India lies in the south-central part of Asia. It touches three large bodies of water i.e., the Bay of Bengal to the East, the Arabian sea to the West, and the Indian ocean to the South
Introduction
- Bharat, the name for India, has its roots in the indigenous tribe known as Bharata. This name was derived from various sources, with different Puranas offering different narratives. Some attribute it to Bharata, the son of Rishabha, while others mention Bharata as an alternate name for Rishabha’s ancestor Manu. Additionally, there are references to the Bharata people, believed to be the descendants of Dushyanta and Shakuntala’s son Bharata in the Mahabharata.
Geographical Location and Extension (Latitude and Longitude)
- India occupies a geographical area of approximately 32,87,263 sq km, constituting 2.4% of the world’s total area. The country is situated entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
- The Indian mainland spans latitudes from 8°4′ N to 37°6′ N and longitudes from 68°7′ E to 97°25′ E. This results in an overall latitudinal and longitudinal extent of about 30.
- India spans approximately 3,214 km from North to South and 2,933 km from East to West. With a longitudinal extent of nearly 29″, there’s a time difference of about 2 hours between its Eastern and Western extremities. The East-West distance along successive meridians of longitude at the Equator reaches a maximum of 111 km, decreasing towards the poles, where it becomes zero due to the convergence of all meridians.
Impact of Latitudinal Extension
- The Tropic of Cancer, at 23°30′ North latitude, divides India into a Northern Sub-tropical zone and a Southern Tropical zone. Kerala, closer to the Equator, experiences a 45-minute difference between day and night, while Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, further away, has a 5-hour difference.
- India’s Southern part, near the Equator, receives more heat, resulting in a warmer climate compared to the colder Northern part. The Standard Meridian of India is set at 82°30′ E through Allahabad, creating Indian Standard Time (IST), which is 5:30 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
- Due to the distance from the Equator, the Northern part of India receives less heat, leading to a colder climate. In contrast, the Southern part, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu, experiences warmer temperatures, contributing to the diversity of flora and fauna in the country.
Impact of Longitudinal Extension
- Indian Standard Time divides the country, passing through states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Despite a 2-hour time lag from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, the watches display the same time due to the adoption of Indian Standard Time.
- India is divided into six physiographic divisions based on features like Northern and North-Eastern mountains, Northern plains, Peninsular plateau, Indian desert, Coastal plains, and islands. The North-Central part is broad, while the Southern part tapers towards the Indian Ocean.
- The Indian Ocean is divided into the Arabian Sea in the West and the Bay of Bengal in the East. The coastline of India, including islands, measures approximately 7516.6 km. The Palk Strait separates India from Sri Lanka, which is structurally an extension of the Indian Peninsular Block.
- The Northernmost point of the Indian mainland is in Ladakh (Indira Col), the Southernmost is Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, and the overall Southernmost point is Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Westernmost point is in Gujarat (Guhar Moti), and the Easternmost is in Arunachal Pradesh (Kibithu).
India: Area and Size
- In area, India is the seventh largest country in the world but in population, it stands next only to China
- India accounts for 2.4% of the world’s total land area, whereas it sustains 16% of the world’s population.
- The land frontiers of India measure 15,200 km. Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh share common boundaries with India stands at the head of the Indian Ocean that spans the continents of Asia, Africa and Oceania providing further links to other continents through the Pacific ocean and the Atlantic ocean. In the Indian subcontinent, India is the only country to share its land frontiers with every member country of the subcontinent.
Political and Administrative Divisions
- India is divided into 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The Union Territories include Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Puducherry, Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
- The capital of India is New Delhi. Rajasthan holds the title for the largest state in terms of area, while Goa is the smallest. Among the Union Territories, Ladakh is the largest, and Lakshadweep is the smallest.
- There are nine coastal states in India: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. Coastal Union Territories include Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- The Tropic of Cancer (23°30′ N) passes through eight Indian states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram. Additionally, Koriya district in Chhattisgarh marks the intersection point of the Tropic of Cancer and the Standard Time Meridian (82.5° E longitude).
