Location and Extent of India: Extreme Points and PYQs
Exam notes on India's location and extent: latitudes and longitudes, extreme points, the standard meridian, border lengths with neighbours and island channels.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
The first chapter of Indian geography fixes India's address on the globe: how far north and south it stretches, how far east and west, where its extreme points lie, which neighbours touch it and why its clocks are set by one meridian. Almost every examination that asks about India's geography begins here, because the facts are exact numbers that can be asked directly and cannot be guessed. This note gives the latitudes and longitudes, the extreme points, the border lengths and the channels around the islands, in the form in which papers ask them.
Where India lies
India lies wholly in the Northern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere. The mainland extends from 8 degrees 4 minutes north to 37 degrees 6 minutes north latitude and from 68 degrees 7 minutes east to 97 degrees 25 minutes east longitude. Counting the islands, the country reaches further south, to about 6 degrees 45 minutes north in the Nicobar group. With an area of about 3.28 million square kilometres, India covers roughly 2.4 per cent of the land area of the world and is the seventh largest country by area.
- North to south the mainland measures about 3,214 km; east to west about 2,933 km. The north-south stretch is the longer of the two, although the two look similar on a map, which is a favourite question.
- The Tropic of Cancer, at 23 degrees 30 minutes north, cuts the country almost in half and passes through eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. The half to its south lies in the tropical zone and the half to its north in the sub-tropical zone.
- The land frontier of India is about 15,200 km long. The coastline of the mainland together with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep is given in the standard textbooks as 7,516.6 km, of which the mainland accounts for about 6,100 km.
Standard time and the central meridian
Since the longitudinal extent is about 29 degrees, the sun rises in Arunachal Pradesh about two hours before it rises in the Kutch region of Gujarat; every degree of longitude means four minutes of time. A single clock was therefore needed, and the meridian of 82 degrees 30 minutes east, which passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, was adopted as the standard meridian of India. Indian Standard Time is five and a half hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The meridian was chosen because it runs roughly through the middle of the country, and it passes through five states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The extreme points
| Direction | Extreme point | Where it lies |
|---|---|---|
| North | Indira Col, near the Siachen region | Union Territory of Ladakh |
| South (whole country) | Indira Point, also called Pygmalion Point | Great Nicobar Island |
| South (mainland) | Kanyakumari, also called Cape Comorin | Tamil Nadu |
| West | Guhar Moti, in the Kutch region near Sir Creek | Gujarat |
| East | Kibithu, in the Walong area | Arunachal Pradesh |
Neighbours and borders
India shares land boundaries with seven countries and maritime boundaries with Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
| Neighbour | Length of border (km) | Point to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 4,096.7 | India's longest land border |
| China | 3,488 | Second longest; called the Line of Actual Control in parts |
| Pakistan | 3,323 | Includes the Radcliffe Line of 1947 |
| Nepal | 1,751 | Open border |
| Myanmar | 1,643 | The only neighbour shared with the north-east and the Bay of Bengal |
| Bhutan | 699 | Shortest after Afghanistan |
| Afghanistan | 106 | India's shortest land border |
- Bangladesh touches five states: West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Nepal also touches five: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim.
- India has nine coastal states and four coastal Union Territories; Gujarat has the longest coastline among the states.
- The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman group from the Nicobar group. The Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the rest of the Lakshadweep, and the Eight Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the Maldives.
- The Duncan Passage lies between South Andaman and Little Andaman, and the Coco Strait separates the Andamans from Myanmar's Coco Islands.
Why the location matters
- The long coastline and the position at the head of the Indian Ocean put India astride the sea route between Europe and East Asia, a position that grew in value after the Suez Canal opened in 1869.
- The Himalaya in the north and the sea on three sides gave the subcontinent a distinct identity, while the passes of the north-west remained the route of invasions and trade.
- The country's spread across nearly thirty degrees of latitude gives it almost every climatic type, from the alpine cold of the mountains to the equatorial wetness of the islands.
- The peninsula divides the northern Indian Ocean into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and gives India a long coastline on both.
Exam Point of View
Questions from this topic are numerical and exact: the two pairs of latitudes and longitudes, the two extents in kilometres, the standard meridian, the number of states on the Tropic of Cancer, the order of border lengths and the names of the channels. The traps are regular: the island latitude of 6 degrees 45 minutes north offered as the mainland's southern limit, Indira Point offered as the southernmost point of the mainland, the Eleven Degree Channel offered in place of the Ten Degree Channel, and China offered as the longest border when it is Bangladesh. Learn the extreme points with their states and the channels with the islands they separate.
Important Facts
| Latitudinal extent (mainland) | 8 degrees 4 minutes north to 37 degrees 6 minutes north |
|---|---|
| Longitudinal extent | 68 degrees 7 minutes east to 97 degrees 25 minutes east |
| North-south extent | About 3,214 km |
| East-west extent | About 2,933 km |
| Area | About 3.28 million square kilometres, seventh largest in the world |
| Standard meridian | 82 degrees 30 minutes east, near Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh |
| Indian Standard Time | 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time |
| Tropic of Cancer | Passes through eight states, from Gujarat to Mizoram |
| Southernmost point of India | Indira Point, Great Nicobar, about 6 degrees 45 minutes north |
| Southernmost point of mainland | Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu |
| Longest land border | Bangladesh, about 4,096.7 km |
| Shortest land border | Afghanistan, about 106 km |
| Coastline | Given as 7,516.6 km with the island groups; mainland about 6,100 km |
| Land frontier | About 15,200 km, shared with seven countries |
Practice MCQs on this topic
What is the approximate time lag (in hours) from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh?
