Indian Geography at a Glance

• India is located at the Northern Hemisphere of Earth. The accurate location of India is at the north of the equator between 6° 44' and 35° 30' north latitude and 68° 7' and 97° 25' east longitude.
• The total area of the country is 32, 87,263 square kilometers.
• India contributes a total of 2.42 percent of the whole earth and is also the seventh largest country of the world.
• Almost 16 % of whole population of the world belongs to India and is also the second largest country of population after china in the world.
• The major line that passes through India is Tropic of Cancer and the states that the Tropic of Cancer passes is Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. The Indian GMT longitude (25.15°N 82.58°E) also passes through the state of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
• The Standard Time of India is 5.30 hours more than Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The largest State is Rajasthan and the smallest is Goa. The state which has the largest population is Uttar Pradesh and the smallest population is in Sikkim.
• Indian Population crossed the mark of 100 crores in 11th May 2000. The baby named “Aastha” born in Safdarjung Hospital is the 100 croreth baby.
• The density of the country is 382 square kilometer. West Bengal is the highest density state in India. Bihar and Kerala is 2nd and 3rd in Density respectively.
• The male : female ratio of the country is 1000 : 943. Kerala has the highest female population than male. Whereas, Haryana has the lowest female population than men.
• The literacy rate of the country is 74.04%.

Boundaries of India

India shares boundaries with seven countries. They are Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan. The biggest country that share boundary with India is China and the smallest country that share boundary is Bhutan.

Bangladesh is the neighboring country that share more boundary than any other country and is about 4096.7 km. India share 3488 km with China, whereas 3323 km with Pakistan. Afghanistan is the country that shares least boundary with India. 15,1096 km is the total land boundary of India.

Radcliffe Line is the boundary line that splits Pakistan and India. Mac Mohan Line splits China and India. Durant Line is the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Palk Strait splits India and Srilanka.

Uttar Pradesh is the state that shares boundary with most states of India. Sikkim and Meghalaya are the states that shares with only one neighboring State. ie, Sikkim with West Bengal and Meghalaya with Assam.

The only district in kerala that shares boundaries with two neighboring states is Wayanad. Sulthan Bathery is the only taluk in Kerala that shares boundary with two states - Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Kottayam is the only district in Kerala that have no sea coast and also no boundary to other state of India.

The Union Territory of India that is located inside the three states is Pondicherry.

Weather

The climate of India is ‘Tropical Wet Climate’. There are four important seasons in India. They were Winter – December to February, Summer – March to May, South West Monsoon – June to September and North East Monsoon – October & November

‘Mango Shower’ is the rain falling in Karnataka and Konkan Coastal areas in the second half of April Month. The name of this rain is so, since it helps for the ripening of Mango.

Loo is the dry summer wind that hits in some parts of states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab in Summer Season.

Kalbaisakhi or Norwesters is the heavy rainfall with lightning and thunder, falling in the regions of Assam, Bihar and Bengal in Summer season.

Soils

Generally the soils of India are classified into seven according to the color and different factors of soil. They are as follows.

Alluvial Soil: 24 percent of total soil of India contributes Alluvial Soil. The soil which is best for cultivation is mainly found in the river banks and coastal areas. Alluvial Soil is best suited for agriculture.

Black Soil: Black Soil is the second important soil of India. It is also called as ‘Black Cotton Soil’, since it is suited for Cotton Farming. It is also called as ‘Chernozem’ and ‘River Soil’. Black Soil is largely found in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu (in Deccan Plateau).

Red Soil: Red Soil is the third most soil of India. The presence of Oxide of Iron in the soil gives it red colour. It is largely found in the areas of eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

Laterite Soil: Laterite Soil is mainly formed through Monsoon season. The soil is most common in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Assam.

Peat Soil: It is soil formed by partly decomposed vegetable matter, usually mosses, mixed into soil to improve growing conditions. This soil is best suited for the growth of mangrove forests. It is commonly found in the coastal areas of Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

Mountain Soil: The bio decomposition soil type that helps for the growth of plants and trees. The soil is best suited for the cultivation of tea. It is found in some parts of Himalayas, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Desert Soil: This soil is found in the North – West part of India. The soil has no water content and bio decomposition. This soil is mainly found in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana.

