India — Size and Location

• India's latitudinal and longitudinal extent.
• India's position in Asia and the world; time zones.
• Standard Meridian of India (82.5°E) and IST.
• India's neighbours: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives.
• Size rank; land and coast boundaries.

Coordinates and extent

Important latitude/longitude lines through India

Why 82.5°E as standard meridian? India spans ~29° of longitude (68°E to 97°E). Without a single standard, clocks would differ by nearly 2 hours east to west. 82.5°E (midpoint) was chosen so IST is a round 5:30 ahead of GMT.

India and its neighbours

India's strategic location

• Central position in the Indian Ocean — trade routes between East Asia, Middle East, Europe.
• Coastline gives access to Arabian Sea (west) and Bay of Bengal (east).
• Himalayas in the north provide natural barrier; peninsular India projects into the ocean.
• Historically important for spice trade routes (explains colonial interest from Portugal, Britain).

Physical features overview

• North: Great Himalayas (highest peaks: Kangchenjunga 8,586 m — highest in India; K2 in PoK).
• Indo-Gangetic Plain: Formed by rivers Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra; most fertile zone.
• Peninsular Plateau: Ancient and stable; Deccan Plateau, Eastern and Western Ghats.
• Coastal Plains: Narrow east coast (Coromandel); wider west coast (Malabar).
• Islands: Andaman & Nicobar (Bay of Bengal); Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea).

• What is the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India?
• Which line of latitude passes through the middle of India?
• Why is 82.5°E chosen as India's Standard Meridian?
• Name all eight countries that share a boundary (land or sea) with India.
• Why is India's location in the Indian Ocean considered strategic?

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