CITY PRIDE
Grade 09
Subject: - Geography Chapter 1:- India Size & Location
Students’s Note (Needs to be written in Class work)
Short Answer Type Questions:-
Q.1.How does India occupy an important strategic position in South Asia?
Answer:
India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia in the following
ways :
(a) The Indian landmass has a central location between the East and the West
Asia.
(b) The trans Indian Ocean routes, which connect the countries of Europe in the
West and the countries of East Asia, provide a strategic central location to India.
(c) The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean has helped India to
establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western
coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
Q.2.Why is India called a subcontinent?
Answer:
India is called a subcontinent because:
It is a big landmass. This stands out as a distinct geographical unit from the rest
of the continent.
It is separated by natural features like mountains and rivers.
India is also separated from rest of the continent by the mighty Himalayas.
Q.3.Why is the difference between the duration of day and night hardly felt
at Kanyakumari but not so in Kashmir?
Answer:
1. The difference in the duration of day and night at Kanyakumari and Kashmir
are respectively due to their latitudinal locations.
2. Kanyakumari is located closer to the Equator, i.e, 8° away from the Equator.
3. Kanyakumari is close to the Equator, whereas Kashmir is far from the
Equator. Kanyakumari is at 8°N latitude.
As Equator receives direct sunlight, the duration between day and night would
hardly be felt at Kanyakumari.
On the other hand, Kashmir is at 37° N latitude, which means that it is 37°away
from the Equator and receives slanting sunlight. So, there would be a difference
in the duration of day and night in Kashmir. This difference causes a time lag
between Kashmir and Kanyakumari.
Q.4. State the difference between Indian mainland and Indian Union.
Ans. Indian mainland-a continuous area of landmass stretching from Jammu
and Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh.
Indian Union-These are small islands in the Indian ocean-Lakshadweep and
Andaman and Nicobar. These together with the Indian mainland form the Indian
Union.
Long Answer Type Questions:
Q.1.What was the contribution of land routes to India in ancient times?
Explain.
Answer:
The contribution of land routes to India in ancient times are given below:
(a) The large land boundaries of India have helped to develop links with her
neighbouring countries.
(b) It contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times.
(c) The ideas of the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Geeta, etc. have become
known to the world.
(d) The Indian numerals as well as the decimal system long back crossed the
border. The Arabs took these ideas to the West.
(e) The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken away from India to
different countries through these land routes.
(f) On the other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural
styles of dome and minarets from West Asia can be seen in different parts of
our country. (Any five points)
Q.2. Write a note on the location and size of India.
Answer:
Location: India is a vast country. Lying entirely in the Northern hemisphere, the
main land extends between latitudes 8°4’N and 37°6’N and longitudes 68°7’E
and 97°25’E. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’N) divides the country into almost
two equal parts. To the southeast of India’s main land lie the Andaman and
Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal and to the southwest lie the Lakshadweep
islands in the Arabian Sea.
Size: The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million square km. India’s total
area accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world.
India is the seventh largest country of the world. India has a land boundary of
about 15,200 km and the total length of the coastline of the mainland, including
Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is 7,516.6 km. It has an east-west
extent of 2,933 km from Arunachal Pradesh to Kachchh in Gujarat and a north-
south extent of 3,214 km from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
The southern part of the country is in form of a peninsula, tapering towards the
Indian Ocean in the south. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the southwest
and the Bay of Bengal in the southeast.
Q.3.Why is India said to enjoy a strategic position with reference to the
International Trade Route? Give reasons.
Ans. i) No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has
and it is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean, which justify the naming
of an ocean after it.
ii) The Indian landmass has a central location between East and West Asia.
iii) The trans-Indian ocean routes connect countries of Europe and countries of
Asia which provides a strategic central location to India.
iv) Opening of Suez Canal in 1869 reduced the distance between India and
Europe by 7000km.
v) The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean this helps to establish
close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from Western and Southeast
and East Asia from Eastern coast.
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Extra Questions: - (Needs not to be written in Class work)
Q.1.The total length of the coastline of the mainland including Andaman and
Nicobar and Lakshadweep is _________ .