Forests

India is the tenth most country in the world having forests. India contributes 1.7 percent of total forests of world. 20.60 percent of total area of country is Forests.

Forests at a Glance

• The Forest area of India is 67.71 million hectares.
• The percentage of total area of Forest is 20.60
• India is in 10th position in World Forest Area.
• Madhya Pradesh is the state having most Forest land.
• Mizoram has most percentage of Forest land, when compared with total area of state.
• The state which has most Mangrove Forests is West Bengal.
• The state which has least forest land is Punjab.
• The union territory which has most land is Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The biggest wildlife sanctuary is Great Indian Bustard wildlife sanctuary.
• The first Biosphere Reserve is Niligiri.
• Nagarjuna Sagar is the biggest Tiger Sanctuary.
• Karnataka is the state having most Elephants.

Mangrove Forests

The South 24 Parganas of West Bengal is famous for Mangrove Forests. Almost half of Mangrove Forests in India is here. About five percent of total Mangrove forests in world is in India. West Bengal is the state having most Mangrove forests. Gujarat is second.

Mountains

Himalaya, Western Ghats, Aaravalli, Vindhya- Satpura, Eastern Ghats are the important mountain ranges of India. The biggest mountain line in the world, Himalayas is spread across the countries India, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The length of Himalayan range is 2,400 km. Kashmir has 400 km length of Himalaya, whereas Arunachal Pradesh has 150 kilometer length.

Everest: Everest called as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet is located in Nepal. The highest peak of world, Mount Everest has a height of 8,848 meter. Earlier Everest has given the name ‘Peak-xv’. It was in 1852, a surveyor from Bengal named Radhanath Sikdar identified ‘Peak-xv’ as world’s highest peak. In 1865, the then surveyor general of India, Andrew Voe had given the name ‘Everest’ for the peak. The name was given so in memory of Sir George Everest, who served as Surveyor General of India for a long period.

The highest peak of India

According to official data of Indian Government, the highest peak of the country is Godwin Austen or Mount K-2. The peak, which is located in Karakoram Mountain range, is the second highest peak. Now this peak is under the control area of Pakistan - Kashmir. Its height is 8,611 meter. Locally the peak is also called in the names of Uyghur, Chhogori, Lamba Pahar and Dapsang.

Rivers

Ganga: The source of major river of India, Ganga is Gangotri Glacier (Gaimukh caves) of Uttarakhand. The final falling place of Ganga, which has a length of 2510 km is Bay of Bengal. The lengthiest river of India, which is completely flowing in India, is Ganga.

Upto Devprayag, Ganga is known in the names of Mandakini and Janvi. It was in Devprayag of Uttarakhand, both Bhagirathi and Alakananda merges to form the river Ganga. Ganga enters the plain region at Rishikesh of Uttarakhand.

It was in Allahabad of Uttar Pradesh, Ganga joins with its biggest tributary river, Yamuna. Yamuna, Ramganga, Sahibi, Gomti, Ghaghara, Son, Gandaki, Bagmati, Kosi, Mahananda, Dwarika, Ajoy, Damodar, Roop Narayan were the major tributaries. Farakha Dam is built in order to control the flood of Ganga River in West Bengal in 1986.

Yamuna : It is originated from Yamunotri of Uttarakhand. It flows through Delhi, Mathura, Agra. The length of Yamuna is 1,376 km. It is Yamuna, which is mentioned in Puranas as ‘Kalindi’. Taj Mahal is located on the banks of Yamuna River. Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Tons were the tributaries of Yamuna.

Brahmaputra: The orgin of Brahmaputra is from the Snow Mountains of Jima yangzong in Northern Himayalas in Tibet. Its length is 2900 km. Yarlung, Tsangpo were the names of Bhramaputra in Tibet. It was in the ‘Sadiya’ of Arunachal Pradesh, Brahmaputra enters India. Siyang, Dihang were the names of Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh. In Assam, the tributaries Dibang and Lohit join with Brahmaputra. From there onwards, the river is named as Brahmaputra.

Indus: The origin of Indus river is in the north of Mansarovar in Tibet. In India, It mainly flows through the Ladakh area of Jammu Kashmir. Its total length is 3180 km. It falls in Arabian Sea from Karachi in Pakistan. The flow of Indus is surrounding the Leh town of Ladakh. It was near to Pathankot in Pakistan, the five famous tributaries of Indus River - Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej falls in Indus River.

