🔭 Important Latitudes and Longitudes of India

1. Latitudinal and Longitudinal Extent

• Latitudinal extent: 8°4′ N to 37°6′ N

• Longitudinal extent: 68°7′ E to 97°25′ E

• This span determines India’s climate, time difference, and day length variation between regions.

2. Tropic of Cancer (23½° N latitude)

• Passes almost through the middle of India, dividing the country into two halves:

  • Northern India (temperate zone)

  • Southern India (tropical zone)

3. Standard Meridian of India (82°30′ E)

• Used for Indian Standard Time (IST).

• Passes through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.

• India has one time zone despite its vast east-west extent (about 2 hours of sun-time difference from east to west).

• It passes through 5 states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

• The Standard Meridian of India is 82°30′ E longitude.

• It serves as the reference meridian for the entire country and determines Indian Standard Time (IST).

• The Tropic of Cancer and the Standard Meridian of India intersect in the Korea (Koriya) district in Chhattisgarh.

Some Important Points

India’s Size

• India is the 7th largest country in the world, covering an area of 3.28 million square kilometers.

• It accounts for 2.4% of the world’s land surface area.

• Countries larger than India include

  • Russia

  • Canada

  • China

  • the USA

  • Brazil

  • Australia

Extent of India – North to South

• India’s northernmost point is Indira Col, located in the Union Territory of Ladakh (37°6′ N latitude).

• India’s southernmost point on the mainland is Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) in Tamil Nadu (8°4′ N latitude).

• The southernmost point of India, including islands, is Indira Point in the Great Nicobar Island (6°45′ N latitude).

• The north-south distance is approximately 3,214 kilometers.

Extent of India – East to West

• India’s westernmost point is Guhar Moti in Gujarat (68°7′ E longitude)

• India’s easternmost point is Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh (97°25′ E longitude).

• The east-west distance is approximately 2,933 kilometers.

🧭 States Through Which the Tropic of Cancer Passes

Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 Indian States from west to east:

1. Gujarat

2. Rajasthan

3. Madhya Pradesh

4. Chhattisgarh

5. Jharkhand

6. West Bengal

7. Tripura

8. Mizoram

🌍 Some Important Districts (Not exhaustive, but helpful to remember)

• Gujarat – Surendranagar, Ahmedabad

• Rajasthan – Dungarpur, Banswara

• Madhya Pradesh – Ujjain, Rajgarh

• Chhattisgarh – Korba, Surguja

• Jharkhand – Kanke (near Ranchi)

• West Bengal – Krishnanagar, Nadia

• Tripura – Udaipur

• Mizoram – Champhai

• Trick to memorize : (GaRaM CheeJe Waha Tokri Me)

• The Mahi River is the only river in India that traverses the Tropic of Cancer twice.

🗺️ India’s Political Division

1. States and Union Territories

• India has 28 States and 8 Union Territories.

• States have their own governments, whereas Union Territories are governed directly by the Central Government, though some UTs like Delhi and Puducherry have legislatures.

🌐 India’s International Borders

India shares borders with 7 countries. Out of these, 5 are land neighbors, and 2 are maritime neighbors.

🧱 Land Border Countries (Total: 6)

1. Pakistan

   • Approximate border length: 3,323 km

   • Indian states sharing border:

     • Jammu & Kashmir (Union Territory)

     • Punjab

     • Rajasthan

     • Gujarat

2. China

   • Approximate border length: 3,488 km

   • Indian states/UTs sharing border:

     • Ladakh (UT)

     • Himachal Pradesh

     • Uttarakhand

     • Sikkim

     • Arunachal Pradesh

3. Nepal

   • Approximate border length: 1,751 km

   • Indian states sharing border:

     • Uttarakhand

     • Uttar Pradesh

     • Bihar

     • West Bengal

     • Sikkim

4. Bhutan

   • Approximate border length: 699 km

   • Indian states sharing border:

     • Sikkim

     • West Bengal

     • Assam

     • Arunachal Pradesh

5. Bangladesh (India’s longest land border)

   • Approximate border length: 4,096 km

   • Indian states sharing border:

     • West Bengal

     • Assam

     • Meghalaya

     • Tripura

     • Mizoram

6. Myanmar

   • Approximate border length: 1,643 km

   • Indian states sharing border:

     • Arunachal Pradesh

     • Nagaland

     • Manipur

     • Mizoram

🌊 Maritime Neighbors

7. Sri Lanka

   • Separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar

   • Nearest Indian state: Tamil Nadu

8. Maldives

   • Lies to the southwest of Lakshadweep Islands

   • Separated by the Indian Ocean waters

🚫 Boundary Disputes (Just a Quick Mention)

These are sensitive and dynamic issues, but aspirants should have basic awareness:

• Pakistan – Dispute over Jammu & Kashmir (PoK)

• China – Dispute over Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh

• Bangladesh – Earlier disputes over Enclaves and River Water Sharing (partly resolved through Land Boundary Agreement 2015)

🧠 Additional UPSC-Friendly Facts

• India’s coastline is 7,516.6 km long (including islands).

• Indira Point in Nicobar Islands is the southernmost point of India.

• Gujarat has the longest coastline among all states.

• Siachen Glacier is the northernmost inhabited region and one of the world’s highest battlegrounds.

• Landlocked States: States that do not have access to the sea, like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, etc.