INDIA : SIZE AND LOCATION
Q.1) State India’s latitudinal & longitudinal extent as well as the total area ?
Ans.
Latitudinal extent is 80 4’N to 370 6’ N.
Longitudinal extent is 680 7’E to 970 25’ E.
Total area is 3.28 million sq. km.
Q.2) Name the countries which are larger than India?
Ans.
Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil and Australia
Q.3) What is the significance of India’s central location?
Ans.
India is a southward extension of Asian Continent.
The trans-Indian Ocean route which connects the country of Europe in west and of East Asia provides a strategic location to India.
The Deccan Plateau protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping India establish close contacts with west-Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
Q.4) Why is 820 30’E taken as the standard meridian of India?
Ans.)
There is a general understanding among the countries of the world to select a standard meridian in multiples of 7 ½0 E and west of prime meridian. It is equal to half an hour.
A country’s standard time is derived from such a central meridian. The minimum difference of time between two consecutive standard meridians should be half an hour.
Another consideration is that a central meridian of a country should pass through as far as possible of its middle point.
Q.5) The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat, but the watches show the same time. Explain.
Ans.)
The sun rises in the east hence; time is ahead by 4 minutes in every meridian from east to west.
Gujarat is located at 680 7’ E and the eastern most point of Arunachal Pradesh is 97o 25’ E.
Thus, the difference is of 2 hours. The local time of 820 30’E is taken as the standard time throughout the country and the watches in the country run according to the time of 820 30’E. It is called as the IST (Indian Standard Time).
It is because of this reason that sun rises 2 hours earlier in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh as compared to western Gujarat.
Q.6) What do you know about the size of India?
Ans.)
The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million sq. km.
India’s total area accounts for about 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world.
It is clear that India is the seventh largest country of the world.
India has a land boundary of about 15,200km.
The total length of the coast line of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar as well as the Lakshadweep is 7516.6km.
Q.7) Why is the difference between the duration of day and night hardly felt at Kanyakumari unlike Kashmir?
Ans.)
These places do not have the same duration of day and night.
The Circle of Illumination divides the earth into 2 equal halves. The day and nights are therefore of the same duration at the equator.
As Kanyakumari is quite near to the equator, the day-night difference is hardly 1hour there.
But as we move from equator towards the pole the variation in the duration of day-night becomes greater.
It is because of the unequal division of the parallel latitudes by the circle of illumination.
Kashmir is 300 away from the equator and hence feels the difference.
Q.8) What are India’s unique location feature?
Ans.)
India lies completely to the north of equator; hence it is located in the northern hemisphere.
The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of India while its southern part faces in the tropical zone. The northern half lies in the sub-tropical zone or warm temperature zone.
India is also situated towards the east of prime meridian.
It lies in the eastern position but also has a central position.
India lies on the worlds largest and the most popular continent Asia.
It also lies at the head of the Indian Ocean. It has the longest coastline in this ocean.
Q.9) What is the location of India in the world?
Ans.
India is favourably located in with Eurasia, Africa and Australia.
It occupies the central position in the eastern hemisphere and forms south central peninsular of Asia.
The Queen Marie Antoinette met with the same fate shortly after.
It also lies at the head of the Indian Ocean. It has the longest coastline in this ocean.
India’s location has many economic advantages. It helps in establishing economic and cultural conflicts with the east as well as west in the ancient times.
It is favourably located on the world’s highway of trade and commerce towards both east and west.
Q.10) Classify the states in 5 group each having common frontiers with…
Ans.
Pakistan - Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir.
China – Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
Myanmar – Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.
Bangladesh – Tripura, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Sikkim.
Nepal – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Assam.
Q.11) How has India developed relationship with the world through land routes?
Ans.
The passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient travellers.
These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times.
The ideas of Upanishads, Ramayana, Indian numerals, Panchtantra and Decimal system could thus reach many parts of the world.
The spices, muslin and other commodities were exported from India to different countries.
On the other hand the influence of Greek sculpture and their architectural ideas of dome and minarets can be seen in India.
Q.12) “India has a long coastline which is advantageous”. Explain.
Ans.
India has the longest coastline on the Indian Ocean. This long coastline (7,517 km) has given a tremendous boost to India’s maritime trade. Almost 90% of India’s international trade is carried on through sea.
India has this long coastline mainly due to the Deccan peninsula extending into the Indian Ocean and dividing it into two water bodies, viz., the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
India’s central location at the head of the Indian Ocean and its long coastline have much helped in its interaction through the sea. The sea routes passing through the ocean provide easy connectivity to India with the West and the East.
India has developed many major ports on its western and the eastern coasts. Some of them, such as Mumbai, Kochi, Vishakhapatnam etc., have become centres of India’s flourishing shipping industry.
This long coastline on the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal has helped India to establish close maritime contacts in the following ways:
With West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast.
With East Asia and the South-east Asia from the eastern coast.
MAP WORK
The state that shares its boundaries with China, Nepal and Bhutan.
Sikkim
The state which shares its boundary with China and Pakistan.
Jammu and Kashmir
The state with land and sea boundary with Pakistan.
Gujarat
Indian state which shares its boundary with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Mizoram
Smallest among the states sharing its boundary with Pakistan.
Punjab
Mark the latitude that shows IST.
Mirzapur (820 30’E)
Latitude which divides India into 2 equal halves.
Tropic of Cancer
Southern most point of the mainland of India.
Kanyakumari
Southern most point of India.
Indira Point
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