CBSE Class 9 - Geography - CH1 - INDIA – SIZE AND LOCATION

NCERT Chapter Solutions and Q & A asked in examinations.

India by INSAT
(source: India Meteorological Department)

Q1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan 

(b) Orissa 

(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Tripura

Answer:  Orissa

(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97° 25' E 

(b) 68° 7' E 

(c) 77° 6' E
(d) 82° 32' E

Answer:  (a) 97° 25' E    

(iii) Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with
(a) China 

(b) Bhutan 

(c) Nepal
(d) Myanmar

Answer: (c) Nepal

(iv) If you intend to visit Kavarati during your summer vacations, which one of the following Union Territories of India you will be going to
(a) Pondicherry 

(b) Lakshadweep 

(c) Andaman and Nicobar
(d) Diu and Daman

Answer: (b) Lakshadweep

(v) My friend hails from a country which does not share the land boundary with India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan 

(b) Tajikistan 

(c) Bangladesh
(d) Nepal

Answer:  (b) Tajikistan

Q2 Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian sea.

Answer:  Lakshadweep

(ii) Name the countries which are larger than India. 

Answer:  Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Russia and USA

(iii) Which island group of India lies to its south-east? 

Answer:   Andaman and Nicobar Islands

(iv) Which island countries are our southern neighbours?

Answer:  Srilanka and Maldives

Q3 The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh as compared to Gujarat
in the west but the watches show the same time. How does this happen?

Answer:

The earth in its rotation covers a distance of 1° longitude in 4 minutes. The places located on different longitudes have different local times. To keep a uniform system of time, the world has been divided into 24 times zones. 

India has a longitudinal extent of 30 from Arunachal (east) Pradesh to Western Gujarat. It accounts for a time difference of 2 hours. However, to keep standard time across the country, 82½° E, central longitude of India, is selected as standard meridian and local time is IST of the whole country.

Q4(CBSE Exam 2010):  Which one of the following is the southernmost Latitude of India? 

(a) 8° 4' North 

(b) 8° 4' South

(c) 6° 4' South 

(d) 6° 4' North

Answer: (d) 6° 4' North

The southernmost point called Indira point (earlier called Pygmalion point) got submerged in Tsunami in 2004. Now the southern most latitude is Kanyakumari 8° 4'N.

See at wiki other Indian Extreme Points.

Q5: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of
great significance. Why?

OR

Q(CBSE Exam): How does India occupy an important strategic position in South Asia? Illustrate your answer by explaining three suitable points.

Answer: The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance because of the following reasons:

1. The trans Indian Ocean routes which connect the countries of Europe in the West and the countries of East Asia provide a strategic central location to India.
2. The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, help India establish a close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
3. India has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean which become favourable trading ports and commerce hubs for other countries.
4. The coastal regions of India are famous for agriculture, trade & industrial centres, tourist centres, fishing and salt making. They provide important hinterlands for the ports.
5. Opening of Suez Canal in 1869 reduced the distance between India and Europe by
   7000 kms.

Q6(CBSE): Palk Strait separates India from which country?
(a) Mynmar
(b) Maldives
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Lakshdweep

Answer:  (c) Sri Lanka

Q7(CBSE) Which one of the following water bodies separate Sri Lanka from India ? 
(a) Palk strait and Gulf of Khambhat
(b) Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar
(c) Gulf of Mannar and 10° Channel
(d) 10° Channel and Gulf of Khambhat

Answer: (b) Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar


Q8: Why 82°30'E has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India?


Answer: India lies to the east of the Prime Meridian between 68°7’ to 97°25’E Longitude which makes a vast longitudinal extent of India about 30°.This accounts for a time lag of two hours in local time between its eastern (Arunachal PRadesh) and western extents(Gujarat). 82°30' E meridian divides the two hour lag from west to east into one hour by passing through mirzapur in Uttar pradesh. This meridian has been accepted as the Indian Standard Time (IST) throughout the country.

Q9: Why is the difference between the durations of day and night hardly felt at Kanniyakumari but not so in Kashmir?

Answer: The difference in the durations of day and night at Kanyakumari and Kashmir are respectively due to their latitudianl locations. Kanyakumari is located closer to the equator i.e.  8 degrees away from the equator. It receives maximum sunlight and experiences a minimum gap between day and night. On the other hand Kashmir lies further away from the equator and experiences a significant gap between the duration of day and night.

Q10: How can you say that the land routes of India with other countries are older than her maritime routes?
Answer:

1. The various passes (Khyber Pass, Silk Route etc.) across the mountains in the north were the routes for the traders while the oceans restricted such interaction for a long time.
2. These routes contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities in the ancient times like the ideas of the Upnishads, Ramayana, the Indian numerals and the decimal system.
3. The influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural styles of domes and minarets can be seen in the different parts of our country.

