India: Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features | ICSE Class 8 Geography Notes

This note covers India’s location and extent, neighbouring countries, states and capitals, mountains, northern plains, the Peninsular plateau, the Indian desert, coastal plains and island groups.

Where is India located, and how do we describe its position?

Location means the position of a place. India lies in the south-central part of Asia, beside the Indian Ocean. The Arabian Sea lies to its west and the Bay of Bengal to its east. These water bodies help us describe India’s position in relation to surrounding regions.

The mainland is the main continuous land area of a country, distinguished from its islands. India’s mainland extends from Kashmir in the north to Kanniyakumari in the south, and from Gujarat in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.

What do latitude and longitude tell us?

Latitude is angular distance north or south of the Equator, the imaginary circle halfway between the poles. Longitude is angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, the reference line through Greenwich. A meridian is a line of longitude joining the poles.

In geographical coordinates, the symbol ° means degrees and ′ means minutes of angle; one degree contains 60 minutes. The letters N and E mean north and east. Angular minutes describe position, rather than minutes shown on a clock.

The mainland extends from 8°4′ N to 37°6′ N in latitude and from 68°7′ E to 97°25′ E in longitude. The Tropic of Cancer, the parallel of latitude at 23°30′ N, divides India into almost two equal parts.

India’s southern boundary extends to 6°45′ N in the Bay of Bengal. This includes territory beyond the mainland. India lies north of the Equator and east of the Prime Meridian, placing it in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres. A hemisphere is half of the Earth.

The peninsula, land surrounded by water on three sides, projects southwards into the Indian Ocean. India’s island groups occupy different seas: Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea, while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal.

The map labels states, cities and neighbouring countries. Its key distinguishes international boundaries from state boundaries. The Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean surround the southern mainland; both major Indian island groups are labelled.

See Fig. 1.1 in your NCERT textbook

How large is India, and why does it use one standard time?

Extent describes how far a region stretches. India has an area of 3.28 million square kilometres, accounting for 2.4 per cent of the world’s land surface area. It is the world’s seventh-largest country by area. One million means ten lakh.

The unit km means kilometre, equal to 1,000 metres. A square kilometre measures area: it is the area of a square with sides one kilometre long. Distance and area describe different aspects of India’s size and must not be interchanged.

The latitudinal and longitudinal extents are both roughly about 30 degrees, but the distances are unequal. Lines of longitude come closer together towards the poles. The distance between successive degrees of latitude remains the same everywhere. Equal angular spans therefore need not mean equal ground distances.

Why do clocks agree when sunrise times differ?

Local time is time related to the Sun’s position at a particular longitude. India’s nearly 30-degree spread in longitude produces a time difference of nearly two hours between its easternmost and westernmost parts. Sunrise in the northeastern states occurs about two hours earlier than in Jaisalmer.

Indian Standard Time (IST) is the common time used across India. Its reference is the standard meridian, the longitude selected to establish a country’s standard time. India uses 82°30′ E. Watches in Dibrugarh, Imphal, Jaisalmer, Bhopal and Chennai consequently show the same time.

IST is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the time reference associated with Greenwich, by 5 hours and 30 minutes. A shared clock time does not remove differences in sunrise. It gives places with different longitudes a common time reference.

Which countries neighbour India, and why does its position matter?

A neighbouring country lies beside or close to another country. India has neighbours along its land boundaries and across nearby seas. An international boundary separates the territories of countries. It differs from a state boundary, which separates administrative units within India.

On India’s northern and northeastern side lie China, Nepal and Bhutan. Pakistan and Afghanistan appear towards the northwest. Bangladesh and Myanmar lie towards the east. Their positions should be learnt together with India’s outline, rather than as an isolated list of names.

Sri Lanka and Maldives are island neighbours in the Indian Ocean. An island is land surrounded by water. Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. A strait is a narrow water passage connecting larger water bodies.

A gulf is a part of the sea extending into the land. Distinguishing a gulf from a strait helps explain the two named water features between India and Sri Lanka. Both are water bodies; neither is a political division of India.

How do land and sea connect India with other regions?

The Himalayas and neighbouring mountain ranges have formed a formidable physical barrier. A mountain pass is a route through a mountain barrier. Passes such as Shipkila, Nathula and Bomdila have provided routes through otherwise difficult mountain country.

