Find Out 1
Question 1
Why 82°30'E has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India?
Answer
82°30'E has been selected as the Standard Meridian of India because it lies in the middle of the eastern and western longitudinal extremities of the country.
Question 2
Why is the difference between the durations of day and night hardly felt at Kanniyakumari but not so in Kashmir?
Answer
The difference between the durations of day and night is hardly felt at Kanniyakumari because it lies close to the equator. At equator the sun rays are straight and the duration of day and night are equal. On other hand, Kashmir lies in north of India, in temperate zone where Sun rays are tilted and therefore, there is considerable difference between duration of day and night.
Find Out 2
Question 1
The number of Union Territories along the western and eastern coasts.
Answer
Union Territories along the western coast:
- Daman and Diu & Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Lakshadweep
Union Territories along the eastern coast:
- Andaman and Nicobar
- Puducherry
Question 2
Area-wise which is the smallest and which is the largest state.
Answer
Smallest state : Goa
Largest state : Rajasthan
Question 3
The states which do not have an international border or lie on the coast.
Answer
Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand
Question 4
Classify the states into four groups each having common frontiers with (i) Pakistan (ii) China (iii) Myanmar and (iv) Bangladesh
Answer
(i) Pakistan: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Ladakh (UT)
(ii) China: Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
(iii) Myanmar: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram
(iv) Bangladesh: West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram
Choose the right answer
Question 1
The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
- Rajasthan
- Odisha
- Chhattisgarh
- Tripura
Answer
Odisha
Question 2
The easternmost longitude of India is
- 97° 25'E
- 68° 7'E
- 77° 6'E
- 82° 32'E
Answer
97° 25'E
Question 3
Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with
- China
- Bhutan
- Nepal
- Myanmar
Answer
Nepal
Question 4
If you intend to visit Kavarati during your summer vacations, which one of the following Union Territories of India you will be going to
- Puducherry
- Lakshadweep
- Andaman and Nicobar
- Daman and Diu
Answer
Lakshadweep
Question 5
My friend hails from a country which does not share land boundary with India. Identify the country
- Bhutan
- Tajikistan
- Bangladesh
- Nepal
Answer
Tajikistan
Answer the following questions briefly
Question 2(i)
Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian Sea.
Answer
Lakshadweep
Question 2(ii)
Name the countries which are larger than India.
Answer
The countries which are larger than India are:
- Russia
- Canada
- USA
- China
- Brazil
- Australia
Question 2(iii)
Which island group of India lies to its south-east?
Answer
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Question 2(iv)
Which island countries are our southern neighbours?
Answer
Sri Lanka and Maldives
Answer the following questions
Question 3
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
India lies between 68°7'E and 97°25'E, making a 28° difference from extreme west (Gujarat) to extreme east (Arunachal Pradesh) of the country. The Earth rotates 360° in 24 hours, i.e., it moves 1° in 4 minutes. Thus, for moving 28° the earth takes 28 x 4 i.e., about 2 hours. As a result, the Sun rises 2 hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh compared to Gujarat. However, both regions use the same time because they follow the standard time of India, which is set along the Standard meridian of India (82°30'E).
Question 4
The central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?
Answer
The Indian landmass has a central location between the east and the west Asia. The trans Indian ocean routes, which connect the countries of Europe in the west and the countries of east Asia, provide a strategic and significant central location to India. The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian ocean, thus helping India to establish close contact with west Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with southeast and east Asia from eastern coast. Therefore, the central location of India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered of great significance.