LOCATIONAL SETTING OF INDIA
Location of india .....
India is a country of vast geographical expanse. In the
north, it is bound by the lofty Himalayas. The Arabian
Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east and the
Indian Ocean in the south, wash the shores of the
Indian peninsula. The peninsula is a piece
of land that is
surrounded by water on
three sides.
India has an area of about 3.28 million sq. km. The
north-south extent from Ladakh to Kanyakumari is
about 3,200 km. And the east-west extent from
Arunachal Pradesh to Kuchchh is about 2,900 km.
The lofty mountains, the Great Indian Desert, the
Northern Plains, the uneven plateau surface and the
coasts and islands present a diversity of landforms.
There is a great variety in the climate, vegetation,
wildlife as well as in the language and culture. In this
diversity, we find unity that is reflected in traditions
that bind us as one nation. India has a population of
more than one hundred twenty crores since the
year 2011. It is the second most populous country of
the world after China.
India is located in the northern hemisphere. The Tropic
of Cancer (23°30'N) passes almost halfway through the
country. From south to north, main land
of India extends between 8°4'N and 37°6'N latitudes.
From west to east, India extends between 68°7'E and
97°25'E longitudes. If we divide the world into eastern
and western hemispheres, which hemisphere would
India belong to? Due to great longitudinal extent of
about 29°, there could be a wide differences in local
time of places located at two extreme points of India. As
such, the difference between these two points would be of
about two hours.
Large countries
which stretch
extensively from
east to west do not have
a single Standard Time
for the whole country.
The USA and Canada
have seven and six time
zones respectively
As you have learnt earlier, the local time changes by four minutes
for every one degree of longitude. The sun rises about two hours earlier in the east
(Arunachal Pradesh) than in the west (Gujarat). You have already read earlier, why
the local time of longitude of 82°30'E has been taken as the Indian Standard Time.
This meridian or longitude is also termed as the Standard Meridian of India
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