India Size and Its Location Class 9 NCERT Notes

Our website offers comprehensive Class 9 NCERT notes on India's Size and Location, covering key geographical concepts. Explore detailed explanations, maps, and illustrations to enhance your understanding. Perfect for students seeking clarity on India's geographical significance and its strategic location on the world map.

Introduction:

Ancient Civilization:

India is one of the ancient civilisations in the world. 

India’s contribution in world history.

India’s Progress: 

Achieved socio- economic progress in the field of: 

• agriculture, 
• industry, 
• technology and 
• overall economic development. 

Location

1. Vast Country: India is a vast country. 

2. Northern Hemisphere: Lying entirely in the Northern hemisphere. 

3. Latitudes and Longitudes: 

• latitudes 8°4'N and 37°6'N and 
• longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E. 

note:  1. Degree (°): A degree is a unit of angular measurement, denoted by the symbol “°”. One degree is equivalent to 1/360th of a complete revolution. On the Earth’s surface, a degree of latitude or longitude is approximately equal to 111 kilometers (69 miles). 2. Minute (’): A minute is a subdivision of a degree, denoted by the symbol “’. There are 60 minutes in a degree. Each minute can be further divided into seconds (”). So, 1 degree is equal to 60 minutes, and 1 minute is equal to 60 seconds.

4. Tropic of Cancer (23° 30'N)

divides the country into almost two equal parts. 

5. Southeast and southwest India:

lie the Andaman and Nicobar islands and the Lakshadweep islands in Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively. 

Southernmost point: 

1. Indian Union– ‘Indira Point’ got submerged under the sea water in 2004 during the Tsunami.

SIZE

Area: Area of 3.28 million square km. 

Geographical Percentage: about 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world. 

Seventh Largest: India is the seventh largest country of the world. 

Land Boundary: About 15,200 km and 

Total Coastline: Including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is 7,516.6 km.

Features:

Young Fold Mountains: India is bounded by the young fold mountains in the northwest, north and northeast. 

Two Seas:

1. Indian Ocean: South of about 22° north latitude, it begins to taper, and extends towards the Indian Ocean, 

2. Dividing it into two seas, 

• The Arabian Sea on the west and 
• The Bay of Bengal on its east.

Note: The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the mainland is about 30°. 

• Despite this fact, the east-west extent appears to be smaller than the north-south extent.

Standard Meridian:

1. Time Lag: 

• From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh - a time lag of two hours. 
• Hence, 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. 

2. Why has 82°30'E been selected as the Standard Meridian of India?

Indian Standard Time (IST) is that which is accepted all over India. 

We have accepted 82°30' E longitude as the Standard Meridian of India. It was accepted as it lies almost in the middle.

The Indian Standard Time has a great importance:

(i) It has prevented a lot of confusion and has brought harmony in time throughout the country.

(ii) The local time at each longitude is different. So in order to follow one timing, India has accepted the 82°30' E as the Standard Meridian of India.

Influence In Day and Night: 

1. Latitudinal extent

• The latitudinal extent influences the duration of day and night, as one moves from south to north.

2. Why is the difference between the durations of day and night hardly felt at Kanniyakumari but not so in Kashmir?

• Kanyakumari is just & away from the Equator.
• As the Equator receives the direct sun rays, there would not be hardly any difference between day and night. Whereas, Kashmir is 37 away from the Equator. So, the difference between the duration of day and night is about 5 hrs.

India and the world:

1. India’s Central Location:

• Between East and West Asia. 

2. Southward Extension: 

India is a southward extension of the Asian continent. 

3. The trans Indian Ocean routes, 

• Connect countries of Europe in the West and EastAsia,
• Provide a strategic central location to India. 

Indi’s advantageous Coastline:

Role of Deccan Peninsula 

1. Protrudes into the Indian Ocean, 

2. western coast connects: 

• West Asia, 
• Africa and 
• Europe 

3. Eastern coast connects: 

• Southeast and 
• East Asia 

4. Indian Ocean: 

No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has and indeed, 

• It is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean, which justifies the naming of an Ocean after it.

                    

Note: Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7,000 km.

India’s Ancient contacts with the World 

• Continued through ages 
• Land routes are much older than her maritime contacts. 

Mountain’s Passes: 

In the north provided passages to the ancient travellers, 

• while the oceans restricted such interaction for a long time.

Importance of land Route: (India’s Contribution)

• Contributed in the exchange of ideas and 
• commodities since ancient times. 
• The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, 
• the stories of Panchtantra, 
• the Indian numerals and 
• the decimal system 
• The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries. 

Thus it could reach many parts of the world. 

World Contribution to India:

• Greek Influence: Visible in sculpture, and 
• West Asian Influence: Architectural styles of dome and minarets 

INDIA’S NEIGHBOURS

1. Strategic Positions: 

India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia. 

2. Indian States and UT’s:

India has 28 states and Eight Union Territories

3. India and its land boundaries 

• northwest - Pakistan and Afghanistan 
• north - China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan 
• East: Myanmar and Bangladesh 
• Southern neighbours - Two Island countries Sri Lanka and Maldives.

4. Srilanka:    

• Separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, 

5. Maldives:

• Maldives Islands are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.

6. Conclusion:

• India has had strong geographical and historical links with her neighbours. 

Two types of states in Pre-Independence India before 1947. 

1. Provinces 

• Ruled directly by British officials, 
• who were appointed by the Viceroy. 

2. Princely states

• Ruled by local, hereditary rulers, who acknowledged sovereignity in return for local autonomy.