INDIA - SIZE AND LOCATION

LOCATION

India is a vast country.
Light entirely in Northern hemisphere the mainland extends between latitudes 8 degree 4' N and 37 degree 6'N and longitude 68 degree 7' E and 97 degree 25'E .
The Tropic of Cancer( 23 degree 30 N) divided the country into almost two equal parts.
To the south east and south west Mainland, lie the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively.

The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million square kilometre.
India's total area accounts for about 2.4 % of the total geographical area of the world.
India is the seventh Largest country of the world.
India has a land boundary of 15,200 km and the total length of the coastline of the mainland, including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is 7,516.6 km.
India is bounded by the young fold mountains (Himalaya) in the north west ,north and North East.
South of about 22 degree north latitude, it beings to taper, and extends towards the Indian Ocean dividing it into two Seas the Arabian sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on its East.
The latitudinal and longitudinal extend of the mainland is about 30 degree .Despite this fact ,the east -west extent appears to be smaller than the north-south extent.
From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, there is a time lag of 2 hours. Hence, time along the Standard Meridian( 82 degree30'E) of India passing through Mirzapur (in Uttar Pradesh ) is taken as the standard time for the whole country.
The latitudinal extent influences the duration of day and night , as one move from South to North.

The Indian land mass has a Central location between the east and the West Asia.
India is a southward extension of the Asian continent.
The trans Indian ocean routes which connected the countries of Europe in the west and the countries of East Asia, provide a strategic Central location to India.
The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean ,thus helping India to establish close contact with west Asia, Africa and Europe from the Western Coast and with south east and East Asia from the eastern coast.
No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has and indeed.
It is India's emintent position in the Indian Ocean ,which justifies the naming of an Ocean after it.
India's contact with the world have continued through the ages but her relationships through the land routes are much older than the maritime contacts.
The various passes across the mountain in the north have provided passes to the ancient Travels, while the oceans restricted Sach interaction for a long time.
These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and communities since ancient times.
The ideas of the Upanishad 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 occupies an important strategic position in the South Asia.
India has 28 states and 9 union territories.
India shares its land boundaries with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the Northwest China( Tibet ), Nepal and Bhutan in the north and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the East.
Our southern neighbours across the sea consists of the to Island countries, namely Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar ,while Maldives Islands are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.
India has had strong geographical and historical links with her neighbours.