Exercise Solution
1. Choose the right answer from the four
alternatives given below.
(i) The Tropic of Cancer does not pass through
(a) Rajasthan (c) Chhattisgarh
(b) Odisha (d) Tripura
Answer – (b) Odisha
Note - The Tropic of Cancer doesn’t pass
through Orissa. This line passes through 8 States of India - Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. The
Tropic of Cancer is the parallel of latitude that is almost 23½ degrees north
of the equator and is the northernmost latitude reached by the overhead sun on
June 21st.
(ii) The easternmost longitude of India is
(a) 97° 25’ E (c) 77° 6’ E
(b) 68° 7’ E (d) 82° 32’ E
Answer - (a) 97° 25’ E
Note - 97°25'E is easternmost longitude of
India and 68°7'E is westernmost longitude of India and the Standard Meridian of India (82°30’E) passing through Mirzapur (in
Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard time (IST – Indian Standard
Time) for the whole country.
(iii) Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal
and Sikkim have common frontiers with
(a) China (c) Nepal
(b) Bhutan (d) Myanmar
Answer - (c) Nepal
Note - Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West
Bengal and Sikkim have common frontiers with Nepal. Arunachal Pradesh,
Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram have common frontiers with Myanmar. Sikkim, West
Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have common frontiers with Bhutan. Laddakh
(UT), Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have common
frontier with Tibbat and China.
(iv) If you intend to visit Kavarati during your
summer vacations, which one of the following Union Territories of India you
will be going to
(a) Puducherry (c) Andaman and
Nicobar
(b) Lakshadweep (d) Daman and
Diu
Answer - (b) Lakshadweep
Note - If we intend to visit Kavarati during
our summer vacations, then we will be going to Lakshadweep islands located in
West of Kerala in Arabian Sea. Kavarati is the capital of Lakshadweep islands.
(v) My friend hails from a country which does not
share land boundary with India. Identify the country.
(a) Bhutan (c) Bangladesh
(b) Tajikistan (d) Nepal
Answer - (b) Tajikistan
Note - Tajikistan does not share land boundary
with India. India shares its land boundaries
with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest, China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan
in the north and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east.
2 Answer
the following questions briefly.
(i) Name the group of islands lying in the Arabian
Sea.
Answer - Lakshadweep islands lies in the Arabian
Sea. Lakshadweep islands are a group of 36 islands and have a total land area
of 32 sq. kilometer.
(ii) Name the countries which are larger than India.
Answer - The following
countries are larger in size than India:
(i)
Russia
(ii)
Canada
(iii)
China
(iv)
U.S.A.
(v)
Brazil
(vi)
Australia
Note - The land mass of India has an area of 3.28
million square km. India’s total area accounts for about 2.4 per cent of the
total geographical area of the world. India is the seventh largest country of
the world. India has a land boundary of about 15,200 km and the total length of
the coastline of the mainland, including Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep,
is 7,516.6 km.
(iii) Which island group of India lies to its
south-east?
Answer - Andaman and Nicobar lies to the South
east of India. Port Blair is the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and has
an area of 8,249 Sq. km. There are 572 islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
(iv) Which island countries are our southern
neighbours?
Answer - Our southern neighbours
across the sea consist of the two island countries, namely Sri Lanka and
Maldives. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed
by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, while Maldives Islands are
situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.
3 The sun rises two hours earlier in Arunachal Pradesh
as compared to Gujarat in the west but the watches show the same time. How does
this happen?
Answer
- India
is a vast country, lying entirely in the Northern hemisphere. The main land
extends between latitudes 8°4’N and 37°6’N and longitudes 68°7’E and 97°25’E of the mainland
is about 30°.
The earth moves around its axis from
west to east and completes one rotation (360°) in about 24 hours, so the earth
moves 1° in 4 minutes. The longitudinal extends
of India is between Arunachal Pradesh (97°25’E)
and Gujarat (68°7’E) is approximately
30°. Because of this gap there is a difference of two hours (30° x 4 Minutes =
120 Minutes means 2 Hours) between these two states. Arunachal Pradesh is
located in the east and hence, sun rises earlier here as compared to Gujarat. Hence, time along the Standard Meridian of India
(82°30’E) passing through Mirzapur (in Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard
time for the whole country and this is why the watches in both the
states show the same time.
4 The central location of India at the head of the
Indian Ocean is considered of great significance. Why?
Answer - Location of
India at the head of the Indian Ocean is considered significant because:
(i) India has got strategic advantage because of the
Trans Indian Ocean routes that connects the Western European countries with the
countries of East Asia.
(ii) The location of India has helped her in establishing close ties with West
Asian and African and European countries from the western coast and with the
Southeast and East Asian countries from the Eastern coast. India’s ties with
other countries are based on several factors for physiological, anatomical,
spiritual, technical, and material knowledge.