Based on the above mentioned points, we can conclude that the land routes of India with other countries are older than her maritime routes.

Q11: Why is Indian sub-continent so called? 

Answer:
India and her adjoining countries are constitutes a sub-continent as it comprises of all the characteristics of a continent.

1. Indian sub-continent encompasses vast areas of diverse landmasses. Indian sub-continent comprises of high mountains, fertile plains, deserts and plateau, rivers and ocean.
2. It is full of diversities in terms of climate, natural vegetation, wildlife and other resources.
3. The vivid characteristics of culture and tradition among the people make it a subcontinent.

Q13. Which latitude and longitude divide India into two halves?

Answer:
         Latitude – Tropic of Cancer, 23°30´N
         Longitude – Indian Standard Meridian, 82°30´E

Q14: Which of the following neighbouring countries share the longest land boundary with India?
(a) Pakistan
(b) Nepal
(c) China
(d) Bangladesh

Answer: (d) Bangladesh (4096 km)
(With China:3488km, Pakistan:3323km, Nepal:1751km, Myanmar:1643km, Bhutan:699, Afghanistan:106km, Total:15106km)


Q15: Which is the largest state in India in terms of area?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Madhya Pradesh

Answer: (b) Rajasthan


Q16: In terms of area, which is the smallest state in India?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Arunachal Pradesh
(c) Goa
(d) Nagaland

Answer: (c) Goa



Q17(CBSE): Tropic of Cancer passes through which of these states
(a) Orissa
(b) Tripura
(c) Bihar
(d) Punjab

Answer: (b) Tripura



Q18(CBSE): Which country among the India’s neighbours is the smallest?
(a) Nepal
(b) Bhutan
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Bangladesh

Answer: (b) Bhutan


Q19 (NCERT): Find out the States which do not have an international border or lie on the coast.

Answer: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Haryana


Q20: Name the Union erritories which do not have an international border or lie on the coast.

Answer: Delhi, Changigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Wikipedia has a nice summary about Indian State and UTs


Q21(NCERT, CBSE): Classify the states into four groups each having common frontiers with
(i) Pakistan,
(ii) China,
(iii) Myanmar, and
(iv) Bangladesh.

Answer:
(i) States having common frontiers with Pakistan are:

• Jammu and Kashmir, 
• Punjab, 
• Rajasthan and 
• Gujarat.

(ii) States having common frontiers with China are:

• Jammu and Kashmir, 
• Himachal Pradesh, 
• Uttarakhand, 
• Sikkim 
• Arunachal Pradesh.

(iii)States having common frontiers with Myanmar are:

• Arunachal Pradesh, 
• Nagaland, 
• Manipur
• Mizoram.

(iv) States having common frontiers with Bangladesh are:

• Meghalaya
• Assam 
• West Bengal
•  Tripura

Q22(CBSE 2010): What is latitude? What is the latitudinal extent of India?

Answer: It is a  geographic coordinate of a place and it is measured in degrees North or South of the equator. It is calculated as the angular distance of a place north-south of the equator.

The main land of India extends between latitudes 8°4′ N and 37°6′ N and longitudes 68°7′ E and 97°25′ E.


Q23: Define 'sub-continent'.

Answer: Large and self-contained geographical unit which stands out distinctively from the rest of the continent is called a sub-continent.


Q24: Q: Name the canal that shortened the distance between India and Europe

Answer: Suez Canal


Q25: Name the island countries which are our southern neighbours.

Answer: Srilanka and Maldives


Q26: Name the place in India which is located on three seas.
                               OR
Which is the southern-most tip of the Indian mainland?

Answer: Kanyakumari


Q27(CBSE): The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97° 25′ E
(b) 77° 6′ E
(c) 68° 7′ E
(d) 82° 32′ E

Answer: (a) 97° 25′ E


Q28(CBSE): What is the position of India in the world in respect of area?
(a) 8th position
(b) 7th position
(c) 6th position
(d) 2nd position

Answer: (b) 7th position


Q29(CBSE): Which country among the India’s neighbours is the smallest?
(a) Nepal
(b) Bhutan
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Bangladesh

Answer: (b) Bhutan


Q30: Name the islands in the Arabian Sea famous for Coral Leaves?

Answer: Lakshdweep



Q31: How many coastal states are there in our country? List their names.

Answer: There are nine coastal states in India. These are:

1. Gujarat
2. Maharashtra
3. Goa
4. Karnataka
5. Kerela
6. Tamilnadu
7. Andhra Pradesh 
8. Orissa
9. West Bengal