- The Western Ghats, one of the world’s eight hotspots of biological diversity, spans across six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Top 5 States (According To Area)
| States | Area (in Sq. kms) |
| Rajasthan | 342,239 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 308,245 |
| Maharashtra | 307,713 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 240,928 |
| Gujarat | 196,024 |
India States and Their Capital
| State | Capital |
| Andhra Pradesh | Amravati (legislative capital) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dispur |
| Bihar | Patna |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| Haryana | Chandigarh |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Odisha | Bhubaneshwar |
| Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| West Bengal | Kolkata |
List of Union Territories and their Capitals
| Union Territories | Capital |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
| Delhi | Delhi |
| Ladakh | NA |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| Jammu and Kashmir | NA |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
States/UTs with the Length of Coastline
| States/Union Territories | Length of the Coastline (in km) |
| Gujarat | 1214.7 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 973.7 |
| Tamil Nadu | 906.9 |
| Maharashtra | 652.6 |
| Kerala | 569.7 |
| Odisha | 476.4 |
| Karnataka | 280 |
| Goa | 160.5 |
| West Bengal | 157.5 |
| Puducherry | 30.6 |
Water Bodies of India
India’s water bodies can be categorized into three parts:
- Territorial Sea: Extending up to 12 nautical miles from the coastal state’s baseline, the territorial sea grants full sovereignty over the airspace above the sea, seabed, and subsoil within this zone.
- Contiguous Zone: Stretching seaward up to 24 nautical miles from baselines, the contiguous zone acts as an intermediary zone between the territorial sea and the high seas. It provides jurisdiction only over the ocean’s surface and floor, without granting air and space rights.
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Each coastal state may claim an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles from its baselines, beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea. In the EEZ, the coastal state has sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources of the seabed and subsoil, including activities like energy production from water, currents, and wind.
- Unlike the territorial sea and contiguous zone, the EEZ specifically allows resource rights and does not grant the coastal state the authority to prohibit or limit freedom of navigation or overflight, with very limited exceptions.
Water Boundaries of India:
- India and Sri Lanka: The maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka, established through agreements in 1974 and 1976, spans approximately 288 km from the tripoint with the Maldives. It is divided into three sea areas: the Bay of Bengal in the North, the Palk Strait in the middle, and the Gulf of Mannar in the South.
- India and Indonesia: The Great Channel, located at 6° North of the Equator, separates Indira Point from Indonesia.
- India and Myanmar: Coco Channel, situated between landfall inland and Coco inland in Burma, separates India from Myanmar. It is a small island off the coast of North Andaman island of India.
- India and Maldives: The 8° Channel forms the maritime border between India and the Maldives, dividing the Maldives from the Minicoy islands. Named for its location on the 8th line of latitude North of the Equator.
Important Straits/Channels
| Location | Channel/Strait |
| Indira Point, Indonesia | Great Channel |
| Little Andaman and Nicobar | 10 Channel |
| Minicoy, Lakshadweep (Suheli Island) | Maldives-Minicoy |
| India-Sri Lanka | Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait |
Neighboring Countries
- India, situated on the Asian continent, is surrounded by water on three sides: the Arabian Sea to the West, the Bay of Bengal to the East, and the Indian Ocean to the South.
- To the North-West, India shares borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, while to the North, it borders China, Bhutan, Tibet, and Nepal.
- Towards the East, Bangladesh and Myanmar are India’s neighbours, and in the Indian Ocean to the South, Sri Lanka and Maldives are located.
- The Indian subcontinent, also known as the subcontinent, is a physiographic region in South Asia, extending southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas, situated on the Indian plate.
- The subcontinent generally comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, the British Indian Ocean Territory, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
- India shares land borders with seven countries and sea borders with two countries, totaling nine countries that share borders with India. Bhutan holds the distinction of being the smallest neighboring country to India in terms of land borders.
India and Its Global Position
- Situated in the South-Central part of Asia, India is strategically located with the Indian Ocean, the third-largest of the world’s five oceanic divisions, extending from the Strait of Malacca and the Western coast of Australia in the East to the Mozambique Channel in the West.