- A.1
- B.1.5
- C.2
- D.2.5
Show answer
The mainland of India extends from about 68 degrees 7 minutes east to about 97 degrees 25 minutes east, a longitudinal spread of roughly 29 degrees.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following water bodies separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands?
- A.Gulf of Mannar
- B.Ten Degree Channel
- C.Eleven Degree Channel
- D.Palk Strait
Show answer
The correct answer is B, the Ten Degree Channel, which lies roughly along the parallel of ten degrees north and separates the Andaman group in the north from the Nicobar group in the south; Little Andaman lies to its north and Car Nicobar to its south.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the longest parallel of latitude?
- A.Tropic of Cancer
- B.Tropic of Capricorn
- C.Arctic Circle
- D.Equator
Show answer
Parallels of latitude are circles drawn parallel to the equator, and they grow shorter as one moves towards the poles, until a pole is a point with no length at all.
Read the full explanation →The southernmost point of the Indian mainland is
- A.Indira Point
- B.Kanyakumari
- C.Rameswaram
- D.Dhanushkodi
Show answer
The correct answer is B, Kanyakumari, also called Cape Comorin, in Tamil Nadu, which stands at about 8 degrees 4 minutes north and is the southern tip of the Indian mainland, where the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean are said to meet.
Read the full explanation →Indira Point, the southernmost point of India, is situated in which island?
- A.Little Andaman
- B.Car Nicobar
- C.Great Nicobar
- D.Minicoy
Show answer
Indira Point lies at the southern end of Great Nicobar, the largest island of the Nicobar group, at about 6 degrees 45 minutes north, and is the southernmost point of the territory of India; it was known as Pygmalion Point before being renamed.
Read the full explanation →Which meridian of longitude is taken as the standard meridian of India?
- A.Zero degrees
- B.75 degrees 30 minutes east
- C.82 degrees 30 minutes east
- D.90 degrees east
Show answer
This meridian, which passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, runs roughly through the middle of the country and was adopted as the standard meridian so that the whole of India could keep one time.
Read the full explanation →The Tropic of Cancer passes through how many Indian states?
- A.Six
- B.Seven
- C.Eight
- D.Nine
Show answer
The Tropic of Cancer, at 23 degrees 30 minutes north, enters India in Gujarat and leaves it in Mizoram, passing on the way through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
Read the full explanation →India shares its longest land border with which country?
- A.China
- B.Pakistan
- C.Bangladesh
- D.Nepal
Show answer
The correct answer is C, Bangladesh, with which India shares a border of about 4,096.7 km, the longest of all its land boundaries; it touches five Indian states, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Read the full explanation →The latitudinal extent of the Indian mainland lies between
- A.6 degrees 45 minutes north and 37 degrees 6 minutes north
- B.8 degrees 4 minutes north and 37 degrees 6 minutes north
- C.8 degrees 4 minutes north and 35 degrees 6 minutes north
- D.6 degrees 45 minutes north and 35 degrees 6 minutes north
Show answer
These are the latitudes of the southern tip of the mainland at Kanyakumari and of the northernmost part of the country, and between them lie the 3,214 km of the mainland's north-south extent.
Read the full explanation →Which Indian state has the longest coastline?
- A.Tamil Nadu
- B.Andhra Pradesh
- C.Gujarat
- D.Maharashtra
Show answer
The deeply indented coast of Kutch and Saurashtra, with the Gulf of Kachchh and the Gulf of Khambhat, gives Gujarat the longest coastline of any Indian state, ahead of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 82 degrees 30 minutes east chosen as India's standard meridian?
Because it passes roughly through the middle of the country, near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, so that a single time can be kept for a country spread over about 29 degrees of longitude. It makes Indian Standard Time 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT.
Which is the southernmost point of India?
Indira Point, formerly Pygmalion Point, at the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, at about 6 degrees 45 minutes north. The southernmost point of the mainland is Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
How many countries share a land border with India?
Seven: Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan. India also has maritime boundaries with Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Through which Indian states does the Tropic of Cancer pass?
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram, eight states in all. Madhya Pradesh has the longest stretch of the line.
Which channel separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands?
The Ten Degree Channel, running roughly along ten degrees north, with Little Andaman to its north and Car Nicobar to its south.
Why is India's north-south extent greater than its east-west extent?
The mainland covers about 30 degrees of latitude but about 29 degrees of longitude, and the length of a degree of longitude shrinks away from the equator, so the north-south stretch of 3,214 km exceeds the east-west stretch of 2,933 km.
Sources
- India: Physical Environment (Class XI), Chapter 1: India, Location — NCERT
- Land and the People: border lengths with neighbouring countries — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
