Our Country India

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgAn1EneCuk

India in the North is bounded by the Himalayas, the Arabian Sea in the West, the Bay of Bengal in the East and the Indian Ocean in the South.

India has an area of about 3.28 million sq. km.

The North-South extent from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is about 3,200 km. Thus, the west extent from Arunachal Pradesh to Kuchchh is about 2900 km.

Locational Setting

The Tropic of Cancer (23°30′ N) passes almost halfway through the country.

From South to North. India extends between 8°4′ N and 37°6′ N latitudes.

From West to East, India extends between 68°7′ E and 97°25′ E longitudes.

The local time changes by four minutes for every one degree of longitude.

The local time of longitude of 82°30′ E has been taken as the Indian Standard Time.

Why do we need Indian Standard Time?

Each degree of longitude represents a time difference of 4 minutes. Since India spans 29 degrees of longitude from 68°7'E to 97°25'E, the time difference between the eastern and western ends is nearly 2 hours (29 degrees × 4 minutes per degree).

Without Indian Standard Time (IST), the eastern regions, like Arunachal Pradesh, would be nearly 2 hours ahead of the western regions, like Gujarat. This would cause problems with schedules, communication, and travel, making it hard for the country to function smoothly as one unit. IST helps avoid these issues by using one standard time for all regions.

India’s Neighbours

There are seven countries that share land boundaries with India.

The seven countries are Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan. Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Island neighbours are Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait.

Political and Administrative Divisions

India is divided into 28 states and 8 union territories.

Delhi is the national capital.

Rajasthan is the largest state and Goa is the smallest state in terms of area.

Union Territories of India- Union Territories

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Chandigarh

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and

Daman & Diu

The Government of NCT of Delhi

Jammu & Kashmir

Ladakh

Lakshadweep

Puducherry

Major Physical Divisions of India

India has a variety of physical features, such as mountains, plateaus, plains, coasts, and islands. 

The Himalayan Mountains

• The Himalayas are the highest mountains in India, located in the north.
• The term Himalaya means "the abode of snow." These mountains are divided into three main parallel ranges:
• The Himalayas are divided into three parallel ranges:
  • Great Himalaya (Himadri): The northernmost range with the world's highest peaks.
  • Middle Himalaya (Himachal): Located south of the Great Himalayas, many hill stations are here.
  • Shiwalik: The southernmost range, known for alluvial deposits.

The Northern Plains

• The Northern Indian plains lie to the south of the Himalayas.
• These plains are flat and level, formed by soil carried and deposited by the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries.
• As these plains are formed by the rivers flowing from the Himalayas, making the soil fertile and ideal for farming.

The Great Indian Desert

• Located in the western part of India, this desert is dry, hot, and sandy, with very little vegetation.

The Peninsular Plateau

• South of the Northern Plains is the Peninsular Plateau, which is a raised, uneven land.
• It has many old mountain ranges, like the Vindhya and Satpura.
• The Narmada and Tapi rivers flow through these mountains and empty into the Arabian Sea.
• The Western Ghats border the plateau in the west, and the Eastern Ghats border it in the east.
• The plateau has lots of minerals like coal and iron ore.

The Coastal Plains

• The coastal plains lie on the eastern and western coasts of India.
• To the west of the Western Ghats and to the east of the Eastern Ghats lie the coastal plains.
• The Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal in the east.
• The Narmada and Tapi are well-known west-flowing rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea.
• The Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat are the major gulfs on the western coast of India.

The Islands

• The Lakshadweep Islands are located in the Arabian Sea, while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie to the southeast of the Indian mainland.
• These islands are known for their unique biodiversity and tropical climate.

QUESTION ANSWERS

Answer :

(a) Name the major physical divisions of India.

(a) The major physical divisions of India are as follows:

i. The Himalayas

ii. The Northern Indian Plains

iii. The Peninsular Plateau

iv. The Coastal Plains

v. The Islands

(b) India shares its land boundaries with seven countries. Name them.

The names of the 7 countries with which India shares its land boundaries are listed below:

1. Afghanistan

2. Pakistan

3. Nepal

4. Bhutan

5. Bangladesh

6. China

7. Myanmar
   
   

 (C) Which two major rivers fall into the Arabian Sea?

The two rivers that fall into the Arabian Sea are Narmada and Tapi.

(D) Name the delta formed by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. 

The Sunderban delta is formed by the Ganga Brahmaputra river.

(e)How many States and Union Territories are there in India? Which states have a common capital? 

There are 28 states and 8 Union Territories in India. Haryana and Punjab have the same capital.

(f) Why do a large number of people live in the Northern Plains?

A large number of people live in the Northern Plains because the river plains provide fertile land for cultivation.

 (g) Why is Lakshadweep known as a coral island?

Lakshadweep is called a coral island because it has been formed from corals. Corals are formed from the skeletons of tiny marine animals called polyps.