India - Size and Location

• Geography
• Secondary Education

GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER - 1

INDIA - SIZE AND LOCATION

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At this end of this class you will be able to :

1. Get a detailed analysis of the chapter - INDIA : SIZE AND LOCATION
2. Answer few of the questions based on the topic you learn

 

INTRODUCTION

India is one of the ancient civilisation in the world. It has achieved Multi-Faced Social Economic progress during the last five decades. India has also contributed significantly to the making of world history.

LOCATION

• India is located in the continent of Asia.
• The Southernmost point of the Indian union is known as ‘Indira point‘, however, that was submerged in 2004 Tsunami
• In the south-east of India, Andaman and Nicobar islands lie in the Bay of Bengal. In southwest Lakshadweep islands lie in the Arabian sea​

LOCATION

• India It lies completely in the Northern hemisphere and Eastern hemisphere
• The land 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 India into almost two equal parts.

LETS LOOK AT THE MAP!

INDIA IN THE WORLD MAP

LETS LOOK AT THE MAP!

THE LATITUDNAL AND LONGITUDNAL EXTENT OF INDIA

SIZE

• India is a vast country. The land mass of India has an area of 3.28million square km.
•  India total area accounts for about 2.4 % of the total geographical area of the world. India is the seventh largest country of the world . 
• India has a land boundary of about 15,200Km and the total length of the coastline of the mainland consists of three union territories are Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7,516.6Km.
  

SIZE

•  India is bound by the young fold mountains in the northwest , north and northeast. In the Southern region , towards the Indian Ocean , dividing it into two seas , the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on its east. 
• From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh , there is a time lag of two hours . Hence, time along the Standard Meridian of India passing through Mirzapur {in Uttar Pradesh} is taken as the Standard time for the whole country .

INDIA AND THE WORLD

• Indian landmass has a central location between East and West Asia .

• India is a southward extension of the Asian continent .

• Trans Indian Ocean routes connect the countries of Europe in the West and the countries of East Asia.

• The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient travelers , while the oceans restricted such interactions for a long time.

INDIA AND THE WORLD

• The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping 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.

• India’s contact with the world through the land routes are much older than her maritime contact .

INDIA AND THE WORLD

• These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and the commodities since ancient times . Like ideas of Ramayana , decimal system , Indian numerals , etc .

• The spices ,muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries on the other hand , the influence of Greek sculpture and minarets from West Asia can be seen in different parts of our country. 

• Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 , India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7000 km .

 

STANDARD MERIDIAN & TIME 

The standard meridian of India is 82°30E of the Greenwich Meridian. This meridian passes through the city of Mirzapur as it runs through the center of the country. In the year 1947, 82°30E longitude was declared as the standard time for the country.

STANDARD MERIDIAN & TIME

• The meridian used for reckoning standard time, throughout most of the world the standard meridians are those whose longitudes are exactly divisible by 15°82 degree 30 east is the longitudinal chosen as the standard meridian of India.
• We need a Standard Meridian for India because there is a time lag of about 2 hours b/w Gujarat and AP. To avoid the confusion b/w different states, India adopted a standard meridian which is 82°30E

TIME CALCULATIONS

=>Total longitudes = 360

=>Sun ray stay on 1 longitude for 4mins... So 360*4=1440mins

=>One hour is 60mins,so dividing 1440/60 = 24hr.

=>Sun ray on 1 longitude for 4mins

=>So in one hour it crosses 60/4=15 longitudes 

==> Countries which are towards east of Greenwich we add the time and countries which are towards west of Greenwich we subtract the time

==> 82.5 is the standard meridian of India

==> 82.5/15=5.5 that is why India is ahead of 5.5 hours from Greenwich

LETS HAVE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO!

https://youtu.be/wztjHgNX3gs

Why do we need a standard meridian for India?

ANSWER

The Standard Meridian of India having the longitude 82°30’E, which passes through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh is considered as the standard time for the whole country. Standard time is referred to as the synchronization of clocks within a certain geographical area to a single standard time, instead of using solar time or a locally chosen meridian (longitude) to establish a local mean time standard. A standard meridian is established in each and every country so that it is the central longitude of the whole country and there is an equal time in all the country.

STRAIT

GULF

ISLAND

Atlas

A narrow channel of water between two land areas.

A portion of an ocean that penetrates land.

A piece of land that is surrounded by water.

a book of maps

INDIA'S NEIGHBOURS

India shares its land boundaries with counties like:

1. CHINA, NEPAL AND BHUTAN : NORTH
2. AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN : NORTHWEST
3. MYANMAR AND BANGLADESH : EAST
4. MALDIVES AND SRILANKA : SOUTH

INDIA'S NEIGHBOURS

• India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia.
•  India has 28 states and 9 Union Territories
• Srilanka is separated from India through a narrow channel of sea formed by Palk strait and gulf of mannar.
• Maldives is located   to the south of Lakshadweep islands.

India achieved multi-faceted socio-economic progress during which of the following periods?

1. During the last five decades
2. In the 21st century
3. During medieval period
4. During Mughal Time

Which of the following has reduced India’s distance from Europe by 7000 km?

1. Suez Canal
2. Panama Canal
3. Indira Gandhi Canal
4. Buckingham Canal

If the local time at Dwarka (69°01′E) in Gujarat to the west of India is 6 am, what will be the local time at Dibrugarh (94°58′E approximately 95°), in Assam, in the east?

1. 4:16 am
2. 6:00 am
3. 7:44 am
4. 7:44 pm

Which country among the India’s neighbours is the smallest?

1. Nepal
2. Bhutan
3. Sri Lanka
4. Bangladesh

The Standard Meridian of India, 82°30′E passes through which of the following places?

1. Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu
2. Walong in Arunachal Pradesh
3. Kachchh in Gujarat
4. Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh

India’s total area accounts for what percentage of the geographical area of the world?

1. 2.9%
2. 3.2%
3. 2.4%
4. 4.2%

In which year the standard meridian of India was adopted

1. 1902
2. 1947
3. 2001
4. 1999

Number of States and UT's in India

1. 28 states and 7 UT's
2. 29 states 7 UT's
3. 28 states 9 UT's
4. 27 states 9 UT's

Which meridian is fixed as a Standard Meridian of India?

1. 82½° E
2. 84½° E
3. 86° E
4. 81° E

Which of the following Union Territories is located along the west coast of India?

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Chandigarh
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli
4. Puducherry

What is the length of Indian coastline?

1. 8716 km
2. 7165 km
3. 9515 km
4. 7516 km

Why do the days and nights are almost of equal duration at Kanyakumari?

ANSWER

Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu is located at the southernmost tip of India’s main land. The latitude 8°4’ N passes close to it. The place is thus near the equator and lies close to the Equatorial region. As the sun shines directly over the Equator throughout the year, the durations of day and night are almost equal here. Hence, in Kanyakumari, the difference in the duration of day and night is very little.