LOCATION
- Lying between latitude 8° 4´ N to 37°6´ N and from longitude 68°7´E to 97° 25´ E, the Country is divided into almost equal parts by the Tropic of Cancer (passing from Jabalpur in MP).
- The southernmost point in Indian Territory, (in Great Nicobar Island) is the Indira Point (6°45´), while Kanyakumari, also known as Cape Comorin, is the southernmost point of Indian Mainland. The country thus lies wholly in the northern and eastern hemispheres.
- The 82°30´ E longitude is taken as the standard Time Meridian of India, as it passes through the middle of India (from Naini, near Allahabad).
AREA AND BOUNDARIES
- India stretches 3,214 km from N to S & 2,933 km from E to W.
- Area: 32, 87, 263 sq. km Accounts for 2.4% of the total world area and 16% of the population.
- Mainland India has a coastline of 6,100 km. Including the Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar, the coastline measures about 7516.6 km.
- In India, of the total land mass:
Plains: 43.3 %, Plateaus: 27.7%, Hills:18.6%, Mountains: 10.7%.
- In the South, on the eastern side, The Gulf 0f Mannar and the Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka.
- Total land neighbours: 7 (Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar).
- India’s Islands include the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal & Lakshadweep, Minicoy & Amindive Islands in the Arabian Sea.
FACTS ABOUT POSITION OF STATES OF INDIA
- Uttar Pradesh borders maximum number of States- 8 (Eight): Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.
- Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 (Eight) States: Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Indian Standard Meridian (82°30´ E meridian) passes through UP, MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
INDIA IN TABLES
INDIAN STATES ON INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES
| Bordering Pakistan | Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat. | |
| Bordering China | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttararakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh. | |
| Bordering Nepal | Bihar, Uttarakhand, UP, Sikkim, West Bengal. | |
| Bordering Bangladesh | West Bengal, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Asom. | |
| Bordering Bhutan | West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Asom. | |
| Bordering Myanmar | Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram. | |
| Bordering Afghanistan | Jammu & Kashmir (Pakistan-occupied area). | |
IMPORTANT RIVERS OF INDIA
| Name | Origin from | Falls into | Length (km.) |
| Ganges | Combined sources | Bay of Bengal | 2525 |
| Satluj | Mansarovar Rakas Lakes | Chenab | 1050 |
| Indus | Near Mansarovar lake | Arabian Sea | 2880 |
| Ravi | Kullu Hills near Rohtang Pass | Chenab | 720 |
| Beas | Near Rohtang pass | Satluj | 470 |
| Jhelum | Verinag in Kashmir | Chenab | 725 |
| Yamuna | Yamunotri | Ganga | 1375 |
| Chambal | M.P. | Yamuna | 1050 |
| Ghagra | Matsatung Glaciers | Ganga | 1080 |
| Kosi | Near Gosain Dham Peak | Ganga | 730 |
| Betwa | Vindhyanchal | Yamuna | 480 |
| Son | Amarkantak | Ganga | 780 |
| Brahmaputra | Near Mansarovar Lake | Bay of Bengal | 2900 |
| Narmada | Amarkantak | Gulf of Khambat | 1057 |
| Tapti | Betul Distt. in M.P. | Gulf of Khambat | 724 |
| Mahanadi | Raipur Distt. in Chhattisgarh | Bay of Bengal | 858 |
| Luni | Aravallis | Rann of Kutch | 450 |
| Ghaggar | Himalayas | Near Fatehabad | 494 |
| Sabarmati | Aravallis | Gulf of Khambat | 416 |
| Krishna | Western Ghats | Bay of Bengal | 1327 |
| Godavari | Nasik Distt. in Maharashtra | Bay of Bengal | 1465 |
| Cauvery | Brahmagir Range of Western Ghats | Bay of Bengal | 805 |
| Tungabhadra | Western Ghats | Krishna River | 640 |
MAJOR PORTS IN INDIA (TOTAL 13)
| Western Coast | Eastern Coast |
| Kandla (child of partition) | Kolkata-Haldia (riverine port) |
| Mumbai (busiest and biggest) | Paradip (exports raw iron to Japan) |
| Jawahar Lal Nehru (fastest growing) | Vishakhapatnam (deepest port) |
| Marmugao (naval base also) | Chennai (oldest and artificial) |
| Mangalore (exports Kudremukh iron-ore) | Ennore (most modern-in private hands) |
| Cochin (natural harbour) | Tuticorin (southernmost) |
| Port Blair (strategically important) |
NATIONAL PARKS AND WILD LIFE SANCTUARIES
