location

India extends from 8°4 ‘N to 37°6 ‘N latitudes and 68°7 ‘E to 97°25 ‘E longitudes. Hence India is located in the North and Eastern hemisphere.

• India is the seventh largest country in the world and second largest country in Asia.

• India accounts for about 2.4 % of the total area of the world with an area of 32,87,263 sq.km.

• It is separated by the Himalayas from the rest of the continent.

• Many of the India states are larger than several countries of the world.

• India shares its 15,200 km long land frontier with ==Pakistan== and ==Afghanistan== in the ==north-west, China==, ==Nepal== and ==Bhutan== in the north and ==Bangladesh== and ==Myanmar== in the east.

• India’s longest border is with Bangladesh (4156 km)

• The shortest border is with Afghanistan(106 km)

• About 6,100 km long coastline of India is washed on three sides of the country by the Indian Ocean and its two arms namely the Arabian sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east.

• The total length of the coast line of India including the islands is 7,516.6 km.

• India and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow and shallow sea called Palk Strait.

• The southern most point of the country is Pygmalion Point or Indira Point (6°45’N latitude) located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• The southern most point of main land of India is Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari).

• The northern point is Indira Col.

• The north-south extent of India is 3,214 km and it extends from Indira Col in Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.

• The east-west extension is 2933 km and it stretches from Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.

• The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’ N) passes through the middle of the country dividing it into two halves as northern temperate and southern tropical lands.

• ==Durand Line== ==: India - Afghanistan and Pakistan - Afghanistan International boundary==

• ==McMohanline== ==: India China Eastern boundary (1140 km) (1913-14 - Shimla convention)==

• ==Radcliff line====: India - Pakistan - at the time of partition (1947)==

Panchsheel policy - 1954 - between India & China

Tashkant Agreement - 1966 - b/w India & Pakistan Shimla Agreement - 1972 - b/w India and Pakistan

Indian Standard Time (IST)

• The longitudinal difference between Gujarat in the west and Arunachal Pradesh in the east is about 30°.
• Since Arunachal Pradesh is towards east, it will have sunrise about two hours earlier than the sunrise at Gujarat which is in the west.
• The local time of the central meridian of India is the standard time of India. India’s central meridian is 82°30’ E longitude.
• It passes through Mirzapur and roughly bisects the country in terms of longitude.
• The IST is 5.30 hrs ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). India has been politically divided into 28 states and 8 union territories for administrative convenience.
• Amaravati is the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. According to Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, Hyderabad will be the capital for both the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana till 2024 (For 10 years from the act passed).