Chapter 1 India – Location

Location And Extent

India is a vast country with significant geographical dimensions. Its mainland extends from the north to the south and from the east to the west across a considerable distance.

The mainland's extent is defined by:

• Northernmost point: near Kashmir.
• Southernmost point: Kanniyakumari.
• Easternmost point: near Arunachal Pradesh.
• Westernmost point: near Gujarat.

Geographically, the mainland of India lies between approximately $8^\circ 4'$ North and $37^\circ 6'$ North latitudes and $68^\circ 7'$ East and $97^\circ 25'$ East longitudes.

India's territory extends beyond the mainland coast into the sea. Its territorial limit extends up to 12 nautical miles from the coastline. For context, 1 nautical mile is equivalent to about 1.852 kilometers, making the territorial sea limit approximately 21.9 km from the shore.

Note the conversion factors:

• 1 Statute mile = 63,360 inches ($\approx 1.6$ km)
• 1 Nautical mile = 72,960 inches ($\approx 1.852$ km)

India's southern boundary, including the island territories, extends further south to $6^\circ 45'$ North latitude in the Bay of Bengal (specifically, the southernmost tip of the Nicobar Islands, Indira Point).

Analyzing India's latitudinal and longitudinal extent reveals an interesting point: both spans are roughly about 30 degrees. However, the actual north-south distance of the mainland (from Kashmir to Kanyakumari) is 3,214 km, while the east-west distance (from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh) is shorter, at 2,933 km. This difference in distance despite similar degree spans is due to the shape of the Earth; the distance between consecutive lines of longitude decreases as you move towards the poles, while the distance between consecutive lines of latitude remains relatively constant everywhere on the globe.

The latitudinal extent has significant implications for India's climate and natural environment:

• The southern part of the country, lying between $8^\circ 4'$ N and approximately $23.5^\circ$ N (the Tropic of Cancer), falls within the tropical zone.
• The northern part, north of the Tropic of Cancer up to $37^\circ 6'$ N, lies in the sub-tropical zone or warm temperate zone.

This dual location results in considerable variations in landforms, climate types, soil conditions, and natural vegetation across the country.

The longitudinal extent also has practical implications, especially concerning time. A longitudinal difference of approximately 30 degrees ($97^\circ 25' E - 68^\circ 7' E \approx 30^\circ$) corresponds to a time difference of nearly two hours ($30 \times 4 \text{ minutes} = 120 \text{ minutes}$). This means the sun rises about two hours earlier in the easternmost parts of India (like Arunachal Pradesh or Nagaland) compared to the westernmost parts (like Jaisalmer in Rajasthan).

To avoid having different local times across the country, India follows a single Indian Standard Time (IST). This is based on the time at the country's Standard Meridian, which is $82^\circ 30'$ East longitude. This meridian passes roughly through the center of the country in terms of longitude (specifically, near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh). Using a standard meridian ensures that clocks throughout India show the same time, synchronizing activities across different regions, despite the two-hour natural time difference from east to west.

Globally, countries often select their standard meridians in multiples of $7^\circ 30'$ of longitude for ease of calculating time differences relative to the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) at Greenwich. IST is 5 hours and 30 minutes ($5 \frac{1}{2}$ hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), calculated as $82.5^\circ \times 4 \text{ minutes/degree} = 330 \text{ minutes} = 5 \text{ hours } 30 \text{ minutes}$.

Some large countries with vast east-west extents have multiple standard time zones (e.g., the USA has seven time zones).

Size

India is the seventh largest country in the world by land area. It spans a total geographical area of approximately 3.28 million square kilometers ($3.28 \times 10^6 \, km^2$). This constitutes about 2.4 percent of the total land surface area of the world.

The sheer size of India contributes to its immense physical diversity. The landscape varies dramatically across the country, encompassing:

• Lofty mountains in the north (Himalayas).
• Vast river systems and large rivers (Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri).
• Green forested hills in the northeast and southern parts of India.
• The large, arid expanse of the Marusthali (Thar Desert) in the west.

India, along with neighboring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, forms a distinct geographical entity known as the Indian subcontinent. This region is naturally bounded by formidable physical barriers: the Himalayas in the north, the Hindukush and Sulaiman ranges in the northwest, the Purvachal hills in the northeast, and the vast Indian Ocean to the south.

These mountain ranges historically acted as a significant barrier, limiting interaction and movement, except through key mountain passes like the Khyber, Bolan, Shipkila, Nathula, and Bomdila. This geographical isolation contributed to the development of a unique regional identity for the Indian subcontinent.

Peninsular India's shape, extending into the Indian Ocean, provides the country with an extensive coastline. The mainland coastline is about 6,100 km long. Including the coastlines of the island groups – the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea – the total geographical coastline of India is approximately 7,517 km. This long coastline is advantageous for trade, connectivity, and access to marine resources.

India's large size and diverse physical features support a wide variety of natural resources across different regions.

India And Its Neighbours

India occupies a strategically important location in South Asia, situated in the south-central part of the continent and bordering the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean's two major arms, the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west, give Peninsular India a prominent maritime position (Figure 1.2). This location has historically facilitated and continues to provide vital sea and air links with neighboring regions and countries around the Indian Ocean and beyond.

Map illustrating India's geographical position in South Asia and its surrounding neighboring countries, both land borders and island nations.

India shares land borders with several countries. Consulting a map will help identify these neighbours.

Beyond the land borders, India also has maritime neighbors. Sri Lanka and Maldives are two island nations located in the Indian Ocean that are close neighbors.

Sri Lanka is geographically separated from the Indian mainland by a narrow stretch of sea, specifically the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.

A Gulf is a large inlet from the ocean or sea into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than its width inside. A Strait, on the other hand, is a narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water.

While physical barriers like mountain ranges historically posed significant challenges to interaction with neighboring countries, modern technology and infrastructure development have greatly reduced these hindrances. Examples include:

• Development of roads and tunnels through mountainous terrain.
• Construction of railways and air transport networks facilitating faster travel and trade.
• Advancements in communication technology enabling easy interaction across borders.
• Increased maritime trade routes utilizing the ocean access.

These advancements have facilitated closer diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with neighboring countries, overcoming many of the limitations imposed by physical geography in the past.

For map-based learning about India's resources, environment, and sustainable development, the School Bhuvan portal (an initiative by Bhuvan-NRSC/ISRO based on NCERT syllabus) is a useful resource.

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