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Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Karnataka, Orissa,
Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Asom, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Goa.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Dadra & Nagar Haveli,
Pondicherry, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep.
1. The Himalayas 2. The Patkoi and other ranges bordering
India in the north and north-east 3. The Vindhyan 4. The
Aravalli 5. The Satpura 6. The Sahyadri 7. The Eastern Ghats.
Main Watersheds : 3
1. Himalyan range with its Karakoram branch in the north, 2.
Vindhyan and Satpura ranges in Central India, and 3.
Sahyadri or Western Ghats on the West Coast.
Situation : India
is the seventh largest country and second most populous
country of the world accounting for about 2.4% of the total
world area. lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the
mainland extends between latitude 8°4' N and 37°6' N and
68°7' E and 97°25' E and is a part of the Asian continent.
India measures about 3,214 km from north to south between
the extreme longitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west
between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of
about 15,200 km. The total length of the costline of the
mainland, lakshdweep islands and Andaman and Nicobar
Isalands, is 7,575.6 km. Total geographic land area
32,87,263 sq km. If we consider cultivable land, India is
second only to USA. India is located mid-way between West
Asia and East Asia. Many transoceanic routes pass through
India which connect African continent, industrially
developed European continent, Petroleum rich West Asia and
South-eastern countries, namely, China, Japan, Australia and
Western coast of USA.
Countries having a common border with India are Afghanistan
and Pakistan to the north-west, China, Bhutan and Nepal to
the north, Myanmar to the east and Bangladesh to the east of
West Bengal.
Physical Characteristics :
The mainland consists of four well-defined
regions :
1. The great mountain zone
2. The Indo-Gangetic plain
3. The desert region
4. The Southern Peninsula
Rivers : The
rivers of India may be classified as follows :
1. The Himalayan rivers
2. The Deccan rivers
3. The Coastal rivers
4. The rivers of the inland drainage basin
Climatic Conditions :
The Indian meteorological department recognizes four
seasons viz.,
1. The Cold Weather (Dec. – Feb.)
2. The Hot Weather (March – May)
3. The Rainy Season (June – Sept.)
4. The season of the retreating monsoon (Oct. –
Nov.)
The climatic regions based on rainfall
are granted recognition in India.
Dimensions :
Distance from north to south 3,214 km
Distance from east to west 2,933 km
Length of coastline 6,100 km
ength of land frontier 15,200 km
North : The
Himalayan range and Nepal separate India from Tibet. The
protected state of Bhutan also lies in the north-east. The
boundary line between India and China is called the MacMohan
Line. India's holder with Nepal spans for (1,752 km); with
Bhutan (587 km); and with China (3,917 km).
East : Myanmar
(Burma) and Bangladesh form an enclave within India and the
Bay of Bengal. Its international boundary with Myanmar is
1,458 km long and with Bangladesh is 4,096 km long.
West : In the
north-west India shares a boundary mainly with Pakistan and
the Arabian Sea on the west.
North-West :
Afghanistan and Pakistan are situated on the north-west of
India. India-Afghanistan border is only 80 km long whereas
Indo-Pakistan border is 3,310 km long.
South : To the
south of India are the Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka. The Gulf
of Mannar and Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka on
the eastern side. |
