India: Size & Location

Size
• India, 7th largest country in the world in terms of land area.
• Total geographical area = 3.28 Million square kms
• Accounts 2.4 % of 30% of total terrestrial area on the planet earth.
• Seven largest countries: R C² UBAI ( Russia> Canada > China> USA>Brazil>Australia > India
• Total land boundary = 15,106.6 kms
• Total coastal boundary including two group of islands ( BOB & Lakshadweep ) = 7516.6 kms.
Mainland coastal boundary = 6100 kms
• Northern most point = Indra Col ( in Gilgit- Baltistan region administrated by Pakistan near
Siachien Muztagh in Karokaram)
• Southernmost point = Indra point =6° 45' N in BOB
• Southernmost point mainland = Cape Comorin ( Kanyakumari, TN )
• Easternmost point = Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh
• Western most point = Guhar Moti near Sir Creek, in Kutch district, Gujrat
• North- South length = 3214 kms
• East-West length = 2933 kms

Location
Latitude: 8°4′N to 37°6′N

Longitude: 68°7′E to 97°25′E

Tropic of Cancer: 23°30′N – passes through the middle of India, dividing it into two halves
(tropical and subtropical zones). It passes through 8 states of India : Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram

Trick to remember ( West Ma Gujrat Rajasthan Muja Jarkhand Chahiya Tha)

Parallels of Latitudes

Definition: Latitudes are imaginary horizontal lines/ circles that run east-west around the Earth.

Measure: They measure how far north or south a location is from the Equator (0° latitude).

Range: From 0° at the Equator to 90° North (North Pole) and 90° South (South Pole).

Total latitudes = 179° . 89 in each hemisphere + 1 i . Equator. Distance between 2 Latitudes is

maximum is 111 kms. Latitude of a place may be determined with the help of altitude of the sun
or the Pole Star.
Important Latitudes:
Latitudes are used to demarcate temperature zones north or south or equator.
Equator – 0° ( Greatest Latitude)
0° to 23 1/2 °= Torrid Zone
Tropic of Cancer – 23½° N 23 1/2° to 66 1/2° = Temperate Zone
Tropic of Capricorn – 23½° S 66 1/2° to 90° = Frigid Zone
Arctic Circle – 66½° N
Antarctic Circle – 66½° S
North Pole – 90° N ( Smallest Latitude)
South Pole – 90° S ( Smallest Latitude)

Meridians of Longitude

Semi-circle that run in north-south direction. Converge at poles. Intersect equator at right angle.
Total longitude = 360°. Maximum distance between two longitude is at equator = 111.3 kms
and minimum at poles = 0 kms.

0° Longitude = Prime Meridian (PM) passes through Greenwich, London. Divides the earth into
hemispheres. 180° in Eastern Hemisphere & 180° in Western Hemisphere. Help us locate a place
East - West of PM.

The Longitudes have only one function i . e . used to determine the local time with reference to
the time at Prime Meridian.

Longitude and Time

Logitudnal extent of India : 68° 7` E to 97° 25` E ( E= East of PM ).

Since the earth makes one complete revolution of 360° in one day or 24 hours, it passes
through 15° in one hour or 1° in 4 minutes.

The earth rotates from west to east, so every 15° we go eastwards, local time is advanced by 1
hour. Conversely, if we go westwards, local time is retarded by 1 hour.

We may thus conclude that places east of Greenwich see the sun earlier and gain time, whereas
places west of Greenwich see the sun later and lose time.

Indian Standard Time/ Meridian

The Indian Government has accepted the meridian of 82.5° ( Indian Standard Meridian) east for
the standard time which is 5 hours 30 mins, ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It passes through
Mirzapur, U.P. It passe passes through 5 states __ U.P , Chhattisgarh, Odisha, M.P, Andhra
Pradesh ( UCO MA )
Why this meridian?

It was chosen because it's located roughly in the middle of India's longitudinal extent. This helps
to minimize time differences between different parts of the country, ensuring a more uniform
time system through out the country.

