Page 131 - SST Class 06

India : Our Country 20
q India : location
q Landforms of India
Introduction
India, officially called as the Republic of India, is a
large country and is the chief country in the South
Asian subcontinent and is sometimes referred to as
the subcontinent . It is the seventh largest country
of the world in terms of area and is the second
largest country in terms of population. It stretches
3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from
east to west. Its total area is 32,87,263 sq km.
LOCATION
India extends from the Himalayas in the north to
the Indian Ocean in the south and from Gujarat in
the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Its
southernmost point in the mainland is
Kanyakumari ; while the southernmost point of the
country is the Indira Point , which is located in
Andaman and Nicobar islands. Its land frontiers
are 15,200 km long and it has a total coastline of
7,516 km. The islands of Andaman and Nicobar
in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the
Arabian Sea are its parts.
Just Think!
If we divide the world into eastern and western
hemispheres, which hemisphere would India belong
to?
It is located in the Northern Hemisphere, in the
continent of Asia. Its mainland lies between the
latitudes of 8°4’N and 37°6’N. In the Eastern
Hemisphere, its location is between the longitudes
of 68°7’E and 97°25’E.
q Neighbouring countries of India
q States and union territories of India
Due to its extensive longitudinal extent of about
29°, there could be a vast difference in the local
time. The sun rises in the eastern parts about two
hours earlier than in the western part. However, in
order to bring unity of time in the whole of
country, India observes the Indian Standard Time
(IST) which is 5½ hours ahead of the Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT).
Info Bits
Info Bits
A subcontinent is the big geographical area or unit
which stands out distinctly from the rest of the
continent. India is referred to as an Indian
subcontinent because it is a geographical unit
which is self sufficient in itself as it is cut off from
the rest of Asia by the great mountain wall of the
Himalayas. Pakistan, Bhutan Bangladesh and Nepal
are the countries of the Indian subcontinent. It is
not possible to study relief or drainage of any of
these countries without a reference to the rest of
the region.
NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
India shares its borders with a number of
countries. These are Pakistan and Afghanistan in
the west; Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east;
and China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north. Sri
Lanka lies in the Arabian Sea and is separated by
the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar. Maldives lies
in the Arabian Sea.
Activity
On the world map locate India and her
neighbouring countries.
India : Our Country
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