Social Science

INDIA-SIZE AND LOCATION

India is a peninsula, situated in the southeastern part of Asia. The country occupies 2.4 per cent of the total area
of the world. It is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of size and the second largest country in the
world in terms of population. India has an area of 3.24 million square kilometres, the areas of Russia, Canada,
China, USA, Brazil and Australia and larger than India. India’s total population of 1.21 billion (2011) is second
only to China.

Indian sub continent

Indian is called a sub-continent because of the variation in relief features, climate, natural vegetation and the
people, Countries belonging to the Indian sub-continent are India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Sri
Lanka, India’s neighbouring island in the south, is often considered as a part of the Indian sub-continent. India is
a land of unity in diversity. Diversity in races and creeds, language, religion, tradition and culture exists in the
country.

Boundaries and neighbours of India

The mainland of India extends from 8°4’N to 37°6’N latitudes (approximately 2933 km) and from 68°7’E to
97°25’E longitudes (approximately 3214 km). Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) is the southernmost tip of the
Indian landmass. Indira Point, situated in the Nicobar Island, constitutes the southernmost point of the Indian
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Union. The country lies in the northern and eastern hemisphere. The Tropic of Cancer [ 23 °N latitude] passes
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through the centre of the country, dividing the country into two halves. The tropical zone lies to the south of the
Tropic of Cancer, whereas the temperate zone lies in the north. It passes through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan,
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Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Trippura and Mizoram. The 82 °E longitude, passing
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near Allahabad, is the Central Meridian of India.

The Indian Standard Time is based on the time of this longitude.

India’a neighbouring countries are China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east,
Pakistan in the northwest, and Sri Lanka across the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar in the south. The Arabian sea
lies to the west of the Indian peninsula, the Bay of Bengal is in the east and the Indian Ocean is to the south of
CBSE-2021\Module\Advance\10th (NTSE-IN)\SST-2\3.Geography\15. India-Size And Location

India. The island such as Andaman and Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian
Sea are also part of the Indian territory. The total length of the coastline in India, the island, is 7516.6 km.

India’s location at the head of the Indian Ocean is strategically very significant. India commands the sea routes
between Europe and Africa on one hand and Southeast Asia, far East and Australia on the other. The opening
of the Suez Canal in 1869 has significantly reduced the distance between India and Europe by 7000km.

People of India can be divided into five ethnic groups, namely Proto-Australoids, Negritos, Mongoloids,
Mediterraneans or Dravidians and Vedic Aryans.

India is a union of 28 states and 6 union territories. Delhi is the National Capital, having a special status. In terms
of area, Rajasthan is the largest state of India, and Goa is ths smallest state.

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INDIA-SIZE AND LOCATION EXERCISE
1. Match the following: 6. Drass is the

State Neighbouring Country (1) Wettest place in India

A. Uttaranchal i. Myanmar (2) driest place in India

B. Rajasthan ii. Pakistan (3) hottest place in India

C. Meghalaya iii. China (4) coldest place in India
D. Nagaland iv. Bangladesh 7. Which state of India does not have common
(1) A-iv, B-iii, C-ii, D-i boundary with Myanmar?

(2) A-iii, B-ii, C-iv, D-i (1) Arunachal Pradesh (2) Meghalaya

(3) A-i, B-iii, C-ii, D-iv (3) Nagaland (4) Manipur

(4) A-ii, B-iv, C-i, D-iii 8. Tropic of Cancer passes through which of these
states
2. Maldive Islands are situated to the south of the
(1) Odisha (2) Tripura
(1) Port Blair (2) Ross Island

(3) Nicobar Island (4) Lakshadweep Island (3) Bihar (4) Punjab

3. India’s mainland extension lies between: 9. Which one of the following is the southern-most
Latitude of India?
(1) 8° 4 N-37° 6 N latitudes 68° 7 E – 97° 25 E
longitude (1) 8° 4’ North (2) 8° 4’ South

(2) 8° 3 N-38° 5 N latitudes 65° 5 E – 97° 21 E (3) 6° 4’ South (4) 6° 4’ North

longitude
10. The latitudinal extent of mainland of India lies between
(3) 7° 9 N-37° 5 N latitudes 65° 5 E – 97° 21 E
longitude (1) 7° 5’ N and 26° 5’ N

(4) 8° 4 N-37° 6 N latitudes 69° 7 E – 97° 24 E (2) 8° 4’ N and 37° 6’ N

longitude (3) 12° 5’ N and 27° 5’ N
4. The difference between the duration of day and
(4) 12° 5’ N and 37° 6’ N
night is hardly felt at Kanyakumari but not so at CBSE-2021\Module\Advance\10th (NTSE-IN)\SST-2\3.Geography\15. India-Size And Location

Kashmir. Why? 11. Which meridian is fixed as a Standard Meridian of

India?
(1) Because Kashmir is a cold place.

(2) Because Kashmir comes under the shadow of (1) 82½

°E (2) 84½
°E
the Himalayan Mountains. (3) 86° E (4) 81° E
(3) Because sunlight is reflected off the sea water
12. The easternmost longitude of India is :
around Kanyakumari.
(1) 97° 25’ E (2) 77° 6’ E
(4) Because Kanyakumari is nearer to the
Equator than Kashmir. (3) 68° 7’ E (4) 82° 32’ E
5. The southernmost point of Indian main land is 13. India has land boundary of about
known as
(1) 18,200 km (2) 7516.6 km
(1) Kanyakumari (2) Indira Point
(3) 15,200 km (4) 2458 km
(3) Pondicherry (4) Cochin

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 Social Science
14. The Princely states and Provinces were two types of 18. Which of the following states does not share any
(1) districts in India international boundary?

(2) Administrative divisions in India. (During the (1) Rajasthan

British Period) (2) West Bengal
(3) cities in India (3) Uttarakhand
(4) towns in India
(4) Madhya Pradesh
15. Which neighbouring country would you reach if you
19. The four states which are situated along the
were to sail across the Palk Strait?
Himalayas are :
(1) Myanmar (2) Maldives
(1) Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
(3) Bangladesh (4) Sri Lanka Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh
16. The neighbouring countries that share their (2) Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan
boundaries with India are :
(3) Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand
(1) Pakistan and Afghanistan
(4) Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh
(2) Myanmar and Bangladesh
20. Which of these countries do not share land borders
(3) China and Nepal
with India?
(4) All the above
(1) Russia
17. A narrow channel of sea separating two land-masses
is called : (2) Bhutan

(1) Gulf (2) Strait (3) Myanmar

(3) Isthmus (4) Bay (4) Pakistan

CBSE-2021\Module\Advance\10th (NTSE-IN)\SST-2\3.Geography\15. India-Size And Location

ANSWER KEY
Que. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Ans. 2 4 1 4 1 4 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 2 4 4 1 4 1 1

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Important Notes

CBSE-2021\Module\Advance\10th (NTSE-IN)\SST-2\3.Geography\15. India-Size And Location