CHAPTER 1 India – Size and Location

Q1. 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
Ans: (b) Odisha

The Tropic of Cancer is an imaginary line that is located at approximately 23.5° North of the Equator. In India, the Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states, which are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.

(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97⁰25′ E
(b) 68⁰7′ E
(c) 77⁰6’ E
(d) 82⁰32′ E
Ans: (a) 97°25′ E

The easternmost longitude of India is located at 97°25′ E in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, near the eastern border with Myanmar. This longitude marks the eastern boundary of India.

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

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim all share their borders with Nepal. These Indian states have common frontiers with Nepal along its southern border.

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

Kavaratti is the capital of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, a group of islands located in the Arabian Sea. If you are visiting Kavaratti, you will be going to Lakshadweep.

(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
Ans: (b) Tajikistan

Tajikistan does not share a land boundary with India. While Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal all share borders with India, Tajikistan is separated from India by other countries like Afghanistan and China.

Q2. 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?
Ans: 
(i) Lakshadweep Islands lie in the Arabian Sea.
(ii) Russia, Canada, the USA, China, Brazil, and Australia are the countries larger than India.
(iii) Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie to the southeast of India.

Location of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

(iv) Sri Lanka and Maldives are the two island countries that are the southern neighbours of India.

Q3. 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?
Ans: India uses a single time zone, Indian Standard Time, which is based on the 82°30′ E longitude. This longitude passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and is used as the reference meridian for the entire country. The time difference across the width of India happens because India stretches across a vast longitudinal range from Gujarat to  Arunachal Pradesh. The entire country follows the same official time, IST, to maintain uniformity in schedules. 

Q4. The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?
Ans: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance due to the following reasons:

• India has a strategic advantage due to the Trans Indian Ocean routes, which connect Europe to the West and East Asia.
• It helps India to establish close contacts with Africa, West Asia, and Europe from the Western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the Eastern coast.
• The natural harbours and the vast coastline have benefitted India in the process of trade and commerce with distant countries as well as its neighbours.
• It has given India a distinct climate from the rest of the Asian Continent.