India’s maritime location, its position beside the sea, also provides links with neighbouring regions through sea and air routes. The peninsula extends into the Indian Ocean between the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Thus, mountains and seas have different roles in India’s geographical relationships.

How do political divisions differ from physical divisions?

Political divisions are territorial units used for administration. India has 28 states and eight Union Territories. A state is a constituent administrative unit with its own state government. A Union Territory is an administrative unit governed under the Union’s authority; their governing arrangements vary.

A capital is the principal city from which a country or administrative unit is governed. New Delhi is India’s national capital. A national capital and a state capital have different roles, although both may be marked with city symbols on a political map.

The eight Union Territories are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. The combined name Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu identifies one Union Territory.

Some administrative centres are easy to pair with their territories: Chandigarh serves Chandigarh, Kavaratti serves Lakshadweep, and Puducherry serves Puducherry. New Delhi is the national capital within Delhi. A territory may contain separate pieces of land, as the different coastal parts of Puducherry illustrate.

Which state-capital pairs should be located?

Learn each capital with its state and map position. The following pairs run across different parts of India. These pairs provide practice in connecting each of the 28 states with a capital city. Notice especially states whose names do not resemble their capitals.

Physical divisions describe natural landforms instead. A landform is a natural feature of the Earth’s surface, such as a mountain or plain. Physical boundaries do not necessarily follow state boundaries: a mountain range or river plain may extend across several political units.

Relief means differences in the height and shape of the land. India’s six broad physical divisions are the northern and northeastern mountains, northern plains, Peninsular plateau, Indian desert, coastal plains and islands. They describe the landscape rather than the organisation of government.

The map labels the Himalayas, northern plains, Great Indian Desert, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. Its key uses shading for height bands and symbols for peaks and mountain ranges. Rivers and both island groups are shown.

See Fig. 2.2 in your NCERT textbook

Compare the two kinds of map by asking different questions. A political map helps locate Jaipur within Rajasthan. A physical map helps locate the desert beside the Aravali range. Combining the maps connects a named place with its surrounding landscape without confusing the two classifications.

What distinguishes the Himalayan and northeastern mountains?

A mountain range is a connected series of mountains. The Himalayas form a series of parallel ranges along northern India, with northeastern hills continuing the mountain region. Their rugged surface includes high peaks, deep valleys and fast-flowing rivers. A valley is lower land between surrounding higher ground.

The mountains are young in geological terms. Geological age refers to the long history of the Earth’s rocks and landforms. Being geologically young does not mean that a mountain formed within a human lifetime. The Himalayas contrast with the much older Peninsular landmass.

What are the three main Himalayan ranges?

• Himadri, or the Greater Himalayas, is the highest and most rugged range. It remains snow-covered throughout the year and includes peaks such as Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga.
• Himachal, or the Lower Himalayas, lies south of the Greater Himalayas. Its more moderate climate supports human habitation. Shimla, Nainital, Darjeeling and Mussoorie are hill stations in this region.
• Shivalik, also spelt Shiwalik, is the outermost and lowest range. Its rolling hills and forests form a transition between the Himalayas and northern plains.

A hill station is a town in a hilly or mountainous region, often associated with a cooler climate. A transition zone is an area between contrasting regions. The Shivalik foothills, the lower hills at the foot of the mountains, connect the high mountain landscape with the lower plains farther south.

How do their direction and dimensions vary?

The Great Himalayan range has an approximate east to west length of 2,500 km. Its north to south width varies between 160 and 400 km. The word approximate matters: it presents a broad measurement of a large, irregular mountain system.

The general direction of the ranges changes across the country. In northwestern India they run from northwest to southeast. Around Darjiling and Sikkim they lie east to west. In Arunachal Pradesh their direction is southwest to northwest, while the hills of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram run north to south.

These changes mean that the mountain belt should not be imagined as a straight line across the map. Its different sections have different orientations. The mountain region separates the Indian subcontinent, a large geographical region within Asia centred on India, from Central and East Asian countries, standing almost like a long wall.

Why are these mountains geographically significant?

