CLASS 9 SST Contemporary India –CHAPTER 1 I INDIA - SIZE AND LOCATION Notes and NCERT Solutions

                                                NCERT (CBSE) Solutions

Class 9, Social Science (Geography)

AMEND EDUCATION ACADEMY 9999908238

Contemporary India – I

India - Size and Location

nOTES

India: Size and Location

India: Location:-

The main land of India 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) passes almost through the middle of the country. Apart from the mainland, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean) and the Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea) are also parts of India.

India: SIZE

The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million (3.28 lakh) square km; which comprises about 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world. India is the seventh largest country in the world.
The land boundary of India is 15,200 km. The coastline of the country is 7,516.6 km; which includes the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India is about 30°. The time along the Standard Meridian is taken as the Indian Standard Time. The Standard Meridian of India passes through Mirzapur in UP which is located at 82°30’ east. The time lag between Arunachal Pradesh (in the east) and Gujarat (in the west) is about 2 hours. When one moves from south to north, the latitudinal extent influences the duration of day and night.

INDIA AND THE WORLD

India is centrally located between the East and the West Asia. India is strategically located at the centre of the trans-Indian Ocean routes which connect the European countries in the west and the countries of East Asia. Thus, India could establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast. Moreover, it could establish close contact with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.

India’s Neighbours:

In the northwest, India shares its boundaries with Pakistan and Afghanistan. China and Nepal are its northern neighbours. Its eastern neighbours are Bangladesh and Myanmar. Maldives and Sri Lanka are its southern neighbours.

NCERT Exercise Solutions - India: Size and Location

A - Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
Question:- 1 - The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Orissa
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Tripura

Answer:- (b) Orissa

Question: 2 - The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97° 25' E
(b) 68° 7' E
(c) 77° 6' E
(d) 82° 32' E

Answer:- (a) 97° 25’ E

Question: 3 Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with
(a) China
(b) Bhutan
(c) Nepal
(d) Myanmar

Answer: (c) Nepal

Question: 3 If you intend to visit Kavarati during your summer vacations, which one of the following Union Territories of India you will be going to
(a) Puducherry
(b) Lakshadweep
(c) Andaman and Nicobar
(d) Diu and Daman

Answer: (b) Lakshadweep

Question: 4 - My friend hails from a country which does not share land boundary with India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan
(b) Tajikistan
(c) Bangladesh
(d) Nepal

Answer: (b) Tajikistan

B - Answer the following questions briefly.
Question: 1 - Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian sea.

Answer: Lakshadweep

Question: 2 - Name the countries which are larger than India.

Answer: Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil and Australia are larger than India.

Question: 3 - Which island group of India lies to its south-east?

Answer: Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Question: 4 - Which island countries are our southern neighbours?

Answer: Maldives and Sri Lanka

Question: 5 - The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat in the west but the watches show the same time. How does this happen?

Answer: The longitudinal gap between Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat is about 30°. Due to this, there is time lag of about two hours between these states. Since Arunachal Pradesh is in the east hence the sun rises earlier here; compared to in Gujarat. The Indian Standard Time is taken from the time of Standard Meridian of India and hence the watches show the same time in both the states.

Question: 6 - The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?

Answer: India is centrally located between the East and the West Asia. India is strategically located at the centre of the trans-Indian Ocean routes which connect the European countries in the west and the countries of East Asia. Thus, India could establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast. Moreover, it could establish close contact with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast. This shows the significance of India’s location in the Indian Ocean.

Important Exercise Questions Solved

Q.2: Answer the following questions briefly.

   (i) Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian Sea.

  (ii) Name the countries which are larger than India.

 (iii) Which island group of India lies to its south-east?   

 (iv) Which island countries are our southern neighbours?

Solution:

   (i) Lakshadweep

  (ii) Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil and Australia.

 (iii) Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.

 (iv) Maldives, Sri Lanka.

Q.3: The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat in the west but the watches show the same time. How does this happen?

Solution: From the longitudinal extent of India it is observed that the longitudinal expanse is about 30^O from west to east. This means that there would be a time-lag of two hours approximately from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. To avoid such differences in local time, Indian standard time has been fixed to give the whole country a uniform time. The local time of the Standard Meridian of 82^O30’E is observed as the Standard Time by the whole country. Because of this reason we find that the sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat in the west but the watches show the same time.  

    

Q.4: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?

Solution: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance because -

a) It has given India a strategic advantage due to the Trans Indian ocean routes which connect the countries of Europe in the West and the countries of East Asia.

b) This helps India to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the Western coast and with the Southeast and East Asia from the Eastern coast.

c) The vast coastline and the natural harbours have benefitted India in carrying out trade and commerce with its neighbouring and distant countries since ancient times.

d) It has given India a distinct climate than the rest of the Asian Continent.

e) No other country has such a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India. It is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean which has given the name of an Ocean after it.   

Map Skills

Q.1: Identify the following with the help of map reading.

  (i) The island groups of India lying in the Arabian Sea.

  (ii) The countries constituting Indian Subcontinent.

 (iii) The states through which the Tropic of Cancer passes.

 (vii) The place situated on the three seas.

(viii) The strait separating Sri Lanka from India.

Solution:

  (i) Lakshadweep

 (ii) Countries which make the Indian subcontinent are Pakistan in the north-west, India at the core, Nepal in the north, Bhutan in the north-east and Bangladesh in the east.        

(iii) Tropic of Cancer passes through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.

(vii) Kanyakumari

(viii) The Palk Strait