Note: There is 2 hours of time difference in sunrise & sunset between Arunachal Pradesh &
Gujrat.

Note: Russia has largest largest local time zones = 11

USA = 6

Why is the international dateline drawn in a zigzag manner?

The International Date Line (IDL) 180° passes through the Pacific Ocean. It is an imaginary line,
like longitudes and latitudes.

The time difference on either side of this line is 24 hours. So, the date changes as soon as one
crosses this line.

Some groups of Islands (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia) fall on either of the dateline. So if
the dateline was straight, then two regions of the same Island Country or Island group would fall
under different date zones. Thus to avoid any confusion of date, this line is drawn through where
the sea lies and not land. Hence, the IDL is drawn in a zig-zag manner.
The International Border Lines of India
A border line is a dividing line that marks the territorial limits between two countries. Our country
India shares land borders with seven countries including Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Afghanistan,
Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan and maritime borders with Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia. It
has 15,106.7 kilometres of land border and a coastline of 7,516 kilometres including its island
territories.

McMahon Line

Named after the British Indian Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Sir Arthur Henry McMahon.
McMahon had proposed this line as the boundary between Tibet, China, and India at the Shimla
Convention of 1914. China doesn't accept it.

Radcliffe Line

Radcliffe Line divided British India into India and Pakistan. It is named after the architect of this
line, Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who was also the chairman of the Boundary Commissions. The Radcliffe
Line was drawn between West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and India on the western side and
between India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on the eastern side of the subcontinent. The
length of the Radcliffe Line is 3223 kilometres. It was established in August 1947.

Durand Line

Boundary line between India and Afghanistan demarcated by Sir Mortimer Durand, a British
diplomat in the year 1896 is known as the Durand Line. It separated British India and
Afghanistan. After partition, Pakistan inherited this line. However, a short section of the
Afghanistan border is shared with the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Durand line
extends upto 2640 kilometers.

Line of Actual Control (LAC)

Line of Actual Control is the demarcation line between India and China which separates the
India controlled territory from the China-controlled territory in the former princely state of
Jammu and Kashmir. In 1962, the two countries were embroiled in a war. China attacked India
and captured the Aksai Chin area. In 1963, China declared ceasefire but did not leave the area.
Now, the ceasefire line is known as the LAC. This line is not actually recognised as international
boundary, as by virtue of Instrument of Accession, entire state of Jammu and Kashmir legally
and constitutionally became an integral part of India.

Line of Control (LOC)

The military controlled line between India and Pakistan in the former princely state of Jammu
and Kashmir is named as the Line of Control (LOC). It was originally known as the Ceasefire
Line. After the Simla Agreement signed on July 3, 1972, the Ceasefire Line was renamed as the
LOC. This line is not actually recognised as international boundary, as by virtue of Instrument of
Accession, entire state of Jammu and Kashmir legally and constitutionally became an integral
part of India.

A quick glance at the seven land bordering countries, and the names of states bordering them:

India and Pakistan (3,233 kilometres)

Punjab
Rajasthan
Gujarat
Jammu and Kashmir

India and China (3,488 kilometres)

Sikkim
Jammu and Kashmir
Uttarakhand
Arunachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh

India and Nepal (1770 kilometres)

Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
West Bengal
Bihar
Sikkim

India and Bhutan (699 kilometres)

West Bengal
Sikkim
Assam
Arunachal Pradesh
India and Myanmar (1643 kilometres)

Manipur
Arunachal Pradesh
Nagaland
Mizoram

India and Bangladesh (4,156 kilometres)

Meghalaya
Assam
Tripura
Mizoram
West Bengal

India and Afghanistan (106 kilometres)

Jammu and Kashmir

Maritime neighbours of India and the Indian States/Union Teritories closest to them:

India and Sri Lanka

Tamil Nadu

India and Maldives

Lakshadweep (UT)

India and Indonesia

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Last modified: 21:27