The Himalayas are a climatic divide, a barrier associated with differences in climate on its sides. They also form a drainage divide between river systems and a cultural divide between regions with different ways of life. Drainage means the arrangement through which rivers and streams carry water away from an area.

Fast-flowing rivers cut through parts of this mountain region. A gorge is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides. Gorges, waterfalls and steep river valleys help distinguish this mountain landscape from the broad, low northern plains immediately farther south.

The Himalayan region therefore needs to be understood through height, direction, rivers and its barrier role together. Simply describing it as “mountains in the north” misses both its varied shape and its relationship with the neighbouring plains.

How were the northern plains formed, and what changes from north to south?

A plain is a broad area of comparatively level land. India’s northern plains were formed by deposits brought by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems. A river system consists of a main river and its tributaries, the smaller rivers that join it. Alluvium is material deposited by rivers, including particles of different sizes carried from other areas.

The plains extend approximately 3,200 km from east to west. Their average width varies between 150 and 300 km. They lie between the northern mountains and the older Peninsular landmass, creating a broad lowland region with extensive river deposits.

How does river deposition build a plain?

Deposition is the laying down of material carried by water, wind or ice. In these plains, rivers have gradually filled a low-lying region with sediment, meaning transported rock and soil particles. The sequence links the mountain rivers with the formation of the lowland surface.

1. Rivers carry rock fragments and other sediment from the Himalayan and Peninsular regions.
2. Streams coming out of the mountains reach the change in slope near the foothills
3. Heavy rocks and boulders are deposited near this change in slope, forming the Bhabar belt.
4. Continued deposition over a long period builds the extensive alluvial cover of the northern plains.

Case study: What happens across the Bhabar and Tarai belts?

Bhabar is the narrow belt beside the Shiwalik foothills where rivers deposit heavy materials. Streams and rivers at times disappear here. Farther south lies the Tarai, where most streams re-emerge without clearly defined channels and produce marshy, waterlogged conditions.

South of the Tarai occur older and newer alluvial deposits, called Bhangar and Khadar respectively. These names distinguish deposits within the plains. They do not name separate mountain ranges or political units.

Fertile alluvial soil supports wheat, rice, sugarcane and jute, and the plains support a large population. Most areas of the Brahmaputra plains experience periodic floods and shifting river courses. The flat appearance of a plain therefore does not mean that its rivers remain fixed.

What are the main features of the Peninsular plateau?

A plateau rises above surrounding land and has a more or less flat surface; some of its sides are often steep slopes. The Peninsular plateau forms an irregular triangle to the south of the northern plains. It is one of India’s oldest and most stable landmasses, contrasting with the geologically young Himalayan region.

Its broad divisions are the Deccan Plateau, the Central Highlands and the Northeastern Plateau. Although they belong to the same large physical region, their positions and relief differ. The northeastern extension includes the Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong plateaus.

How do the Western and Eastern Ghats differ?

The Ghats are mountain and hill ranges along the sides of the Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats border it on the west and the Eastern Ghats on the east. The Satpura and Maikal ranges and Mahadeo hills lie along its northern side.

Erosion is the wearing away and removal of material from the land. Rivers including the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri have eroded the Eastern Ghats. The Western and Eastern Ghats meet at the Nilgiri hills.

The plateau’s general slope is from west to east, reflected in the direction of river flow. There are west-flowing rivers too: the Narmada and Tapti drain into the Arabian Sea. Most east-flowing rivers form deltas, deposits built near river mouths, before entering the Bay of Bengal. A river mouth is the place where a river enters another water body.

Where are the other plateau divisions?

The Central Highlands have the Aravali range on their western side. The region’s general slope is towards the north and northeast. The Chotanagpur plateau, farther east, contains large mineral resources. A mineral resource is a naturally occurring useful material obtained from the Earth.

The Meghalaya plateau is divided into the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills. These hills are named after the tribal groups inhabiting the region. The plateau is rich in mineral resources such as coal, iron ore and limestone.

The plateau is stable in comparison with the Himalayas, but stability should not be confused with an absence of change. Parts have experienced uplift, sinking and breaks in the Earth’s crust. Rivers have also produced varied surface features across this ancient landmass.

What gives the Great Indian Desert its distinctive landscape?

