India — Location

• Introduction

  • One of the ancient civilizations in the world
  • Remarkable socio-economic progress during the last five decades
  • Achieved multi-faceted socio-economic development in agriculture, industry, technology, and overall economic development
  • Contributed significantly to the making of world history

• Location and Latitudinal/Longitudinal Extent

  • Latitudinal and Longitudinal Extent
    • Roughly about 30°
    • Latitudinal extent: 8°4'N to 37°6'N
    • Longitudinal extent: 68°7'E to 97°25'E
  • Hemispheric Position
    • Entirely lies in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres
  • Tropic of Cancer
    • Passes through the country (23°30'N)
    • Divides the country into almost two equal parts (Tropical and Sub-tropical zones)
  • North-South and East-West Distance
    • North-south extent: 3,214 km (Kashmir to Kanyakumari)
    • East-west extent: 2,933 km (Arunachal Pradesh to Kachchh)
  • Local Time Difference
    • Time lag of two hours between easternmost (Arunachal Pradesh) and westernmost (Gujarat) extremities
  • Standard Meridian
    • 82°30'E selected as the Standard Meridian of India
    • Passes through Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh)
    • Serves as the Indian Standard Time (IST) for the whole country

• Size and Area

  • Total Geographical Area
    • 3.28 million sq km
    • Accounts for 2.4 percent of the world's land surface area
  • Global Rank
    • Seventh largest country in the world
    • Countries larger than India: Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil, and Australia

• India and its Neighbors

  • Geographical Boundaries
    • Shares land borders with 7 countries
    • Bounded by the Himalayas in the north
    • Tapers and extends towards the Indian Ocean, dividing it into two seas
  • Neighboring Countries
    • North-West: Pakistan and Afghanistan
    • North: China (Tibet), Nepal, and Bhutan
    • East: Myanmar and Bangladesh
    • Southern Neighbors (Island countries across the sea):
      • Sri Lanka (separated by the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait)
      • Maldives (situated to the south of the Lakshadweep islands)

• Strategic Significance and Global Position

  • Central Location
    • Situated at the head of the Indian Ocean
    • Lies at the trans-Indian ocean routes connecting Europe-West Asia to East Asia
  • Peninsular Advantage
    • The trans-peninsular location provides close contact with West Asia, Africa, and Europe from the western coast, and Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast
  • Historical Links
    • Overland routes contributed to the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times (e.g., Upanishads, Ramayana, Panchatantra, decimal system)