CBSE Class 9 Answered

If you look at the above map, you would find that India lies to the north of the 00 latitude, i.e. Equator. She thus entirely lie in the northern hemisphere. Its mainland extends from latitude 8°4′N to latitude 37°6′N. Its longitudinal extent is from 68°7′E to 97°25′E. India also lies to the east of the 00 longitude, the Prime Meridian. She thus lies in the eastern hemisphere. India is divided into almost two equal parts by the Tropic of Cancer. It passes through eight Indian states—Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. India is a part of the Asian continent. It is the seventh largest country in the world and the third largest country in Asia. It has two main groups of islands—the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. India occupies about 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world. The young fold Himalayan Mountains form the boundary of India in the northwest, north and northeast. India is a peninsula which tapers to the south dividing the Indian Ocean into the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.   India has a vast longitudinal extent. There is a difference of two hours when one travels from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh. To maintain one standard time, the time along the Standard Meridian of India passing through Uttar Pradesh is taken as the standard time for the whole country.