1. Write about the geographical location of India.

Answer: India is a very important country located in the northern hemisphere and the continent of Asia. It is bordered by the high Himalayas and China to the north, the Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka to the south, the Bay of Bengal and Myanmar to the east, and the Arabian Sea and Pakistan to the west. The country is situated between 8∘4′28′′N and 37∘17′53′′N latitudes and 68∘7′33′′E and 97∘24′47′′E longitudes. The Tropic of Cancer (23∘30′N) passes through the middle of the country, dividing it into two equal northern and southern parts.

2. What is the total length of Indian coastlines?

Answer: India has a total coastline of about 6,100 km along the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean in the south.

3. What is the total length of the land boundaries of India.

Answer: India has a total land boundary of 15,200 km. It shares these boundaries with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

4. Write a short note on Indian landmass.

Answer: The Indian landmass has a diverse and varied landscape. It extends for about 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west. It is the seventh-largest country in the world by size, covering 3,287,263 km2, which is about 2.4% of the Earth’s total area. Due to its large size and vast extension, it is also referred to as a subcontinent. The landmass includes various physical features like mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, deserts, and coastal areas.

5. Write down four points of differences between the North and the South Indian rivers.

Answer: Four differences between the rivers of North and South India are:

1. North Indian rivers have a continuous water flow throughout the year because they originate from the snow-covered Himalayas. South Indian rivers are generally seasonal and may dry out in winter because they originate from mountains of lower height.
2. The three distinct courses of a river (upper, middle, and lower) are clearly visible in North Indian rivers. These courses are not as distinct in the rivers of South India.
3. North Indian rivers have wide valleys and flow slowly, making them navigable for transport. South Indian rivers are swift-flowing with narrow valleys and are generally not suitable for navigation.
4. South Indian rivers are considered geologically older and have a definite course over the hard rocks of the Deccan Plateau, so they do not change their channels frequently. North Indian rivers are younger and often change their channels, resulting in wide floodplains.

6. What are the physiographic division of India?

Answer: Based on their structure and characteristics, India can be divided into four main physiographic divisions:

1. The Northern Himalayan Mountain Region
2. The Northern Plains
3. The Deccan Plateau
4. The Coastal Region

In addition to these, the Indian islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea can also be considered a separate physiographic unit.

7. What are the characteristics of the Northern Himalayan Mountain Region of India?

Answer: The Northern Himalayan Mountain Region is located in the northern part of India and is the highest mountain system in the world. It extends for about 2,500 km from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. The ranges are composed of easily erodible rocks and were formed over millions of years through the folding of sediments from the Tethys sea. The higher peaks are covered with snow and are the source of many glaciers and rivers. The Himalayas are divided into three parallel ranges: the Higher Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Outer Himalayas (or Siwaliks).

8. Describe the characteristics of the North Indian Plain.

Answer: The North Indian Plain lies between the Himalayan ranges in the north and the Deccan Plateau in the south. It is also known as the Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain. This vast plain, which covers an area of about 7,00,000 km2, was formed by the deposition of sediments carried by the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra rivers, and their tributaries. The plain is very fertile and has a high population density due to its suitability for agriculture, developed transport system, and economic conditions.

9. Describe the characteristics of the Deccan Plateau.

Answer: The Deccan Plateau is a large, triangular-shaped plateau located south of the North Indian Plain. It is made of old, hard rocks and is divided into northern and southern parts by mountain ranges like the Vindhya and Satpura. It is bordered by the Western Ghats on the west and the Eastern Ghats on the east. The plateau is higher in the west and slopes eastward, causing most of the rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri to flow towards the Bay of Bengal.

10. Mention the characteristics of the Coastal Region of India.

Answer: The coastal region of India is a long, narrow strip of land situated along the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. It has an elevation of about 30 to 50 meters above sea level. It can be divided into the Eastern Coastal Region and the Western Coastal Region. The eastern coast is wider and more fertile due to the deltas formed by major rivers, while the western coast is narrower and extends from the Gulf of Combay to Cape Comorin.

11. Write down the characteristics of the climate of India.

Answer: The climate of India is highly diverse due to its vast size, varied landforms, and monsoon winds. The Tropic of Cancer divides the country, giving it both a tropical zone in the south and a temperate zone in the north. This leads to a wide range of temperatures and rainfall across the country. The high Himalayas protect India from cold winds from the north. The climate is also influenced by distance from the sea, with coastal areas experiencing more moderate temperatures than inland areas.

12. Write a note on the impact of monsoons in India.

Answer: Monsoons have a significant impact on India’s climate. The South-west monsoon brings heavy rainfall to most parts of the country during summer. This rain is crucial for Indian agriculture, which is heavily dependent on it. The wind carries moisture from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, causing heavy rain on the western slopes of the Western Ghats and in the North-Eastern states. The North-east monsoon, which blows in winter, is generally dry as it comes from the land, but it picks up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and causes rainfall on the Coromandel coast.

