NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography India Physical Environment Chapter 1: India – Location

Chapter at a glance

Exercise Questions

Question 1 (i)

Which one of the following latitudinal extent is relevant for the extent of India’s area?
(a) 8°41′N – 35°7′N (b) 8°4′N – 37°6′N (c) 8°4′N – 35°6′N (d) 6°45′N – 37°6′N

Answer

The mainland of India extends from Kanniyakumari (about 8°4′N) in the south to Indira Col, Kashmir (37°6′N) in the north.

2. 8°4′N – 37°6′N

Question 1 (ii)

Which one of the following countries shares the longest land frontier with India?
(a) Bangladesh (b) China (c) Pakistan (d) Myanmar

Answer

India shares about 4,096 km of border with Bangladesh, longer than with China (about 3,488 km), Pakistan or Myanmar.

1. Bangladesh

Question 1 (iii)

Which one of the following countries is larger in area than India?
(a) China (b) Egypt (c) France (d) Iran

Answer

China has an area of about 9.6 million sq km, much larger than India (3.28 million sq km). Egypt, France and Iran are smaller.

1. China

Question 1 (iv)

Which one of the following longitudes is the standard meridian for India?
(a) 69°30′E (b) 82°30′E (c) 75°30′E (d) 90°30′E

Answer

The 82°30′E meridian, which passes close to Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh), is the Standard Meridian of India; it is nearly in the middle of the country’s longitudinal extent.

2. 82°30′E

Question 2 (i)

Does India need to have more than one standard time? If yes, why do you think so?

Answer

The east–west extent of India is about 29°, which makes a difference of about 2 hours in local time between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh.

Reasons for more than one time zone

1. The sun rises and sets about two hours earlier in the north-east, so daylight working hours are wasted there.
2. A second zone could save electricity and improve productivity.

Reasons against: one common time avoids confusion in railway, air and communication schedules.

On balance, many experts argue that the country could benefit from a separate time zone for the far east, such as one hour ahead of IST, though a single time is simpler.

There is a case for a second time zone because of the two-hour difference between east and west, though one time avoids confusion.

Question 2 (ii)

What are the implications of India having a long coastline?

Answer

1. Trade: a large number of ports (Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi) support foreign trade with Africa, Europe, West and South-East Asia.
2. Resources: fishing, salt, oil and gas, minerals of the sea, and tourism on beaches.
3. Moderating influence: the sea gives a moderate climate and rain to coastal regions.
4. Strategic importance: it needs strong naval and coastal security.
5. Hazards: exposure to cyclones, tsunami and sea-level rise, and smuggling.

A long coastline gives ports, trade, resources and moderate climate, but also needs defence and exposes India to coastal hazards.

Question 2 (iii)

How is the latitudinal spread of India advantageous to her?

Answer

India extends from about 8°N to 37°N and the Tropic of Cancer passes through its middle. So:

1. India has both tropical and sub-tropical/temperate regions, which gives a great variety of climate, vegetation, crops and animals.
2. Because of the wide range of climate, many crops (rice, wheat, tea, cotton, coffee, apples) can be grown.
3. The south is close to the equator and has warm temperatures all year, while the north has the Himalayas and winter, giving rich resources, tourism and varied lifestyles.

The north–south spread gives varied climate, crops and resources, helping agriculture and economic diversity.

Question 2 (iv)

While the sun rises earlier in the east, say Nagaland and also sets earlier, how do the watches at Kohima and New Delhi show the same time?

Answer

The local time of a place changes by 4 minutes for every degree of longitude. The local times of Kohima and Delhi are therefore different by over an hour. However, the whole country follows Indian Standard Time (IST), which is the local time of the 82°30′E meridian. Watches everywhere show IST, so the watches in Kohima and New Delhi show the same time, even if the sun rises earlier in Kohima.

Because the whole country follows one Standard Time, that of the 82°30′E meridian.

Question Project/Activity (i)

On a graph paper, plot the number of districts in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Goa, Kerala, Haryana. Do the number of districts have some relationship with the area of the state?

Answer

Approximate number of districts (from recent official lists; check the latest in an atlas):

Plotting: take the states on the X-axis and the number of districts as bars (or points) on the Y-axis.

Relationship: broadly, larger states have more districts (Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka) and smaller states have fewer (Goa), but it is not exact, as the number also depends on population and administrative needs.

Larger states generally have more districts, but the relation is not exact, since population and administration also matter.

Question Project/Activity (ii)

Which state amongst Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Rajasthan is the most thickly populated and which one is the least densely populated?

Answer

Population density (Census 2011, persons per sq km):

Most densely populated: West Bengal. Least densely populated: Arunachal Pradesh.

Question Project/Activity (iii)

Identify the states with coastal boundaries.

Answer

India’s nine coastal states are: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal.

Question Project/Activity (iv)

Arrange the states from west to east which have only land boundary.

Answer

The states without a coastline are listed here roughly from west to east according to their position on the map (check against an atlas):

Rajasthan → Punjab → Haryana → Himachal Pradesh → Madhya Pradesh → Telangana → Uttarakhand → Uttar Pradesh → Chhattisgarh → Bihar → Jharkhand → Sikkim → Meghalaya → Tripura → Mizoram → Assam → Manipur → Nagaland → Arunachal Pradesh.

Landlocked states, west to east: Rajasthan to Arunachal Pradesh in the order above (approximate; verify with an atlas).

Question Project/Activity (v)

List the Union Territories which have coastal location.

Answer

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Lakshadweep
3. Puducherry
4. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Question Project/Activity (vi)

How do you explain the variation in the area and population of NCT Delhi and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

Answer

Reasons: Delhi is the national capital and a large urban and economic centre, with great migration and jobs. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of hilly, forested islands far from the mainland, with poor accessibility, dense forest, protected tribal reserves and few opportunities. So Delhi is small in area but very densely populated, and the islands are large in area but thinly populated.

Delhi is a small but huge urban centre; the remote forested islands are large but sparsely populated.

Question Project/Activity (vii)

On a graph paper, draw a bar diagram to show the area and population of all the Union Territories.

Answer

Data (Census 2011; area in sq km, population in millions) for the union territories as they were at the time of the census (Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are shown together, as they are now one UT):

(Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, formed as Union Territories in 2019, may be added using the latest data.)

Bar diagram drawn above: A&N Islands have the greatest area, Delhi the greatest population.

Topic checklist

• ☒ Latitudinal and longitudinal extent (Q1 i, 2 iii)
• ☒ Land frontier, coastline and neighbours (Q1 ii, iii, 2 ii)
• ☒ Standard time (Q1 iv, 2 i, 2 iv)
• ☒ Activities with maps and census data (Project/Activity i – vii)

Total questions answered: 15 of 15