Answer:7,516.6 km
Q.2.Which is the smallest state in India ?
Answer:Goa
Q.3.The north-south extent of India is about _________ .
Answer:3,214 km
Q.4.Which states does not share any international boundary ?
Answer:Madhya Pradesh
Q.5.Which ocean has been named after a country ?
Answer: Indian Ocean
Q.6.What is a strait ?
Answer:A narrow channel of sea that connects two layer bodies of water.
Q.7.China is the _________ largest country in the world ?
Answer: Fourth
Q.8.From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, the time lag is _________ .
Answer:2 hours
Q.9.The southernmost point of Indian mainland is _________ .
Answer:Kanyakumari
Q.10.Suez Canal was opened in the year.
Answer:1869
Q.11.Which neighbouring country of India is an island ?
Answer:Maldives.
Q.12.Name any two states of India that shares international boundaries.
Answer:Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Q.13.State the types of states India had before 1947.
Answer: Before 1947, there were two types of states in India such as the
Provinces and Princely States.
Q.14.Which is the largest state (area-wise) of India ?
Answer:Rajasthan.
Q.15.Name the Indian states which are situated on the eastern coast of India.
Answer:West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Q.16.Name the Indian states which are situated on the western coast of India.
Answer:Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
Q.17. In which year did the Indira Point get submerged under the sea water ?
Answer:Indira Point got submerged under the sea water in 2004 during the
Tsunami.
Q.18.Name the state that share border with Myanmar.
Answer:Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.
Q.19.What is the name of the southernmost point of India ? Why is it not visible
today ?
Answer:The southernmost point of India is Indira Point. The Indira point is
situated in the Great Nicobar Group of Island in Andaman Nicobar island.
It is not visible today because it was submerged under the sea water in the 2004
during the Tsunami.
Q.20.What is latitude? What is the latitudinal extent of India?
Answer:The position of a place, measured in degrees north or south of the
Equator. It is mostly calculated because of angular distance of a place north-
south of the equator,
The main land of India extends between latitudes 8°4′ N and 37°6′ N.
The latitudinal extension shows that India is located in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1.Which ocean is named after India? Give two reasons as to why it was
named after India.
Answer:
The Indian Ocean is named after India.
India is the only country which has the credit of an ocean named after it.
The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, extensions of the Indian Ocean,
lie to the west and east of Indian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean lies to
its south. No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as
India.
The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean has provided
India a strategic location of great significance along the trans Indian
Ocean routes. It is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean which
justifies the naming of the ocean after India.
Q.2.How have been mountain passes been helpful in India since historic times?
Explain.
Answer:
India is bounded by the young fold mountains in the northwest, north and
northeast. The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided
passages to the ancient travelers. The spices, muslin and other merchandise’
were taken from India to different countries through these passes. Mountain
passes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since historic
times.
Q.3.What is the latitudinal extent of India? How is the latitudinal spread in India
advantageous to her?
Answer:The latitudinal extent of India lies between 8°4’ N and 37°6’ N. This
means that the longitudinal expanse is about 30° from west to east.
The advantages of longitudinal spread are :
(a) It influences the duration of the day and night as one moves from South to
North.
(b) It also helps to take advantage of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea on the
west and the Bay of Bengal on its east for sea movements.
Q.4.Why Is the knowledge of latitude and longitude important for people?
Answer:
The knowledge of latitude and longitude is important for people because it helps
them to understand and locates the geographical location and globe better. The
use of latitudes and longitudes offer a better and quick grasp of geographical
facts.
It determines the time zones of the different regions of the world. With the help
of longitudes and latitudes, it is easy to calculate local time and standard time.
Longitudes and latitudes also help in calculating the distance from one place to
another.
Q.5.What do you know about the neighbouring countries of India?
Answer:
India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia. India shares its
land boundaries with Afghanisatan and Pakistan in the northwest; China, Nepal
and Bhutan in the north and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east. The island
states of Sri Lanka and Maldives are our southern neighbours across the sea. Sri
Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk
Strait and the Gulf of Manner, while Maldives Islands are situated to the South
of the Lakshadweep Islands. Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India
form the most natural geographical unit, often referred to as the Indian
subcontinent.