- Encompassing the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea in the North, the Indian Ocean stretches down to the Southern Indian Ocean, including key sub-regions like South Asia, the Middle East, the Eastern coast of Africa, and various islands from Sri Lanka in the East to the Comoros Archipelago in the West.
- India’s strategic location at the head of the Indian Ocean holds significant global importance, facilitating close contact with West Asia, Europe, and West Africa from the Western coast, and South-East Asia, East Asia, and Australia from the Eastern coast.
- The Indian Peninsula, triangular and inverted, has a base in Central India, tapering down towards the South, earning its classification as a subcontinent due to its extensive land area.
The International Border lines of India
- The international border lines of India include the India-Pakistan Border and the India-China Border.
India-Pakistan Border Determination
- The India-Pakistan boundary emerged from the Partition in 1947 under the Radcliffe award, starting from the marshy Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and extending through the deserts of Rajasthan, plains of Punjab, and the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir to the Karakoram range.
- Spanning 3323 km, the India-Pakistan land boundary, covering Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, is the second longest after the India-Bangladesh border.
- The Ravi River serves as a natural boundary between India and Pakistan.
Radcliffe Line
- The Radcliffe Line, declared on August 17, 1947, marked the boundary between India and Pakistan after the partition, dividing India into West Pakistan, East Pakistan, and India.
- ary The McMahon Line, determining the boundary between China-occupied territory in the East Himalayan region and Indian regions, was established by Sir Henry McMahon, the then Foreign Secretthe Government of British India.
- Spanning 890 km, the McMahon Line resulted from the Shimla Treaty of 1914 between India and Tibet. However, China does not acknowledge this agreement and line.
Durand Line
- The Durand Line, demarcated by Sir Mortimer Durand in 1896, serves as the boundary line between India and Afghanistan, separating British India and Afghanistan. After partition, Pakistan inherited this line, while a short section of the Afghanistan border is shared with the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Line of Control (LoC)
- The Line of Control (LoC) serves as a military control line between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled territories of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
- While legally a ceasefire line and not an international boundary, the LoC is defined and protected under the 1972 Shimla Agreement—a bilateral treaty executed in writing between India and Pakistan following the 1971 war and subsequently ratified by both Parliaments.
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)
- Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) refers to the part of Jammu and Kashmir (India) invaded by Pakistan in 1947. Internationally recognized as Pakistani-controlled Kashmir or Pakistan Administered Kashmir, it was renamed as Pakistan-occupied Jammu-Kashmir by the Modi Government. Covering approximately 906,000 sq km with its capital in Muzaffarabad, PoK is divided into two parts: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly Northern Areas till August 2009).
Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- The Line of Actual Control (LAC) demarcates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory, divided into three sectors: Eastern sector (Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim), Middle sector (Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh), and Western sector (Ladakh). Designated in 1972 following the Shimla Agreement, the LAC represents the dividing line between the two countries.
India and Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement
- In 1974, after the independence of Bangladesh, India and Bangladesh signed the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) to resolve outstanding issues.
- The LBA clarified the exchange of 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India, addressing issues related to adverse possessions, enclaves, and an undemarcated land boundary of approximately 6.1 km. Ratified by the Constitution (One-Hundredth Amendment) Act, 2015, the LBA came into force on June 6, 2015.
Other Important Facts
- Two major island groups in India, one in the Bay of Bengal and the other in the Arabian Sea, with South Andaman and Little Andaman separated by Duncan Passage.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also known as the Emerald Islands.
- The Adam’s Bridge, situated between Tamil Nadu (India) and Sri Lanka, includes Pamban Island, with Rameshwaram located on this island.
- Coco Strait lies between the North Andaman Islands and the Coco Islands of Myanmar.
- Kutch (Gujarat) is the largest district, while Mahe (Puducherry) is the smallest.
- Barren Island, India’s only active volcano, is located in the Andaman Sea, about 135 km northeast of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.
- Narcondam Island, a volcanic island, is situated in the northeastern part of North Andaman.
