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