GEOGRAPHY (IX)-LESSON-1 INDIA: SIZE AND LOCATION (QUESTION ANSWER)

     

GEOGRAPHY (IX)-LESSON-1

INDIA: SIZE AND LOCATION

(QUESTION ANSWER)

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(NCERT EXERCISE)

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 you will 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 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 at the union territories 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.

Answer: The Lakshadweep islands lie in the Arabian Sea to the south-west of the mainland.

(ii) Name the countries which are larger than India.

Answer:  The countries which are larger than India are Russia, Canada, U.S.A, China, Brazil and Australia. Russia is the largest of all countries,

(iii) Which island group of India lies to its south-east?

Answer: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie to the south-east of India in the Bay Of Bengal.

(iv) Which island countries are our southern neighbours?

Answer: 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 longitudinal extent of India is about 30°. There is a time lag of two hours from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. As Arunachal Pradesh lies to 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 the 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 the East and West Asia. The Indian Ocean provides a strategic central location to India, as it connects the East Asian countries with the country of 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.

OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTION

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 10. Which ocean has been named after a country ?
Answer: Indian Ocean

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

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

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

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

 15. Suez Canal was opened in which year.
Answer: 1869

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

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

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

 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.

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

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

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

 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.

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

 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 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.

 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.

 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,

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.

 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.

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

(i) It is a big landmass. This stands out as a distinct geographical unit from the rest of the continent.

(ii) It is separated by natural features like mountains and rivers.

(iii) India is also separated from rest of the continent by the mighty Himalayas.

 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.

 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.

 8. Why do the days and nights are almost of equal duration at Kanyakumari?
Answer: Kanyakumari 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 Kanyakumari, the difference in the duration of day and night is very little.

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

 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 Afghanistan 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