The Great Indian Desert, also called the Thar desert, lies to the northwest of the Aravali hills. A desert is a region with very low rainfall. This region receives below 150 millimetres of rainfall per year and has low vegetation cover.

A millimetre, written mm, is one-thousandth of a metre. Rainfall depth measures the depth of water that would accumulate on a level surface. The low rainfall helps explain the desert’s arid, or very dry, conditions.

How do wind and dryness shape the surface?

The desert has an uneven, rolling surface with sand dunes. A sand dune is a mound or ridge of sand formed by wind. Longitudinal dunes extend as long ridges; barchans are crescent-shaped dunes. Shifting dunes are among the region’s characteristic features.

Physical weathering means the breakdown of rock into smaller pieces without changing its chemical composition. Physical weathering and wind action have shaped the desert surface. The underlying rocks extend from the Peninsular plateau, but the surface landscape is strongly influenced by extreme dryness.

Most rivers in the region are ephemeral, meaning that they flow for short periods rather than throughout the year. The Luni, in the southern part of the desert, is significant. Low rainfall and high evaporation together produce a shortage of water.

Evaporation is the change of liquid water into water vapour. Some desert streams disappear after flowing for a distance; others join an inland lake. Inland drainage means that water drains within the land rather than reaching the sea.

Some lakes contain brackish water, water that is salty, but less salty than seawater. Such water bodies are a source of salt. These features show why studying a desert requires more than locating sand: rainfall, evaporation, rivers and wind-shaped landforms all help explain its character.

How do India’s western and eastern coastal plains differ?

A coast is the zone where land meets the sea. India’s coastal plains lie beside the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. They are distinct from the higher Peninsular plateau farther inland, although rivers connect these regions by carrying water towards the sea.

The western coastal plains extend from Gujarat towards Kerala. They form a narrow belt, becoming broader towards the north and south. The western coast includes the Kachchh and Kathiawar coast, Konkan coast, Goan coast and Malabar coast.

What is the main contrast between the two coasts?

The eastern coastal plain is broader than the western coastal plain. Rivers flowing eastwards into the Bay of Bengal form well-developed deltas here. These include the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, linking the plateau’s drainage with coastal landforms.

The western coastal plain provides natural conditions for ports and harbours. A port is a place where ships load and unload; a harbour is a sheltered area where ships can anchor. Kandla, Mangalore and Cochin are examples on the west coast.

Case study: How are the Malabar backwaters used?

The Malabar coast has kayals, or backwaters: coastal water bodies linked with the sea. They are used for fishing and inland navigation, meaning travel by boats within inland waters. They also attract tourists, connecting a distinctive coastal feature with several human activities.

The Nehru Trophy Vallamkali, a boat race, is held every year in Punnamada Kayal in Kerala. This is a specific example of how a coastal water body supports recreation as well as transport and fishing.

When comparing the coasts, keep each difference connected to a feature. Width describes the plain; deltas describe river deposits; harbours describe sheltered water. The same comparison becomes clearer when physical characteristics and uses are explained separately.

Where are India’s main island groups, and how are they different?

India has two major island groups: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea. An archipelago is a group of islands. Island groups belong to India even though water separates them from the mainland.

What characterises the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

The Andaman group lies in the north and the Nicobar group in the south. The Ten Degree Channel separates them. A channel is a passage of water between areas of land. Its name helps distinguish this separation from the water bodies between India and Sri Lanka.

It is believed that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains, meaning mountains beneath the sea. Some smaller islands are volcanic in origin, formed through volcanic activity. Barren Island, India’s only active volcano, is situated in this island group.

A volcano is an opening through which material from within the Earth reaches the surface. Calling some islands volcanic does not mean that every island in the Andaman and Nicobar group has the same origin. The distinction between the broad group and some smaller islands matters.

What characterises Lakshadweep?

Lakshadweep lies off the Kerala coast. This island group is built of coral deposits, material formed from the hard remains of tiny marine animals called corals. It therefore differs in origin from the mountainous and partly volcanic islands of the Bay of Bengal.

For map work, locate each island group in its sea before learning individual features. Then associate the Ten Degree Channel and Barren Island with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and coral deposits with Lakshadweep. This connects position with physical character.