Prelims Facts
- The Expansion of India is between -84 N to 376 N Latitudes (BPSC (Pre) 1994
- Which city of Gujarat is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer? Gandhinagar (IAS (Pre) 2003, UPPSC (Pre) 2010)
- Which important latitude divides India into almost two equal parts? -23°30′ North (MPPSC (Pre) 2008
- Which longitude is the standard meridian of India -82° 30° East (RAS/RTS (Pre) 2014)
- How much is the difference between Indian Standard Time (IST) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)? -+5hr [JPSC (Pre) 2010
- If the Sun rises at Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh at 5:00 am (IST) then what time (IST) will the Sunrise in Kandla in Gujarat -7:00 AM [UPPSC (Pre) 2010)
- The Southernmost Point of India is known -Indira Point (UKPSC (Pre) 2003)
- Name the place in India where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean meet. -Kanyakumari [JPSC (Pre) 2016]
- Which states of India Indicates the Easternmost and Westernmost states? – Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat [IAS (Pre) 2015]
- The Total land frontier and boundary of India is 15200 km [JPSC (Pre) 2009)
- Minicoy and Suheli islands are separated by -9° Channel (Odisha PSC (Pre) 2015]
- India’s Share of total land area in the world is about? -2.4% (WBCS (Pre) 2017)
- In terms of longitude, the Easternmost state of India is – Arunachal Pradesh [WBCS (Pre) 2017]
- How many states of India share the border with West Bengal? -5 (WBCS (Pre) 2020]
- Which state has a longer boundary with West Bengal? Jharkhand (WBCS (Pre) 2019)
- The boundary line between India and Pakistan is an example of a superimposed Boundary (MPPSC (Pre) 2016)
- India and Sri Lanka is separated by – Palk Strait Bay (MPPSC (Pre) 1990, 2012)
- Which Indian state shares the maximum boundary with Myanmar? – Arunachal Pradesh (RAS/RTS (Pre) 2007)
- Which state of India has borders with three countries namely Nepal, Bhutan and China? – Sikkim (MPPSC (Pre) 2008)
- If the Sun rises at 6:00 AM in Arunachal Pradesh, what will be the approximate sunrise time in Gujarat? – 8:00 AM [UPPSC (Pre) 1992)
- The longitudinal extent of India is between -68°7′ E and 97°25’E (MPPSC (Pre) 2000)
- The Western most place of India, ‘Guhar Moti’ is situated in which state? – Gujarat [RAS/RTS (Pre) 2010)
- In terms of area, India is the largest country in the world – Seventh [JPSC (Pre) 2016
- What rank of India in the world population? – Second (BPSC (Pre) 1994)
- Along which meridian, did India experience the first light of sunrise of the new millennium? – 93°30’E [IAS (Pre) 2000)
- The imaginary longitude that divides India into two equal parts is 82°30′ E [MPPSC (Pre) 2008)
- The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many states in India? -8 States [UKPSC (Pre) 2010)
- Durand line demarcated the Indian boundary with which country? – Afghanistan [UPPSC (Pre) 2006
UPSC NCERT Practice Questions
1. The expansion of India is between BPSC (Pre) 1994
(a) 379753′ North and 8’6’28* South
(b) 3791753* North and 8°4’28* South
(c) 37917’53’ North and 8°28* North
(d) None of the above
2. Which of the following is the approximate latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India?
(a) 35°
(b) 30°
(c) 40°
(d) 45°
3. India’s share of total land area in the world is about WBCS (Pre) 2017
(a) 2.4%
(b) 2.8%
(c) 3.2%
(d) 3.6%
4. Indian Standard Time is calculated along a line of longitude passing through HPSC (Pre) 2014, WBCS (Pre) 2015
(a) 82°30′ East passing through Allahabad
(b) 82°30′ East passing through Delhi
(c) 82°30′ East passing through Kolkata
(d) 82°00′ West passing through Nashik
5. With reference to India, which of the following statements) is/are correct? UPPSC (Pre) 2022
1. India is the sixth largest country in the world.
2. India occupies about 2.4% of the total area of the world
3. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country dividing into two latitudinal halves.