13. Outline the pattern of rainfall distribution in India.

Answer: The distribution of rainfall in India is not uniform. The pattern can be outlined as follows:

1. Heavy Rainfall (more than 300 cm annually): Occurs along the Himalayan foothills in the North-Eastern region, the southern parts of the Meghalaya plateau, and the western slopes of the Western Ghats.
2. Medium Rainfall (100-200 cm annually): Found in the northern plains of India, including the Brahmaputra plain.
3. Low Rainfall (less than 50 cm annually): Occurs in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan and some neighboring areas, as well as the northern and western parts of the Deccan Plateau.

14. Write about the types of the vegetations of India.

Answer: Based on climate, physiography, and soil, the vegetation in India can be broadly classified into six main types:

1. Evergreen vegetation
2. Monsoonal vegetations
3. Dry thorny vegetations
4. Grassland vegetations
5. Mangrove vegetations
6. Mountain vegetations

15. What are the characteristics of the Evergreen vegetation of India?

Answer: Evergreen vegetations are found in regions with high average annual rainfall (more than 200 cm) and warm temperatures (25-27°C). The trees are tall, forming dense forests, and do not shed their leaves in any particular season. This gives them their “evergreen” name. The forests are characterized by valuable trees like sisum, sandal, and rubber, along with a thick undergrowth of canes, bamboos, and creepers. They are mainly found in the western slopes of the Western Ghats, parts of the North-Eastern region, and the Andaman Islands.

16. Write about the characteristics of the Mountain Vegetation of India.

Answer: Mountain vegetation varies depending on altitude, as temperature, rainfall, and soil quality change with height. At lower altitudes (around 1000m) in the Outer Himalayas, thick monsoonal forests with valuable trees like sal are found. As the altitude increases (1000m to 2000m), these forests give way to evergreen trees like oak and then to coniferous forests (1600m to 3000m) with species like deodar. At even higher altitudes, only alpine types of forests and grasses can grow.

17. What is the total population of India at present?

Answer: According to the Census of India, the total population of India in 2011 was 1,210,726,932. This represents about 17.5% of the world’s population.

18. What are the different types of migration?

Answer: Migration is the movement of people from one place to another to change their residence. The main types of migration are:

1. Internal Migration: Movement of people within a country. It can be of two types. Inter-state migration takes place when people move from one state to another. On the other hand, intra-state migration occurs when people migrate within the same state.
2. External Migration: Movement of people from one country to another (also called international migration). Within these types, migration can be categorized by movement between rural and urban areas (e.g., village to village, village to city, city to village, and city to city).

19. What are the impacts of migration on India?

Answer: Migration has several important impacts on India, including:

1. Cultural: It leads to an increase in cultural diversity, with various communities, religions, and languages mixing.
2. Economic: It can lead to changes and expansion in the economic sector and trade.
3. Demographic: Migration changes the population growth, density, and literacy rates of different regions.
4. Social & Environmental: It can lead to a rise in population pressure on land, a decline in forest and wetland ecosystems, and the growth of slums in urban areas. This creates problems related to health, education, and employment.
5. Political: It can lead to serious social and political problems, especially when migrants outnumber indigenous people, leading to issues with language and culture.

20. Write down the main features of Indian economy.

Answer: The main features of the Indian economy are:

1. Low per capita income: The average annual income of a person is very low, which results in a difficult living standard for many.
2. Excessive pressure of population: The high and rapid population growth puts immense pressure on the economy and its resources.
3. Poverty: A significant portion of the world’s poor population lives in India.
4. Dependence on agriculture: The Indian economy is primarily agricultural, with a majority of the population still dependent on this sector for their livelihood.
5. Growing unemployment: The industrial and other sectors have not grown enough to provide employment for the increasing working-age population.

21. What are the Union Territories of India?

Answer: At present, India has 8 Union Territories:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Chandigarh
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
4. Lakshadweep
5. Delhi (National Capital Territory of Delhi)
6. Puducherry
7. Ladakh
8. Jammu and Kashmir

22. How many states are there in India at present and name those.

Answer: At present, India has 28 states.

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Assam
4. Bihar
5. Chhattisgarh
6. Goa
7. Gujarat
8. Haryana
9. Himachal Pradesh
10. Jharkhand
11. Karnataka
12. Kerala
13. Madhya Pradesh
14. Maharashtra
15. Manipur
16. Meghalaya
17. Mizoram
18. Nagaland
19. Odisha
20. Punjab
21. Rajasthan
22. Sikkim
23. Tamil Nadu
24. Telangana
25. Tripura
26. Uttar Pradesh
27. Uttarakhand
28. West Bengal

23. Name the latest state formed in India. Write the area and population of it.

Answer: According to the document’s provided information, the latest state formed in India is Telengana. The document does not provide the population of Telengana from the 2011 census, but it does state its area is 1,14,840 km2.