Long Answer Type Questions:
Q.1.How has the long coastline been beneficial to India?
Answer:
The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, extensions of the Indian Ocean, lie to
the west and east of Indian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean lies to its south. The
total length of the coastline of the main land of India including Andaman and
Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7516.6 km. The long coastline of India has helped
in maritime trade since ages. The central location of India at the head of the
Indian Ocean has provided it a strategic location along the trans-Indian Ocean
routes. India can establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe
from western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
The long coastline has also played a major role in influencing the climate of
India. It provides opportunities for fishing and extraction of petroleum. It serves
as a natural boundary protecting India.
Map Questions:-
Q.1 Locate and label the following items on the given map
1. The state which shares its boundaries with China, Nepal and Bhutan.
Answer: - Sikkim
2. The state which shares its boundaries with a) China & b) Pakistan.
Answer: - a) Leh & b) Jammu & Kashmir
3. The state having common land and sea boundary with Pakistan.
Answer: - Gujarat
4. An Indian state that shares its boundary with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Answer: - Mizoram
5. Smallest among the States sharing border with Pakistan.
Answer:-Punjab
6. Longitudinal extent & Latitudinal Extent
7. Northernmost & Southernmost latitude of India
8. Westernmost &Easternmost longitudinal extent of India.
9. Tropic of Cancer
10. Standard Meridian of India
Chapter 1:-India Size and location
Chapter summary:-
Location of India
Size of India
India and the World
Neighbours of India.
Location
India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
India’s mainland extends between 8°4’N and 37°6’N latitudes, and 68°7’E and
97°25’E longitudes.
The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’N) divides India into two almost equal parts.
The northernmost point of India which is under Indian administration is near
Indira Col, Siachen Glacier.
The southernmost point in India is Indira Point on Nicobar Island.
Size
Covering an area of 3.28 million square kilometres, India’s total area is 2.4% of
the total geographical area of the world.
India is the world’s seventh largest country with a land boundary of about
15,200 km, with total length of the coastline being 7,516.6 km.
India’s East-West extent appears to be smaller than the north-south extent.
India and The World
The Indian landmass is centrally located between West and East Asia.
India’s protruding Deccan Peninsula helped India to establish close contacts
with West Asia, Africa and Europe, South-East and East Asia.
India’s contacts with the world via land routes are much more than Its maritime
contacts.
India has contributed a lot to the world in forms of ideas, philosophies
(Upanishads, Ramayana, Panchtantra) and in mathematics (Indian numerals and
decimal system, algebra, trigonometry and calculus).
In exchange, India’s architecture was influenced by Greek sculpture and
architectural styles from West Asia.
India’s Neighbours
India has an important position in South Asia and has 29 States and 7 Union
Territories.
India shares its boundaries with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal,
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan.
The southern neighbours across the sea consist of the two island countries,
namely Maldives and Sri Lanka.
India stands apart from the rest of Asia and is called a sub-continent.
Very Short Answer Type Questions (For MCQ’s & 2marks)
Q.1 The neighbouring countries that share their boundaries with India are
_________ .
Answer: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, Nepal and
Bhutan.
Q.2. What is the longitudinal extent of India ?
Answer: 68°7’E to 97°25’E
Q.3. What is the latitudinal extent of India ?
Answer: 8°4’N and 37°6’N
Q.4.Which canal has reduced India’s distance from Europe by 7,000 km ?
Answer: Suez Canal
Q.5.What influences the duration of the day and night as one moves from south
to north ?
Answer: Latitudinal extent
Q.6 India’s total area account for about of the total geographical area of the
world.
Answer:
2.4%
Q.7.Which meridian has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India ?
Answer:
82°32’E has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India.
INDIA: Standard Meridian
This map shows the important geographical lines which pass through India.
These are Standard Meridian and Tropic of cancer. This map also shows the
Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern point of India.
Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states of India :
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal,
Tripura and Mizoram.
Standard Meridian of India [82030’E]:- Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
