CLASS IX

Notes of Geo ch-1

India size and location

A. SHORT QUESTION AND ANSWERS:

Question 1. What is the longitudinal and latitudinal extension of India?

Answer: The longitudinal extension is 68°7′ E to 97°25′ E and the latitudinal
extension is 8°4′ N to 37°6′ N.

Question 2. Name the island group of India lying in the Arabian Sea.
Answer: The Lakshadweep Island

Question 3. What is the southernmost latitude of India?

Answer: Southernmost latitude of India is 8°4′ N.

Question 4. What is a narrow channel of sea which separates two land masses
known as?
Answer: Strait.

Question 5.What is the total length of the coastline of the mainland of India
including its islands?
Answer: Around 7,516.6 km.

Question 6.Which places in India experience sunrise first and last respectively?
Answer: Arunachal Pradesh experiences sunrise first, and Saurashtra in Gujarat
last.

Question 7. Which longitude represents the Standard Meridian of India?

Answer: Longitude of 82° 30′ E.
Question 11. Name the place said to be the situated on three seas. Name the
seas also.
Answer: Kanyakumari. The seas are the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the
Bay of Bengal.

Question 12. Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separate which two countries?
Answer: Sri Lanka and Indian

Question 13 In which year did Indira Point submerge under water due to
Tsunami? ,
Answer: The southernmost point called Indira Point (earlier called Pygmalion
Point) got submerged in Tsunami in 2004.

Question 14. In which island is active volcano found in Andaman and Nicobar
islands?
Answer: Barren island.

Question 15.Name the neighbouring countries that share their boundaries with
India.
Ans. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China (Tibet), Nepal and
Bhutan.

Question 16. Which canal has reduced India’s distance from Europe by 7,000 km
?
Answer: Suez Canal

Question 17. What influences the duration of the day and night as one moves
from south to north ?
Answer: Latitudinal extent

B. LONG ANSWERS

1. Why has India selected a Standard Meridian of India with an odd value of 82°
30′ E?
Answer: India selected a standard meridian of India 82° 30′ E because it is
divisible by 7°30′, a standard adopted by almost all the countries of the world.

• It lies almost in the middle of India, and as such, it suits us the most

2. Explain the significance of India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean.

Answer: India eminent position helps to establish close contact with west Asia,
Africa, Europe from western coast and with south-east and east Asia from the
eastern coast.

• The sea routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities.
• The ideas of Upanishads and Ramayana, Indian numerals and the decimal
system could reach to many parts of the world.
• The spices, muslin and other merchandises were taken to other countries.
• Influence of Greek sculpture and styles of dome and minaretes can be seen
in our country.

3. In what way the central location of India in the Indian Ocean has been to its
advantage?

Answer: India is a centrally situated country in relation to west Asia, Africa and
Europe on the western side and south-east Asia and Australia on the eastern side.

• India is favourably located on the world’s highway of trade and commerce.

• It has helped in establishing close cultural and commercial contacts with
these countries.

4. What is meant by the Indian Standard Time? What is its importance?

Answer:

Indian Standard Time (IST)-is that which is accepted all over India. We have
accepted 82° 30’E longitude as the Standard Meridian of India. It was accepted as
it lies almost in the middle.

The Indian Standard Time has a great importance:

 • It has prevented a lot of confusion and has brought harmony in time
throughout the country.
• The local time at each longitude is different. So in order to follow one
timing, India has accepted the 82° 30’E as the Standard Meridian of India.

5. Why is the difference between the durations of day and night hardly felt at
Kanyakumari but not so in Kashmir?

Answer: Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu is located at the southernmost tip of India’s

main land. The latitude 8°4’ N passes close to it. The place is thus near the
equator and lies close to the Equatorial region. As the sun shines directly over the
Equator throughout the year, the durations of day and night are almost equal
here. Hence, in Kanyakumari, the difference in the duration of day and night is
very little.

6. Assess the significance of the central location of India in the Indian Ocean.

Or

“India has an important position on the globe.” Justify by giving three

arguments.

Answer: Central location of India is of great significance because:

• India has a central location between the East and West Asia.
• India is a southward extension of the Asian continent.
• The Trans Indian ocean routes connect the countries of Europe in the West
and the countries of East Asia.
• Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean and help India to have
contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from West Coast and with South
East and East Asia from Eastern Coast.
• India’s eminent position in Indian Ocean justifies naming of an ocean after
it.

7. Describe the implications of India’s longitudinal extent.

Answer:
 • India’s geographical location is favourably important for international
trade.
• Due to its central location in the eastern hemisphere, India lies on the
major trade routes.
• It has helped in establishing close cultural and commercial contacts
with these countries.

8. How did India’s contact with the rest of the world contribute in the exchange
of ideas and commodities? Explain.
Answer:

• India held ah important position in the ancient world. It had trade

relations with many countries. One of the famous land routes was
connected to the famous silk route of China.
• These routes contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities
since ancient times.
• The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, the stories of
Panchatantra, the Indian numerals and the decimal system thus could
reach many parts of the world. The spices, muslin and other
merchandise were taken from India to different countries. 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.
• India had trade relations with South-East Asian countries like
Cambodia, Java, Sumatra, Bali, Sri Lanka, Burma and Siam.
• From the time of Kanishka, Indian traders started going to China,
Afghanistan and Central Asian countries.
• During the Medieval period, India came in close contact with many
foreign lands such as the Arabs, the Turks, the Mongols, the Chinese
and the Europeans.

9. 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.

10. 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 Panchatantra, 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)

11. 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
12.Why Indian Ocean named after India?
Ans. The Indian Ocean is named after India because
• India holds a central location which is at the head of the Indian Ocean.
• India holds important position in the Indian Ocean which connected Europe
with countries of Southeast Asia
• India has the longest coastline in the country which no other country has in
Indian Ocean.