NCERT Class 9 Geography | Chapter 1 | India – Size and Location

Chapters :

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Ancient civilization: India is one civilization among the world's ancient civilizations.
Socioeconomic progress: There have been significant achievements in the last five decades.
Diverse advancements: There is progress in agriculture, industry, technology, and overall economic development.
Global contribution: India has played a substantial role in shaping world history.

Geographical overview: India is a vast country located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
Coordinates: It extends between latitudes 8°4'N and 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E.
Division: The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30'N) divides India into two almost equal parts.
Island territories: Southeast of the mainland are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while the Lakshadweep Islands lie southwest in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively.

Land area: India covers 3.28 million square kilometers, approximately 2.4% of the world's total land area.
Ranking: It's the seventh-largest country globally.
Boundaries: India has a land boundary of 15,200 km and a coastline stretching 7,516.6 km.
Geographical features: Bounded by young fold mountains in the northwest, north, and northeast, tapering southward towards the Indian Ocean.
Division: The taper divides India into the Arabian Sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east.
Extent: The mainland spans about 30° in latitude and longitude, with the east-west extent appearing smaller than the north-south extent.
Time zones: Time varies by two hours from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, with the Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E) passing through Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, serving as the country's standard time reference.
Day-night duration: Latitudinal extent affects day and night, with variations as one moves from south to north.

Strategic location: India lies centrally between East and West Asia, serving as a southward extension of the Asian continent.
Trans-Indian Ocean routes: These routes connect Europe in the West with East Asia, highlighting India's strategic positioning.
Deccan Peninsula: Protrudes into the Indian Ocean, facilitating close contact with West Asia, Africa, Europe (west coast), and Southeast/East Asia (east coast).
Maritime significance: India's extensive coastline on the Indian Ocean justifies the naming of the ocean after it
Historical trade routes: Land routes across northern mountains and maritime routes have facilitated exchanges since ancient times.
Cultural exchanges: Passages enabled the spread of ideas (Upanishads, Ramayana, Panchtantra), numerals, and commodities (spices, muslin).
Influences: The Indian trade spread its influence globally while India itself absorbed influences like Greek sculpture and West Asian architectural styles.

Strategic position: India holds a significant strategic position in South Asia.
Administrative divisions: India comprises 28 states and eight Union Territories.
Land boundaries: Shares borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan (northwest), China (Tibet), Nepal, Bhutan (north), Myanmar, and Bangladesh (east).
Maritime neighbors: Sri Lanka and Maldives are India's southern neighbors, separated by the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar, and situated south of the Lakshadweep Islands respectively.
Historical links: India has strong geographical and historical connections with its neighboring countries.
Distinctiveness: India stands apart from the rest of Asia, as visible on a physical map of the continent.