For the sharing of water from Indus and its tributaries, India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in Karachi in 1960, September 19. According to it, India has rights for control over the three "eastern" rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi and for Pakistan, control over the three "western" rivers —Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. The construction of Baglihar Dam was started in 1999 across Chenab River, made some controversies related with Indus River Water Agreement.

Mahanadi: Mahanadi is considered as ‘Sad of Orissa’. It origins in the Raipur district of Chattisgarh. The length of Mahanadi is 860 km. It flows east and falls in Bay of Bengal.

Krishna: One of the biggest river of South India, origins from Mahabaleshwar Mountains of Maharashtra. It is located in Western Ghats. The length of Krishna River, which flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh is 1290 km. The final falling of Krishna is Bay of Bengal. Tungabhadra, Malaprabha, Koyna, Vasna, Panchganga, Doodhganga, Ghataprabha, Yerla, Musi, Bhima were the major tributaries.

Godavari: Godavari is the biggest river of South India. It origins from Western Ghats ranges of Nashik district in Maharashtra and flows east towards Bay of Bengal. Its length is 1,465 km. Godavari flows through the states, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

The second largest river of India is Godavari, which is called as ‘Vridha Ganga’. It was in the Rajahmundry of Andhra Pradesh, Godavari splits into many branches. Gomati Godavari and Vasishta Godavari were major among them. The main tributaries of Godavari were Manjira, Indravati, Wainganga, Pranhita, Sabari, Darna, Kadwa and Purna.

Kaveri: Kaveri origins in Brahmagiri hills of Coorg District in Karnataka. It is popularly called as ‘Dakshin Ganga’. It is from Western Ghats, Kaveri otherwise called as ‘Talakaveri’ origins. Kaveri flows through the states - Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. But it’s coastal areas spread across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The length of Kaveri is 765 km. It was in Kaveripoompattinam of Tamil Nadu, Kaveri falls in Bay of Bengal. Hemavathi, Lakshmana Theertha, Amaravathy, Bhavani, Kabini, Noyil were its major tributaries.

Lengthiest Dam – Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi in Sambalpur district of Orissa. 4.8 km is the length of main Dam. The Dam which started its construction in 1946 was inaugurated in 1957 January 13 by the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Besides the main dam, Hirakud has a 21 km length dike. If considered both the length of dike and dam, then Hirakud would be the lengthiest dam of world (25.8 km).

Tehri Dam: The Dam which is built across the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand. It is the most highest dam of India (261 meter). The construction of Dam was started in 1978.

Rivers, Nicknames

• Dakshina Ganga – Kaveri
• Vridha Ganga – Godavari
• Red River – Brahmaputra
• Sad of Bihar – Kosi
• Sad of Orissa – Mahanadhi
• Sad of Bengal – Damodar
• Sad of Assam – Brahmaputra
• Lifeline of Goa – Mandovi
• Lifeline of Sikkim – Teesta

Lakes

Chilika Lake: The biggest lake of India, Chilika is located in the coastal area of Orissa. It has an area of 1100 sq kilometers. The length of Chilika is 32 km. Breakfast Island, Honeymoon Island, Island of Birds were in Chilika Lake. It is the largest brackish water lake in India.

Pulicat Lake: It is one among the lengthiest lake of India. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu were the states, where Pulicat Lake is located. It was Sriharikota Island which splits Pulicat Lake from Bay of Bengal.

Kolleru Lake: Kolleru is the fresh water lake of Andhra Pradesh. Its area is 245 square kilometers.

Wular Lake: It is the pure water lake of Jammu & Kashmir. Jhelum River flows into Wular. The lake is located in the capital of Jammu & Kashmir – Srinagar.

Lonar Lake: The only lake in India which was created by an asteroid collision. The meteor crater rim is about 1.8 kilometres in diameter. It has a depth of 137 meter below the crater rim.

Nalsarovar Lake: The Nalsarovar Lake of Gujarat and its nearest places are declared as Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary. The place is famous for arrival of Migration Birds.

Sambhar Lake: The salt water lake near to Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Floating National Park: Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in North East India. ‘Keibul Lamjao National Park’ is located in the southeast part of Loktak, which is the Floating National Park.