1 Our Country India. Political Map of India

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1 1 Our Country India India, our country, is unique in its physical and cultural diversities. It lies in the central part of South Asia. The southern part of India is a peninsula. It has the Bay of Bengal to its east, the Arabian sea to its west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The Great Himalayan range forms its boundary in the north. The Andaman Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea are Indian Islands. Kanyakumari is in the southernmost part of the mainland of India and the southernmost tip of India is the Pygmalion Point or Indira Point which is in the great Nicobar Islands. Political Map of India 1

2 Our country is the seventh largest in the world in terms of geographical area. It has been an attraction to the western explorers. Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, aimed to find a sea route to India. He finally landed in the island group of North America and named it West Indies after India. The Himalayan mountain range runs from north-west to north-east forming a boundary with countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India. It thus creates a distinctive landmass, known as the Indian subcontinent. India and its neighbouring countries not only share the physical features but also the climate, vegetation, cultural and economic traits. The Himalayas Try this 1. Find the countries which are larger than India in terms of geographical area. 2. On the map of India, circle the names of the seventeen states that share their boundaries with other countries. Location India is located to the north of the equator, the longest latitude. It is also located to the east of the longitude called the prime meridian. Thus, India lies in the north-eastern quarter of the world. Equator Prime Meridian Not to scale Location of India 2

3 Physical Features India is a land with beautiful landforms such as high snow-covered mountains, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, hills, plateaus, plains, sea coasts and islands. On the basis of these physical features, our country is divided into five divisions. The Great Himalayas the abode of snow The Coastal Plains The Fertile Plains of North India The Southern Plateau The Great Indian Desert the Thar Desert Desert Himalayan Region Northern Fertile Plain Plateau Region Arabian Sea Coastal Plains Bay of Bengal Himalayan Region Northern Fertile Plain Great Indian Region Plateau Region The Coastal Plains Not to scale Physical Features of India Political Divisions India is divided into 28 states and 7 union territories, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi. These are further divided into districts and small administrative units for the purpose of easy governance. 3

4 Climate Climate is the regular pattern of weather condition of a particular place. The population strength of a place depends to a great extent on the climatic conditions. The dress, lifestyle, diet, etc. of the people depend on the climate of the place where they live. They adjust their lifestyles to the changes in the weather condition of that place. India, even though a small country in terms of area, holds a large population mainly because of suitable tropical monsoon and pleasant climate. Climate and Lifestyle Seasons in India We generally experience three types of climatic conditions in India the cold season or winter, the hot season or summer and the monsoons or the rainy season. Winter During this season, it is generally cold throughout the country. The season begins in November and ends in March. The temperature decreases as one moves from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Days are short and nights are longer in this season. South India is warmer compared to the north due to its nearness to the seas and the equator. The northern states of India experience extreme cold as they are far 4

5 away from the seas. The northernmost states, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, receive snowfall due to their high altitude. The month of January records the lowest temperature during winter in India. Summer The cold winter gradually shifts to spring and then it becomes warmer. There is an increase in temperature from the month of March onwards. The northern plains record a high temperature as they are located far away from the sea. The coastal plains experience a hot and humid climate due to rapid evaporation of sea water. A hot local wind from the desert of Rajasthan, loo, blows towards western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The summer season lasts till June. Monsoon The special feature of Indian climate is that the winds change their direction from season to season. In summer, the winds blow from sea to land carrying lots of water vapours and slash as rain. These are called south-west monsoons. In winter, the winds reverse and blow from land to sea and rainfall is less. These are called north-east monsoons. These two monsoons influence the climate of India. The South-West Monsoon The south-west monsoon winds start from the Indian Ocean and enter India by the beginning of June every year. The wedge shape of India in the south divides the monsoons into two branches the Arabian sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. The Arabian sea branch of monsoon breaks on the west coast in June. It brings cooler, but more humid weather and heavy rains to this coast. From here it reaches most parts of South Asia by the first week of July. Arabian Sea Not to scale Bay of Bengal South-West Monsoon Winds 5

6 The other branch, known as the Bay of Bengal branch, moves northward and spreads over most of Assam by the first week of June, giving heavy rain to the Garo, Khasi hill region. Mawsynram in Cherrapunji gets the heaviest rainfall in India. On crossing the great Himalayan range, it is deflected westward towards Delhi. The two branches now merge as a single current bringing rains to the remaining parts of North India in July. The monsoon rainfall is so important for agriculture that predictions of the arrival of monsoons are eagerly awaited by farmers. Most parts of our country receive rainfall from the south-west monsoons during the months of June to September. Retreating South-West Monsoon Season Around the month of September, with the sun retreating southward, the northern portion of India begins to cool rapidly. The air pressure begins to build over North India. This causes the cold winds to cross over the Himalayas and move towards the south of Deccan plateau. This is known as the retreating monsoon. This monsoon, while travelling towards the Indian Ocean, picks up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and pours as rain in peninsular India. The states on the eastern coast Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa get less rainfall from the south-west monsoon but receive heavy rainfall from the retreating monsoon during the months of October and November. The North-East Monsoon The north-east monsoon winds that blow from land to sea bring rain during December and January. Try This On an outline map of India, mark the boundaries. Name the neighbouring countries and all the states. Colour the largest state blue and the smallest state yellow. Do you know? 1. The longest mountain range in the world is the Mount Andes in South America. 6

7 2. The most populous country in the world is China. 3. Maldives, our neighbouring country, is a group of islands. Let s Recall India is the seventh largest country in the world and lies in the Asian continent. It is located to the north of the equator and east of the Prime Meridian. The great Himalayas stand as a land barrier, separating India from China and Myanmar. India is a subcontinent cut-off from the rest of the continent of Asia by the high Himalayan mountain ranges. Now I Can Answer A. Complete the following web chart. India Physical Features Seasons Political Divisions B. Fill in the blanks. 1. is the regular pattern of weather condition of a particular place. 2. The southernmost boundary of India is and the southernmost tip is. 3. India is located to the north of the and to the east of the. 7

8 4. and receive snowfall during winter due to their high altitudes. 5. is a local wind that affects the climate of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in summer. C. Write whether the following statements are true or false. 1. India is surrounded by seas and oceans on all sides. 2. The Himalayas are the mountain ranges that border India in the north. 3. India is a small country but supports a large population. 4. Jammu and Kashmir faces a very hot climate all through the year. 5. The coastal plains are hot and humid during summer. D. Find the following. 1. The only Indian state that is flanked by two countries on both eastern and western sides. 2. The two groups of islands that belong to our country. 3. The island country that neighbours India. E. Answer the following questions. 1. Why is India called a peninsula? 2. State the location of India. 3. Name the physical features of India. 4. How many states and union territories does India have? 5. What are the different seasons experienced in India? Activity Make a set of flash cards with names of the states of India. Make another set of cards with names of state capitals. Match the states with their capitals. 8