SIZE

1. An area of 3.28 million square km.

2. India’s total area accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world.

3. India is the seventh largest country of the world.

4. India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km

5. The total length of the coast line of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7,516.6 km.

6. India is bounded by the young fold mountains in the northwest, north and north east.

7. From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh there is a time lag of two hours.

8. Hence, time along the Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E) passing through Mirzapur (in Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard time for the whole country.

9. Rajasthan is the largest state

10. Goa is the smallest state in terms of area.

11. No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has and indeed, it is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean which justifies the naming of an Ocean after it.

12. Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7,000 km.

Do you know?

1. The USA and Canada have six time zones extending from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast.

2. The local time changes by four minutes for every one degree of longitude.

3. The local time of longitude of 82°30' E has been taken as the Indian Standard Time.

INDIA’S NEIGHBOURS

1. There are seven countries that share land boundaries with India

2. Across the sea to the south, lie our island neighbours— Sri Lanka and Maldives.

3. Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait.

India shares its land boundaries with

1. Pakistan

2. Afghanistan

3. China (Tibet)

4. Nepal

5. Bhutan

6. Myanmar

7. Bangladesh

Two island countries

1. Sri Lanka

2. Maldives