Geography · Chapter 01

🌍 India — Location, Size & Neighbours

India's position, extent, states, UTs, and neighbours.

🌍 India on the World Map

India is the 7th largest country in the world by area and the most populous as of 2023. It lies entirely in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres.

Latitudinal & Longitudinal extent:
• Latitude: 8°4\'N to 37°6\'N (north–south extent ~3,214 km)
• Longitude: 68°7\'E to 97°25\'E (east–west extent ~2,933 km)
• Tropic of Cancer (23°30\'N) divides India into two nearly equal halves
• Standard Meridian: 82°30'E — passes through Mirzapur (UP). IST = UTC+5:30

India has a total area of 3.28 million sq km — about 2.4% of the world's total land area.

Northernmost point
Indira Col
Ladakh (J&K)
Southernmost point
Indira Point
Great Nicobar Island
Easternmost point
Kibithu
Arunachal Pradesh
Westernmost point
Ghuar Mota / Sir Creek
Gujarat
Land boundary
15,200 km
7 countries
Coastline
7,516 km
mainland + islands
India from space — satellite image
India from space — satellite imageNASA / Public Domain
India's location in South Asia
India's location in South AsiaWikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
🌐 India's neighbours — all 7

Land neighbours (7): Pakistan 🇵🇰 (NW), Afghanistan 🇦🇫 (NW, via POK), China 🇨🇳 (N), Nepal 🇳🇵 (N), Bhutan 🇧🇹 (NE), Bangladesh 🇧🇩 (E), Myanmar 🇲🇲 (E)

Sea neighbours: Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 (separated by Palk Strait, ~22 km), Maldives 🇲🇻 (SW in Indian Ocean)

Trick to remember land neighbours: Papa Aur Chini Ne Bheja Bada Mango (Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar)

📐 Time difference — east to west

India spans nearly 30° of longitude. There's a time difference of ~2 hours between Gujarat (W) and Arunachal Pradesh (E). To avoid confusion, India uses a single time zone (IST = 82°30'E).
Why 82°30'E? Because it passes through the geographical centre of India (Mirzapur, UP) and is exactly 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich.

🎬

India's Location & Extreme Points

Animation
INDIA — LOCATION & EXTREME POINTS (CLICK TO EXPLORE) Tropic of Cancer (23°30\'N) 82°30'E (IST) N Indira Col S Indira Point E Kibithu W Ghuar Mota Delhi Mirzapur (82°30'E) CLICK AN EXTREME POINT (N/S/E/W) India spans 8°4\'N to 37°6\'N latitude and 68°7\'E to 97°25\'E longitude. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30\'N) passes through 8 Indian states.

India's vast extent creates 2-hour time difference between east and west — hence a single standard meridian.

🗺️

Know India's States & Neighbours

Interactive

Select a topic to explore key facts.

No. of states crossed8 states
States (W→E)Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, WB, Tripura, Mizoram
Trick"Gujju Raj MP Chhat Jha WB Trip Mizo"
The Tropic of Cancer (23°30\'N) divides India roughly in half — north is sub-tropical, south is tropical.
Practice (NCERT): Why does India have two time zones in reality but only one official time zone? What is India's Standard Meridian?
India's Standard Meridian is 82°30'E, passing through Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh). India officially uses a single time zone (IST = UTC+5:30).

Why just one?
• Practical convenience — multiple time zones would complicate railways, airlines, government communications
• India's east-west extent is ~2,933 km (about 30° of longitude = ~2 hours difference)
• Countries like USA, Russia use multiple zones because they're much wider

Problem: Sunrise in Arunachal Pradesh (east) is ~2 hours earlier than in Gujarat (west), so:
• Northeast states lose daylight in the morning (offices open when it's already bright)
• Some northeast states unofficially use "Chaibagaan time" (tea garden time) = 1 hour ahead of IST
Practice (NCERT): Name India's 7 land neighbours and their directions.
India's 7 land neighbours:

1. Pakistan — Northwest (shares Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, J&K borders)
2. Afghanistan — Northwest (shares border via Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir)
3. China — North & Northeast (longest border — LAC: Line of Actual Control)
4. Nepal — North (landlocked country, between India and China)
5. Bhutan — Northeast (India manages Bhutan's foreign affairs and defence)
6. Bangladesh — East (surrounded by India on 3 sides; only outlet is Bay of Bengal)
7. Myanmar — East (shares borders with Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram)

Sea neighbours: Sri Lanka (separated by Palk Strait, ~22km) and Maldives (SW in Indian Ocean)