4. India lies completely in the Tropic zone.
Codes
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 2 and 3
6. What is the distance between consecutive longitudes at Equator?
(a) 211 km
(b) 51 km
(c) 111 km
(d) 191 km
7. Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the Easternmost and Westernmost state? IAS (Pre) 2015
(a) Assam and Rajasthan
(b) Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
(c) Assam and Gujarat
(d) Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat
8. The Southernmost Point of India is UP Lower 2002, UKPSC (Pre) 2003
(a) Kanyakumari
(b) Rameshwaram
(c) Indira Point
(d) Point Calimere
9. The Northernmost point of India is known as
(a) Indira Point
(b) Kibithu
(c) Indira Col
(d) Guhar Moti
10. The Easternmost point of India is situated in the state of WBCS (Pre) 2017
(a) Manipur
(b) Nagaland
(c) Mizoram
(d) Arunachal Pradesh
11. The Westernmost point of India is MPPSC (Pre) 2009
(a) 687′ West, Gujarat
(b) 687′ West, Rajasthan
(c) 687′ East, Gujarat
(d) 687′ East, Rajasthan
12. The total land frontier and boundary of India is JPSC (Pre) 2009
(a) 13,200 km
(b) 14,200 km
(c) 15,200 km
(d) 16,200 km
13. Mention the name of the state which has a larger boundary with West Bengal among the following States of India. WBCS (Pre) 2019
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Bihar
(c) Odisha
(d) Assam
14. The Tropic of Cancer passes through which of the following states? UPPSC (Pre) 2017
1. Gujarat
2. Chhattisgarh
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Jharkhand
Codes
(a) 1,2 and 4
(b) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1,3 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 4
Know Right Answer
1 (d)
2 (B)
3 (a)
4 (a)
5 (d)
6 (c)
7 (d)
8 (c)
9 (c)
10 (d)
11(c)
12 (c)
13 (a)
14 (a)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ: Why is it essential to study Races and Tribes in the context of UPSC exam preparation?
Answer: Understanding the diversity of races and tribes is crucial for civil services aspirants as it forms a significant portion of the UPSC syllabus. It helps candidates comprehend the social and cultural fabric of India, which is essential for effective governance. Moreover, questions related to the demographic profile, socio-economic conditions, and historical aspects of various tribes and races frequently appear in UPSC examinations.
FAQ: How can NCERT Geography notes assist in preparing for the Races and Tribes section of the UPSC exam?
Answer: NCERT Geography notes provide a comprehensive overview of the different races and tribes in India. These notes cover aspects such as their distribution, cultural practices, historical background, and socio-economic conditions. Aspirants can rely on these notes to build a strong foundation and gain insights into the diversity of the country, helping them answer questions related to these topics in the UPSC exam.
FAQ: What are the key topics related to Races and Tribes that aspirants should focus on in their UPSC preparation?
Answer: UPSC candidates should focus on topics such as the classification of races, distribution of tribes in India, their cultural practices, traditional livelihoods, and issues related to tribal development. Understanding the constitutional provisions and government initiatives for the welfare of tribes is also crucial. Additionally, candidates should be aware of the historical context and challenges faced by different tribal communities.
FAQ: How can aspirants use case studies while preparing for the Races and Tribes section in UPSC Geography?
Answer: Integrating case studies into UPSC preparation enhances the depth of understanding and provides real-world examples. Aspirants can analyze specific tribes or regions, examining their socio-economic conditions, cultural heritage, and development challenges. This approach helps in connecting theoretical knowledge with practical insights, making the preparation more holistic and application-oriented.
FAQ: Are there any recent developments or government initiatives related to tribal welfare that UPSC aspirants should be aware of?
Answer: Yes, staying updated on recent developments is essential. As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, initiatives like the PESA Act, Forest Rights Act, and various tribal welfare schemes are noteworthy. Aspirants should regularly check official government sources, news, and policy updates to be aware of the latest developments and policies related to the welfare of races and tribes in India.
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