| Gir Forests | Home of Asiatic lion. In Gujarat |
| Kaziranga Sanctuary | One horned Rhino. In Asom |
| Manas Sanctuary | One horned Rhino. In Asom |
| Chandraprabha Sanctuary | II home of Asiatic lion. In UP |
| Ghana or Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary | In Bharatpur, Rajasthan |
| Dachigam Sanctuary | For Hangul, in Kashmir |
| Corbett National Park | In Uttarakhand. Home of Tiger |
| Kanha National Park | In MP |
| Shiv Puri National Park | In MP |
| Hazaribagh National Park | In Jharkhand |
| Periyar Game Sanctuary | In Kerala |
| Dudhwa National Park | In UP |
| Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary | In Tamil Nadu |
| Nokrek National Park | In Meghalaya |
| Sariska Sanctuary | In Rajasthan |
| Ranthambhor National Park | In Rajasthan |
| Namdapha National Park | In Arunachal Pradesh |
| Keibul Lamjo Floating National Park | In Manipur |
| Palamau Tiger Project | In Bihar |
| Similipal National Park | In Odisha |
| Ranganthittoo Bird Sanctuary | In Mysore, Karnataka |
| Nagarhole National Park | In Karnataka |
| Mudumalai Sanctuary | In Tamil Nadu |
| Balpakram Sanctuary | In Meghalaya |
| Bandipur Sanctuary | Along the Karnataka- Tamil Nadu border |
| Jaldapara Sanctuary | In West Bengal. For Rhinos |
| Wild Ass Sanctuary | In Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. For wild Ass |
IMPORTANT CROPS OF INDIA
| Rice | West Bengal, Punjab, UP |
| wheat | Up, Punjab, Haryana |
| Maize | Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
| Bajra | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra |
| Jowar | Maharashtra, Karnataka, MP,AP |
| TOTAL PULSES | UP, MP, Punjab |
| TOTAL FOODGRAINS | UP, Punjab, West Bengal |
| Groundnut | Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh |
| Rapeseed and Mustard | Rajasthan, UP, Haryana |
| Soyabean | Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan |
| Sunflower | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| TOTAL OIL SEEDS | MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan |
| Sugarcane | UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| Cotton | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh |
| Jute and Mesta | West Bengal, Bihar, Asom |
| Tea | Asom, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh |
| Coffee | Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Rubber | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka |
| Silk | Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, in India all 4 varieties of silk are available: Mulberry, tussar, eri and muga. Mulberry is main variety, while tussar is mainly found in Bihar. |
| Tobacco | Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
IMPORTANT RIVER VALLEY PROJECTS
| Bhakra Nangal Project | On Satluj in Punjab. Highest in India. Ht 226 m. Reservoir is called Gobind Sagar Lake. |
| Mandi Project | On Beas in HP. |
| Chambal Valley Project | On Chambal in MP &Rajasthan. 3 Dams are there: Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam and Jawahar Sagar Dam. |
| Damodar Valley Project | On Damodar in Bihar. Based on Tennessee Valley Project, USA. |
| Hirakud Project | On Mahanadi in Odisha. World’s Longest Dam: 4801 m. |
| Rihand Project | On Son in Mirzapur. Reservoir is called Govind Vallabh Pant reservoir. |
| Kosi Project | On Kosi in N. Bihar. |
| Mayurkashi Project | Om Mayurkashi in West Bengal. |
| Kakrapara Project | On Tapti in Gujarat. |
| Nizamsagar Project | On Manjra in Telangana. |
| Nagarjuna Sagar Project | On Krishna in Telangana and AP. |
| Tungabhadra Project | On Tungabhadra in AP& Karnataka |
| Shivasamudram Project | On Cauvery in Karnataka. It is the oldest river valley project in India. |
| Tata Hydel Scheme | On Bhima in Maharashtra. |
| Sharavathi Hydel Project | On Jog falls in Karnataka |
| Kundah & Periyar Project | In Tamil Nadu. |
| Farakka Project | On Ganga in WB. Apart from power and irrigation it helps to remove silt for easy navigation. |
| Ukai Project | On Tapti in Gujarat. |
| Mahi Project | On Mahi in Gujarat. |
| Salal Project | On Chenab in J&K. |
| Mata Tila Multipurpose Project | On Betwa in UP & MP. |
| Thein Project | On Ravi in Punjab. |
| Pong Dam | On Beas in Punjab. |
| Tehri Project | On Bhagirthi in Uttarakhand. |
| Sardar Sarovar Project | On Narmada in Gujarat & MP. |