India Location and Size

India is a diverse country and located in the south of Asia, the largest continent in the world. By area, it has the second position in Asia continent and seventh in the world. By population, it has the second position in Asia continent and as well as in the world. In the present world, India is one of the fastest growing nations.

Location

Located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, India’s latitudinal extension begins at 6°45' North in the Bay of Bengal and at 8°4' North (the mainland) and ends at 37°6' North, and its longitudinal extension begins at 68°7' East and ends at 97°25' East.

Size

Its distance from south to extreme north measures 3,214 kilometers, and from east to west, its distance measures 2,933 kilometers. Its total land frontier is 15,200 km, and its coastline is 7,516.6 km. Furthermore, with a total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometers, India is the seventh-largest country in the world. Likewise, with its total area of 3.28 million sq. km, India accounts for 2.4 percent of the world’s total land surface area.

Physical Features of India

As discussed above, the location and geographic extension, India’s size is pretty big and it is endowed with great physical diversity. From extreme north to north-east, India’s boundary is defined (and limited) by the Great Himalayan Range (amidst, India shares its international boundary with China, Nepal, and Bhutan). In the extreme north-west, the Karakoram Range lies. South of the Northern Himalayan Range, Punjab Plain is located. In the west, i.e., in Rajasthan, the Great Thar Desert, the Rann of Kutch, and salt marshes are located. In the far east, there are a few popular hills, namely the Chin Hills and Kachin Hills, that separate India from Burma (Myanmar). The Garo, Khasi, Mizo, and Jantia Hills are also located in this region.

Furthermore, in the central-northern part, the Indo-Gangetic Plain is located. In the central and southern parts, the Deccan Plateau is located. The Eastern Ghats in the east and the Western Ghats (also known as the Shahayadri Range) in the west divide India’s mainland from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, respectively. In addition to these, in the southern part of India, the Nilgiri Hills connect the Eastern and Western Ghats. In the central region, there are the Satpura and Maikal Ranges. And lastly, in the western region (i.e., Gujarat and Rajasthan), the Aravalli mountain is located.

If we discuss the rivers, India has some of the biggest river systems in Asia. In the north, the great three Himalayan River systems are, Indus River system, the Ganga River system, and the Brahmaputra River system. The major rivers of Central and South India are, Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kavery. Among these, Narmada and Tapi are the two river systems that flow westward and debouch into the Arabian Sea, rest of the river systems flow eastward and make a delta in the Bay of Bengal.

India and Its Surroundings

From all three sides, India is surrounded by water, and because of such typical geographic features, India is known as "Peninsula." In south, the Indian Ocean lies, in west, the Arabian Sea is located, in east, the Bay of Bengal is located. Furthermore, in the north-east region, India shares its international boundary with Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In the extreme north, it shares its international boundary with China (in the east); Afghanistan (in the north); and Pakistan (in the west).

In the south-west, i.e., in the Arabian Sea, Indian territories, the Lakshadweep islands are located, and opposite of them, i.e., in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located. Furthermore, in the south, the Gulf of Munnar and Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka.

Interestingly, India’s mainland southernmost tip is just south of Kanyakumari; however, overall, the southernmost point in India is Indira Point, located on Great Nicobar Island. On the other hand, the northernmost point of India is Indira Col, Siachen Glacier. Moreover, with 2,305,143 km2 Exclusive Economic Zone collectively in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea, India ranked as the 18th largest country.

Conclusion

India is a culturally as well as physically diverse country. It has hundreds of well- established cultures and traditions. Likewise, because of its different geological characteristics and extensive geographic location, India has diversified physical features, starting from the Great Himalayan Ranges in the north, to dozens of small hills, plateaus, plains, and rivers located all over the surface area of India. The different physical features and climate types give India a diverse identity, but its cultural unity gives it a "unity in diversity” identity.

Frequently Questions and Answers

If you calculate the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India, both are roughly about 29 degrees, whereas the actual distance measured from north to south is 3,214 km, and that from east to west is only 2,933 km. What is the reason for this difference?

This difference is only because of the fact that the distance between two longitudes decreases towards the poles, whereas the distance between two latitudes almost remains the same across the globe.

What are the countries, which surface areas are larger than India?

Following are the 6 countries, which surface areas are larger than India: Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia

What is the Meaning of Strait?

A strait is thin body of water that separates two big landmasses and connects two big water bodies. For example, the Palk Strait separates India from Sri Lanka and joins the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal (or Indian Ocean).