Class IX

Social Science
Chapter 1: India size and location (Geography)

NCERT Question Answer:

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan (b) Odisha (c) Chhattisgarh (d) Tripura

(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is

(a) 97° 25′ E (b) 68° 7′ E (c) 77° 6′ E (d) 82° 32′ E

(iii) Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with
(a) China (b) Bhutan (c) Nepal (d) Myanmar

(iv) If you intend to visit Kavarati during your summer vacations, which one of the following Union
Territories of India will you be going to
(a) Puducherry (b) Lakshadweep (c) Andaman and Nicobar (d) Daman and Diu

(v) My friend hails from a country which does not share a land boundary with India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan (b) Tajikistan (c) Bangladesh (d) Nepal

Answer:
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through – (b) Odisha.
(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is – (a) 97° 25′ E.
(iii) Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with (c) Nepal.
(iv) Kavarati is situated in the union territory of (b) Lakshadweep.
(v) (b) Tajikistan does not share a land boundary with India.

2. Answer the following questions briefly.

(i) Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian Sea.
(ii) Name the countries which are larger than India.
(iii) Which island group of India lies to its south-east?
(iv) Which island countries are our southern neighbours?

Answer
(i): India lies in the Northern hemisphere, with the mainland extending between latitudes 8°4’N and 37°6’N
and longitudes 68°7’E and 97°25’E. The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30’N) divides the country into almost two
equal parts, where the Lakshadweep islands lie in the Arabian Sea to the south-west of the mainland, and the
Andaman and Nicobar islands lie in the Bay of Bengal to the south-east of the mainland.

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(ii): The countries which are larger than India are Russia, Canada, the U.S.A, China, Brazil and Australia.
Russia is the largest of all countries, with an area of 17.09 million sq.km, while India has an area of 3.28
million sq.km.
(iii): The Andaman and Nicobar islands lie to the south-east of India in the Bay of Bengal. India has a land
boundary of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline, including the islands of Andaman and
Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is 7,516.6 km.
(iv): The island countries that are our southern neighbours are Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Maldives Islands
are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands, whereas Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow
channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

3. The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat in the west, but the watches
show the same time. How does this happen?
Answer:
The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India is about 30°. The east-west extent is smaller than the north-
south extent. There is a time lag of two hours from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. As Arunachal Pradesh lies
on the eastern side of India, the sun rises here earlier when compared to Gujarat. The 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. The latitudinal extent influences the duration of day and night as one moves
from south to north. Therefore, the watches show the same time in all parts of the country.

4. The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?
Answer:
India is a southward extension of the Asian continent and is located in a central position between East and
West Asia. The Indian Ocean provides a strategic central location to India, as it connects the East Asian
countries with Europe in the West. The Deccan Peninsula also protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping
India establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with Southeast
and East Asia from the eastern coast. There is no other country like India in the world which has a long
coastline on the Indian Ocean and thus, justifying the naming of an ocean after it.

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 Extra Important Questions

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
The total length of the coastline of the mainland including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep is
_________ .
Answer:
7,516.6 km

Question 2.
The neighbouring countries that share their boundaries with India are _________ .
Answer:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, Nepal and Bhutan.

Question 3.
What is the longitudinal extent of India ?
Answer:
68°7’E to 97°25’E

Question 4.
What is the latitudinal extent of India ?
Answer:
8°4’N and 37°6’N

Question 5.
Which is the smallest state in India ?
Answer:
Goa

Question 6.
The north-south extent of India is about _________ .
Answer:
3,214 km

Question 7.
Which states does not share any international boundary ?
Answer:
Madhya Pradesh

Question 8.
Which canal has reduced India’s distance from Europe by 7,000 km ?
Answer:
Suez Canal

Question 9.
What influences the duration of the day and night as one moves from south to north ?
Answer:
Latitudinal extent

Question 10.
Which ocean has been named after a country ?

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Answer:
Indian Ocean

Question 11.
What is a strait ?
Answer:
A narrow channel of sea that connects two layer bodies of water.

Question 12.
China is the _________ largest country in the world ?
Answer:
Fourth

Question 13.
From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, the time lag is _________ .
Answer:
2 hours

Question 14.
The southernmost point of Indian mainland is _________ .
Answer:
Kanniyakumari

Question 15.
Suez Canal was opened in fke year.
Answer:
1869

Question 16.
India’s total area account for about of the total geographical area of the world.
Answer:
2.4%

Question 17.
Which neighbouring country of India is an island ?
Answer:
Maldives.

Question 18.
Name any two states of India that shares international boundaries.
Answer:
Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Question 19.
State the types of states India had before 1947.
Answer:
Before 1947, there were two types of states in India such as the Provinces and Princely States.

Question 20.
Which is the largest state (area-wise) of India ?
Answer:
Rajasthan.

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Question 21.
Name the Indian states which are situated on the eastern coast of India.
Answer:
West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Question 22.
Name the Indian states which are situated on the western coast of India.
Answer:
Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.

Question 23.
In which year did the Indira Point get submerged under the sea water ?
Answer:
Indira Point got submerged under the sea water in 2004 during the Tsunami.

Question 24.
Name the state that share border with Myanmar.
Answer:
Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.

Question 25.
Which meridian has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India ?
Answer:
82°32’E has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
How does India occupy an important strategic position in South Asia ?
Answer:
India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia in the following ways :
(a) The Indian landmass has a central location between the East and the West Asia.
(b) The trans Indian Ocean routes, which connect the countries of Europe in the West and the countries of
East Asia, provide a strategic central location to India.
(c) The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean has helped India to establish close contact with
West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern
coast.

