Geographical Location of India
India stretches for 3214 km from north to south and 2933 km from east to west measuring a total land area of 32,87,263 sq. km with a total population of more than 1.2 billion.
The geographical location of India can be identified in three ways:
With the help of latitudes and longitudes,
According to the distance from the sea, and,
In relation to the location of neighboring countries.
Geographical Location of India according to latitude and longitude
(A) Latitude: Being located in the northern hemisphere. India stretches from 8°04′ north latitude in the south to 37°06′ north latitude in the north, i.e. the mainland of India extends from Kanyakumari in the south to Kashmir in the north. The southernmost point of Indian union is Indira Point which was previously known as Persons Pygmalion; is actually the southernmost point of Car Nicobar where it touches the parallel of 6°45? north.
(B) Longitude: In the eastern hemisphere, India stretches from 68’07 east longitude in the west to 97°25? east longitude in the east, i.e. between the western frontier of Gujarat in the west to the eastern frontier of Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
Geographical Location of India according to the distance from the sea
India is surrounded by (i) the Bay of Bengal in the east, (ii) the Arabian Sea in the west and (iii) the Indian Ocean in the south. No part of India is beyond 900 km from the sea.
Geographical Location in relation to neighboring countries
India is bordered on the north by China (the largest neighbour, 96 lakhs sq. km), Nepal and Bhutan, on the east by Myanmar and Bangladesh, on the south By Sri Lanka, on the west by Pakistan and on the north-west by Afghanistan. The smallest neighbour of India (298 sq. km), Maldives, lies to the south-east of India; with these neighbours India has trade relations as well as cultural links.
