropic of Cancer is a circle of latitude on the earth that marks the sun’s apparent position at the Northern solstice. Thus, Sun is not directly overhead in Delhi.

Q5: Why is Indian Ocean named after India? Give three reasons.
Ans: 

• India has a long coastline on Indian Ocean.
• India has a Central location in Asia.
• Deccan Plateau extends into the Indian Ocean.

Q6: Write a note on the location and size of India?
Ans: 
Location: 

• India is a vast country in the eastern hemisphere.
• The mainland has latitudes 68°7’E and 97°25’E.

 Size:

• landmass of India = 3.28 million sq. km.
• length of coastline including islands = 7516.6 km and a land boundary of India = 15200 km.

Q7: What is the latitudinal extent of India? What are its implications?
Ans: The Indian Union is situated between about 8°4’N and 37°6’N.
Implications:

• The southern part of India gets more temperature from the Sun than the northern parts.
• Southern parts of India experience less Annual rainfall than Northern parts.

Q8: How India’s longitudinal extent is helpful for India?
Ans:

• India’s geographical location is favourably essential for maritime trade.
• Due to its central location in eastern hemisphere, India lies on major trade routes.
• It has helped establish close cultural and commercial contacts with Asian countries.

Q9: Why is the difference between the durations of day and night hardly felt at Koodankulam but not in Kashmir?
Ans:

• Koodankulam is just 9° away from equator. As the equator receives the direct sunrays.
• There would not be hardly any difference between day and night, whereas Kashmir is 37° away from the equator. So, the difference between the duration of day and night is about 5 hours.

Q10: State the reason for time lag between sunrise on the easternmost and the westernmost horizons of India.
Ans: 

• The easternmost longitude in Arunachal Pradesh (in India) is 97°25’E. (ii) The westernmost longitude in Gujarat (of India) is 68°7’E. 
• Thus, the longitudinal extent is about 30°, it means about 30 longitudes pass from east to west through India. 
• There is a time difference of 4 minutes between the two consecutive longitudes. The time difference between 30 longitudes is 30 X 4 = 120 min. or 2 hrs.

As a result, there is a time difference of two hours in local time between Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

Q11: Give a brief description of India’s neighbours.
Ans:

• India shares its land boundary with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest, China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan in the north and Myanmar and Bangladesh are our eastern neighbours.
• Our southern neighbours across the sea consist of two island countries, namely Sri Lanka and Maldives.
• Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar while Maldives Islands are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.

Q12: Give a brief description of the size of India’s landmass.
Ans:
Land area is a country’s total area, excluding area under inland water bodies that includes major rivers and lakes.

• The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million square km. India’s total’s area accounts for about 2.4 percent of the total geographical area of the world. India is the seventh largest country of the world.
• India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km and the total length of the coast line of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7,516.6 km.
• India measures 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west.

Q13: How would you justify the naming of the Indian Ocean after India.
Ans:
The following points justify the naming of the Indian Ocean after India:

• The Indian landmass has a central location between the East and the West Asia.
• The Deccan Peninsula which is the southernmost extension of India, protrudes into the Indian Ocean. This helps India to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
• No other country has a long coastline on the Indian ocean as India has and indeed, it is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean which justifies the naming of an ocean after it.

Q14: Describe the Location of India.
Ans:

• India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The mainland extends between latitudes 8°4′ N and 37°6′ N and longitudes 68°7′ E and 97°25′ E.
• The Tropic of Cancer (23°30′ N) divides the country into almost two equal parts. To the southeast and southwest of the mainland, lie the Andaman and Nicobar islands and the Lakshadweep islands in the bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively.

Q15: What was the significance of India’s central location in ancient times?
Ans:
The central location of India at the head of the Indian ocean is considered of great significance because of the following reasons:

• The Trans Indian Ocean routes which connect the countries of Europe in the west and the countries of East Asia provide a strategic central location to India.
• The Deccan peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean helps India to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with southwest and East Asia from the eastern coast.
• No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has. It is India’s eminent position in the Indian ocean which justifies the naming of an ocean after it.
• India’s contacts with the world have continued through the ages but her relationships through the land routes are much older than her maritime contacts.
• The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient travellers, while the oceans restricted such interaction for a long time. These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times.
• The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, the stories of Panchtantra, the Indian numerals and the decimal system thus could reach many parts of the world.
• The spices, Muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries, on the other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural styles of dome and minarets from West Asia can be seen in different parts of our country.

Q16: Describe the location and size of India.
Ans:
Land area is a country’s total area, excluding area under inland water bodies that includes major rivers and lakes.

• The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million square km. India’s total’s area accounts for about 2.4 percent of the total geographical area of the world. India is the seventh largest country of the world.
• India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km and the total length of the coast line of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7,516.6 km.
• India measures 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west.
• India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The mainland extends between latitudes 8°4′ N and 37°6′ N and longitudes 68°7′ E and 97°25′ E.
• The Tropic of Cancer (23°30′ N) divides the country into almost two equal parts. To the southeast and southwest of the mainland, lie the Andaman and Nicobar islands and the Lakshadweep islands in the bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively.

Q17: Describe the geographical importance of India.
Ans:

• India is located more or less at the centre of four continents—Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. The Indian Ocean connects India with other parts of the world through sea routes.
• India’s long coastline on the Indian Ocean is of great importance. Such situation of India has contributed much towards the control over the Indian ocean.
• India enjoys a vast scope of oceanic trade and commerce with other countries. Being bounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, the country is able to use ocean routes due to this opening in the seas.
• The presence of the lofty Himalayas in the north checks the inward flow of the south-west monsoon to make rain. It is due to the Himalayas that we do not feel the severity of the winter.
• The location of the Himalayas, the Indian desert and the Indian Ocean offer India to build strong Indian Military and Navy.