Glossary

• Latitude — Angular distance north or south of the Equator, expressed in degrees and minutes.
• Longitude — Angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian through Greenwich.
• Mainland — The main continuous land area of a country, distinguished from its islands.
• Peninsula — A portion of land surrounded by water on three sides.
• Standard meridian — The selected longitude used as the reference for a country’s standard time.
• Relief — Differences in height and shape across the surface of the land.
• Alluvium — Material transported and deposited by rivers, forming extensive deposits in river plains.
• Bhabar — A narrow foothill belt of heavy river deposits where streams at times disappear.
• Tarai — The marshy belt south of Bhabar where most streams re-emerge without clearly defined channels.
• Plateau — Land rising above its surroundings with a more or less flat surface; some sides are often steep slopes.
• Delta — A landform built by river deposits near the river’s mouth.
• Barchan — A crescent-shaped sand dune formed by the action of wind.
• Inland drainage — Drainage in which streams end within the land instead of reaching the sea.
• Archipelago — A group of islands situated near one another in a water body.
• Kayal — A coastal backwater, associated with fishing, inland navigation and tourism on the Malabar coast.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: India’s mainland and its entire territory have identical southern limits. Correct: India includes islands beyond the mainland; its southern boundary extends to 6°45′ N in the Bay of Bengal.
• Misconception: Equal angular extents mean equal distances on the ground. Correct: Longitudes converge towards the poles. India’s roughly similar angular extents correspond to unequal north to south and east to west distances.
• Misconception: One standard time means sunrise occurs simultaneously everywhere. Correct: India’s east and west differ in local solar time, while clocks use the same IST reference.
• Misconception: States and physical divisions are the same units. Correct: States are administrative divisions; mountains, plains and plateaus describe natural landforms that may extend across state boundaries.
• Misconception: Bhangar is newer alluvium and Khadar is older. Correct: Bhangar is older alluvium, while Khadar is newer alluvium.
• Misconception: The Eastern Ghats are higher and more continuous than the Western Ghats. Correct: The Western Ghats are comparatively higher and more continuous.
• Misconception: Lakshadweep lies in the Bay of Bengal. Correct: Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal.
• Misconception: All Indian islands have the same origin. Correct: Lakshadweep consists of coral deposits; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are believed to be elevated submarine mountains, with some smaller volcanic islands.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. India measures 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west. Identify the greater extent and calculate the difference. [2 marks]

1. The north to south extent is greater, because 3,214 km is more than 2,933 km.
2. The difference is 3,214 minus 2,933, which equals 281 km.

Q2. India uses the standard meridian 82°30′ E. Its northeastern states see sunrise about two hours earlier than Jaisalmer, but all use Indian Standard Time. Explain these facts in three points. [3 marks]

1. India’s wide spread in longitude causes the nearly two-hour difference in local time. Northeastern places lie farther east than Jaisalmer, so their local solar time is ahead and sunrise occurs earlier.
2. The meridian 82°30′ E is the selected reference longitude used to establish Indian Standard Time for the country.
3. Clocks follow that shared standard time, so places can display the same clock time even though their sunrise times differ.

Q3. A map labels Rajasthan with Jaipur as its capital, and the Great Indian Desert northwest of the Aravali hills. Political divisions organise administration; physical divisions describe natural landforms. Explain four things these labels tell you. [4 marks]

1. Rajasthan is a political division: it is a state used in the administrative organisation of India.
2. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, identifying the city from which that state is governed.
3. The Great Indian Desert is a physical region, describing a natural landscape rather than an administrative unit.
4. The Aravali hills provide a physical reference for locating the desert: the desert lies to their northwest.

Q4. Use these facts to explain the northern plains: the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra bring alluvium; Bhabar contains heavy foothill deposits and streams at times disappear; most streams re-emerge in the marshy Tarai; Bhangar is older alluvium and Khadar newer; fertile soil supports wheat, rice, sugarcane and jute. Give five points. [5 marks]

1. The northern plains have been built by alluvium, or river deposits, brought by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems.
2. Bhabar is the foothill belt containing heavy deposits. Streams at times disappear in this belt rather than remaining visible throughout it.
3. Most streams re-emerge in the Tarai. Their reappearance is associated with the marshy conditions that distinguish this belt south of Bhabar.
4. Bhangar and Khadar are different alluvial deposits: Bhangar is the older alluvium, while Khadar is the newer alluvium.
5. The fertile alluvial soil supports several crops, including wheat, rice, sugarcane and jute, connecting the plains’ deposited material with their agricultural use.

