Chapter 1: India – Size and Location

Answer: (b) Odisha.

Answer: (a) 97° 25' E.

Answer: (c) Nepal.

Answer: (b) Lakshadweep.

Answer: (b) Tajikistan.

Answer: The Lakshadweep Islands lie in the Arabian Sea.

Answer: The countries larger than India are Russia, Canada, the United States of America, China, Brazil and Australia.

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

Answer: Sri Lanka and Maldives are India’s southern island neighbours.

Answer: India has a large longitudinal extent of about 30°. Therefore, there is a time difference of nearly two hours between Arunachal Pradesh in the east and Gujarat in the west. However, the whole country follows one standard time. The time along the Standard Meridian of India, 82°30'E, passing through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, is taken as the Indian Standard Time. That is why watches show the same time in Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

Answer: India has a central location between East Asia and West Asia. The Deccan Peninsula extends into the Indian Ocean, which gives India a strategic position on the trans-Indian Ocean routes. These routes connect countries of Europe in the west with countries of East Asia. India can establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from its western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from its eastern coast. This central location has made India important for trade, commerce and cultural contacts.

Answer: The Lakshadweep Islands lie in the Arabian Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal.

Answer: The Indian subcontinent includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. These countries should be identified on the map of South Asia.

Answer: The Tropic of Cancer passes through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.

Answer: The northernmost latitude of India is 37°6'N.

Answer: The southernmost latitude of the Indian mainland is 8°4'N.

Answer: The easternmost longitude of India is 97°25'E and the westernmost longitude is 68°7'E.

Answer: Kanniyakumari is situated at the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

Answer: Palk Strait separates Sri Lanka from India.

Answer: The Union Territories of India are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

NCERT Activity: This is a state-based activity. Students should use an atlas, textbook map or reliable map source to find the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of their own state and write it in degrees.

NCERT Activity: Students should collect information about the ancient Silk Route, which connected Asia with Europe through trade routes. They may also collect information about modern developments such as new roads, tunnels, rail routes, air connectivity and communication networks that are improving transport and communication in high-altitude regions.