Question 2.
What is the name of the southernmost point of India ? Why is it not visible today ?
Answer:

 The southernmost point of India is Indira Point. The Indira point is situated in the Great Nicobar
Group of Island in Andaman Nicobar island.
 It is not visible today because it was submerged under the sea water in the 2004 during the Tsunami.

Question 3.
What is latitude? What is the latitudinal extent of India?
Answer:

 The position of a place, measured in degrees north or south of the Equator. It is mostly calculated
because of angular distance of a place north-south of the equator,
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  The main land of India extends between latitudes 8°4′ N and 37°6′ N.
 The latitudinal extension shows that India is located in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 4.
Which ocean is named after India ? Give two reasons as to why it was named after India.
Answer:
The Indian Ocean is named after India. India is the only country which has the credit of an ocean named
after it. The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, extensions of the Indian Ocean, lie to the west and east of
Indian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean lies to its south. No other country has a long coastline on the Indian
Ocean as India. The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean has provided India a strategic
location of great significance along the trans Indian Ocean routes. It is India’s eminent position in the Indian
Ocean which justifies the naming of the ocean after India.

Question 5.
Why is India called a subcontinent?
Answer:
India is called a subcontinent because :

 It is a big landmass. This stands out as a distinct geographical unit from the rest of the continent.
 It is separated by natural features like mountains and rivers.
 India is also separated from rest of the continent by the mighty Himalayas.

Question 6.
How have been mountain passes been helpful in India since historic times? Explain.
Answer:
India is bounded by the young fold mountains in the northwest, north and northeast. The various passes
across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient travelers. The spices, muslin and
other merchandise’ were taken from India to different countries through these passes. Mountain passes have
contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since historic times.

Question 7.
What is the latitudinal extent of India? How is the latitudinal spread in India advantageous to her?
Answer:
The latitudinal extent of India lies between 8°4’ N and 37°6’ N. This means that the longitudinal expanse is
about 30° from west to east.
The advantages of longitudinal spread are :
(a) It influences the duration of the day and night as one moves from South to North.
(b) It also helps to take advantage of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal
on its east for sea movements.

Question 8.
Why do the days and nights are almost of equal duration at Kanniyakumari?
Answer:
Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu is located at the southernmost tip of India’s main land. The latitude 8°4’ N
passes close to it. The place is thus near the equator and lies close to the Equatorial region. As the sun shines
directly over the Equator throughout the year, the durations of day and night are almost equal here. Hence,
in Kanniyakumari, the difference in the duration of day and night is very little.

Question 9.
Why Is the knowledge of latitude and longitude important for people?
Answer:

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The knowledge of latitude and longitude is important for people because it helps them to understand and
locates the geographical location and globe better. The use of latitudes and longitudes offer a better and
quick grasp of geographical facts.
It determines the time zones of the different regions of the world. With the help of longitudes and latitudes,
it is easy to calculate local time and standard time. Longitudes and latitudes also help in calculating the
distance from one place to another.

Question 10.
What do you know about the neighbours of India?
Answer:
India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia. India shares its land boundaries with
Afghanisatan and Pakistan in the northwest; China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north and Myanmar and
Bangladesh in the east. The island states of Sri Lanka and Maldives are our southern neighbours across the
sea. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of
Manner, while Maldives Islands are situated to the South of the Lakshadweep Islands. Pakistan, Nepal,
Bhutan, Bangladesh and India form the most natural geographical unit, often referred to as the Indian
subcontinent.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
How has the long coastline been beneficial to India?
Answer:
The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, extensions of the Indian Ocean, lie to the west and east of Indian
Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean lies to its south. The total length of the coastline of the main land of India
including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep is 7516.6 km. The long coastline of India has helped in
maritime trade since ages. The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean has provided it a
strategic location along the trans-Indian Ocean routes. India can establish close contact with West Asia,
Africa and Europe from western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast. The long
coastline has also played a major role in influencing the climate of India. It provides opportunities for
fishing and extraction of petroleum. It serves as a natural boundary protecting India.

Question 2.
What was the contribution of land routes to India in ancient times? Explain.
Answer:
The contribution of land routes to India in ancient times are given below :
(a) The large land boundaries of India have helped to develop links with her neighbouring countries.
(b) It contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times.
(c) The ideas of the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Geeta, etc. have become known to the world.
(d) The Indian numerals as well as the decimal system long back crossed the border. The Arabs took these
ideas to the West.
(e) The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken away from India to different countries through
these land routes.
(f) On the other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural styles of dome and minarets
from West Asia can be seen in different parts of our country. (Any five points)

Question 3.
Write a note on the location and size of India.
Answer:
Location: India is a vast country. Lying entirely in the Northern hemisphere, the main land extends between
latitudes 8°4’N and 37°6’N and longitudes 68°7’E and 97°25’E. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’N) divides the
country into almost two equal parts. To the southeast of India’s main land lie the Andaman and Nicobar
islands in the Bay of Bengal and to the southwest lie the Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea.
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Size: The land mass of India has an area of 3.28 million square km. India’s total area accounts for about 2.4
per cent of the total geographical area of the world.
India is the seventh largest country of the world. India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km and the total
length of the coastline of the mainland, including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is 7,516.6 km. It
has an east-west extent of 2,933 km from Arunachal Pradesh to Kachchh in Gujarat and a north-south extent
of 3,214 km from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari.
The southern part of the country is in form of a peninsula, tapering towards the Indian Ocean in the south. It
is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the southwest and the Bay of Bengal in the southeast.