The compilation of these India – Size and Location Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.
Size and Location of India
When asked by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, “How does India look from the space?” “Saare Jahaan Se Accha (best in the world)” was the reply of the first Indian cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma. India does look beautiful from up there. It has a crown-like Kashmir, Bay of Bengal in the East, the Arabian Sea in the West, and Adam’s bridge (Rama-Setu bridge) in the South. Let’s understand in detail the size and location of India.
Location of India
India is situated in the continent of Asia. It lies completely in the Northern hemisphere and Eastern hemisphere between latitudes 84′ N and 37°6’N and longitudes 68°7′ E and 97°25′ E.
India is divided by Tropic of Cancer 23°30′ N in almost two equal parts. The upper half has a temperate cooler climate and the lower half has a tropical climate. The Southernmost point of the Indian union is known as the ‘Indira point‘, however, that was submerged in the 2004 Tsunami. In the southeast of India, Andaman and Nicobar islands lie in the Bay of Bengal. In southwest Lakshadweep islands lie in the Arabian sea.
Size of India
India is enormous in size, as we discussed it is the 7th largest country in the terms of landmass. The total area of India is 3.28 million square km. India also accounts for 2.4% of the area on the globe, with a land boundary of 15,200 km, and the coastal boundary that includes the islands is 7,516 km. When we see the outline of India on the map, we can easily identify the natural features like young fold mountains bordering the country in the northern, northwestern, and northeastern borders of India.
The east-west stretch of India and the north-south stretch of India approximately measure the same i.e 3000km. But east-west stretch is smaller than the north-south stretch. It is this huge distance between the eastern and western ends of the country that cause a lag in the local time of the country.
The difference of time between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh is 2 hours. But both their clocks show the same timing. Because India follows a standard time. Indian Standard Time is along with longitude 82.30° E. It passes through the city of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.
India and the World
The location of India is between East and West Asia. This gives India a strategic advantage over both water and land. India is the southward extension of the Asian continent. Because of this, the trans-Indian ocean routes are connected to South East Asia, Eastern countries in the East, and African, and European countries in the West.
India’s long costs line has added to its contact with the world through its sea routes. Because of India’s crucial position in the Indian ocean, the ocean is named after India. In ancient times, when sea routes were not much explored, traders and travelers used mountain passes to travel in and out of India. India’s strategic location in Asia helped it develop trade and contribution to the world.
Both, sea routes and land routes have proved to be a huge passage between India and the world to exchange ideas and commodities. Commodities and Spices were also exported through these routes. As these routes let the world explore India, they also helped Western influences to reach India. Trade routes from the land and sea played a key role in the intellectual, trade, and architectural development of India.
Example:
Question:
Why is there a difference in time or time lag between East-West stretches like Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat?
Answer:
This happens because of the huge longitudinal expanse of the country. Hence there is almost a 2 hour time lapse between the eastern and westernmost parts of our country. But because we follow the Indian Standard Time, this will not be reflected.