Indian Geography Notes
The UPSC syllabus includes Indian Geography as a vital part of General Awareness for the prelims and is also featured in the IAS mains syllabus within the General Studies and Geography Optional papers. Indian Geography holds great significance for aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam, as it encompasses both Indian and World Geography.
Geography is generally divided into two main categories: Physical Geography and Human Geography. You can study both of these categories under Indian Geography and World Geography.
Indian Geography Notes
Physical Features of India
- Physiography, which refers to the physical features of an area, comes from the structure, processes, and stages of development. India displays significant physical variations. The Peninsular Plateau is one of the oldest and most stable landmasses on Earth, whereas the Himalayas and Northern Plains are the most recent landforms. The Himalayas showcase a youthful landscape with towering peaks, deep valleys, and fast-flowing rivers. The Northern Plains consist of alluvial deposits, while the Peninsular Plateau is formed from igneous and metamorphic rocks, featuring gently rising hills and expansive valleys.
- India is located in the south-central part of Asia.
- It shares its land borders with seven countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan to the north-west, China, Nepal, Bhutan to the north, and Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east. Among these, the longest border belongs to Bangladesh (4096.7 km), while the shortest is with Afghanistan (106 km). To the south, India’s maritime neighbours are Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow sea channel formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, while the Maldives islands are located to the south of Lakshadweep islands.
Size
- Area: 3.28 million square km.
- India accounts for about 2.4% of the world’s total geographical area.
- It is the 7th largest country globally, following Russia, Canada, the USA, China, Brazil, and Australia.
- Land boundary: approximately 15,200 km.
- Total coastline, including Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 7517 km.
- Both the longitudinal and latitudinal extent of the mainland is around 30°, even though the north-south distance appears larger than the east-west.
- The mainland stretches from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south (3214 km) and from Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the west (2933 km). India’s territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles (~ 21.9 km) from the coastline (1 Nautical mile ~ 1.852 km).
- The southern region is situated within the tropics, while the northern part lies in the sub-tropical or warm temperate zone. This positioning results in diverse landforms, climates, soil types, and natural vegetation across the country.
- The Standard Meridian of India (82°30′ E) passes through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and is used as the standard time across the country (there is a time difference of 2 hours from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh). Indian Standard Time is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time by 5 hours and 30 minutes. The Standard Meridian traverses Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
You can download the Indian Geography Notes PDF using the link given below.