Q5. The Western Ghats border the Deccan on the west and are comparatively higher and more continuous. The Eastern Ghats border it on the east and are lower and discontinuous. Both meet at the Nilgiri hills. Compare them in three points. [3 marks]

1. The Western Ghats border the western side of the Deccan Plateau, while the Eastern Ghats border its eastern side.
2. The Western Ghats are comparatively higher and more continuous; the Eastern Ghats consist of comparatively lower, discontinuous hills.
3. The two ranges meet at the Nilgiri hills, providing a common meeting point despite their different positions along the plateau’s sides.

Q6. The Great Indian Desert receives below 150 mm of rain yearly, has high evaporation, low vegetation cover, wind-formed dunes and mostly ephemeral rivers. Some streams end in inland lakes. Explain its water conditions and landscape in five points. Here, ephemeral means flowing for short periods. [5 marks]

1. Rainfall below 150 mm per year provides very little water to the region, helping to explain its dry desert conditions.
2. High evaporation removes water as vapour. Combined with the low rainfall, this contributes to a shortage of available water.
3. The region has low vegetation cover, so the landscape has relatively little plant growth alongside its characteristic desert landforms.
4. Wind forms sand dunes, making wind action an important process in shaping the desert surface described in the question.
5. Most rivers flow for short periods. Some streams end in inland lakes, illustrating drainage that remains within the land rather than reaching the sea.

Q7. The western coastal plain is narrower than the eastern plain. The Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri form deltas on the eastern plain. Malabar kayals are backwaters used for fishing, inland navigation and tourism. Give three connected comparisons or explanations. [3 marks]

1. The western coastal plain is the narrower of the two, while the eastern coastal plain provides a broader coastal lowland.
2. The eastern plain contains river-mouth deposits called deltas, formed by the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.
3. The Malabar coast has kayals, or backwaters, whose waters support fishing and inland boat travel and also attract tourists.

Q8. Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea and is built of coral deposits. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal and are believed to be elevated submarine mountains; some smaller islands are volcanic. Compare the groups in two points. [2 marks]

1. Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea, whereas the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal.
2. Lakshadweep is built of coral deposits. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are believed to be elevated submarine mountains, with some smaller volcanic islands.

Key takeaways

• India lies in south-central Asia, with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east.
• India covers 3.28 million square kilometres, and its north to south distance exceeds its east to west distance.
• Indian Standard Time uses 82°30′ E as its reference meridian, giving places with different sunrise times a common clock time.
• Political divisions organise administration, while physical divisions describe mountains, plains, plateaus, deserts, coasts and islands.
• The northern plains contain river-deposited alluvium; Bhangar refers to older deposits and Khadar to newer deposits.
• The Western Ghats are comparatively higher and more continuous than the Eastern Ghats, and both meet at the Nilgiri hills.
• The Great Indian Desert combines low rainfall, high evaporation, wind-shaped dunes and mostly short-lived river flows.
• Lakshadweep consists of coral deposits in the Arabian Sea; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal.

Test yourself

What is the difference between India’s mainland and its island territories?

The mainland is India’s main continuous land area. Its island territories are separated from the mainland by water.

Which longitude is India’s standard meridian?

India’s standard meridian is 82°30′ E, the reference longitude used for Indian Standard Time.

Which water bodies separate Sri Lanka from India?

Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Why are Rajasthan and the Great Indian Desert different kinds of division?

Rajasthan is an administrative state, while the Great Indian Desert is a natural physical region described by its landscape.

How do Bhabar and Tarai differ in the behaviour of streams?

Streams at times disappear in the Bhabar deposits. Most re-emerge in the Tarai, producing marshy conditions.

Where do the Western and Eastern Ghats meet?

The Western and Eastern Ghats meet at the Nilgiri hills in the southern part of India.

What does inland drainage mean?

In inland drainage, streams end within the land, for example in an inland lake, rather than reaching the sea.

Which channel separates the Andaman and Nicobar groups?

The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman group in the north from the Nicobar group in the south.