India is the 7th largest country in the world by area, covering approximately 3.28 million km² and accounting for about 2.4% of the total world's land surface. Positioned entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere, it spans a vast latitudinal and longitudinal range that gives rise to significant climatic diversity. The country shares land borders with seven nations and is bounded by three water bodies, making its geopolitical position one of the most strategically important in Asia.
India is located in South Asia, bordering the Indian Ocean to the south and the Himalayas to the north.
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Russia |
| 2 | Canada |
| 3 | China |
| 4 | USA |
| 5 | Brazil |
| 6 | Australia |
| 7 | India |
India is the world's how many-th largest country by area?
What percentage of the world's total land area does India occupy?
India has 28 States and Union Territories.
The largest state of India by area is .
India spans a wide geographic range — understanding the exact coordinates is essential for SSC CGL map-based questions.
India lies between which range of latitudes?
The Tropic of Cancer passes through which part of India?
The North-South (latitudinal) extent of India is km.
The difference between two latitudes is a fixed value of km.
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 Union Territories as of 2024.
| # | State | # | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 15 | Manipur |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 16 | Meghalaya |
| 3 | Assam | 17 | Mizoram |
| 4 | Bihar | 18 | Nagaland |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 19 | Odisha |
| 6 | Goa | 20 | Punjab |
| 7 | Gujarat | 21 | Rajasthan |
| 8 | Haryana | 22 | Sikkim |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | 23 | Tamil Nadu |
| 10 | Jharkhand | 24 | Telangana |
| 11 | Karnataka | 25 | Tripura |
| 12 | Kerala | 26 | Uttar Pradesh |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | 27 | Uttarakhand |
| 14 | Maharashtra | 28 | West Bengal |
| # | Union Territory |
|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 2 | Chandigarh |
| 3 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu |
| 4 | Delhi |
| 5 | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 6 | Ladakh |
| 7 | Lakshadweep |
| 8 | Puducherry |
How many States does India have?
Which of the following is a Union Territory of India?
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 Territories.
is a Union Territory formed by merging Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
These are high-yield one-liners in every SSC CGL exam — know all three "largest" parameters.
| Rank | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rajasthan |
| 2 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 3 | Maharashtra |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Gujarat |
Which is the largest state of India by area?
Which is the largest state of India by population?
The state with the highest GDSP in India is .
The smallest country in the world by area is City.
India's boundaries define its strategic position — the land boundary connects seven neighbours while three water bodies surround the peninsula.
| Rank | Country | Border Length | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh | 4,096 km | Longest land border |
| 2 | China | 3,488 km | Disputed (LAC) |
| 3 | Pakistan | 3,323 km | LOC + Radcliffe Line |
| 4 | Nepal | 1,751 km | Open border |
| 5 | Myanmar | 1,643 km | — |
| 6 | Bhutan | 699 km | — |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 106 km | Shortest land border |
With which country does India share its longest land border?
With which country does India share its shortest land border?
India's total land boundary is km.
India's re-verified coastline (2024-25) is km.
India follows a single time zone — Indian Standard Time (IST) — set at 82.5°E longitude, passing through Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
| Letter | State |
|---|---|
| M | Madhya Pradesh |
| O | Odisha |
| U | Uttar Pradesh (Mirzapur) |
| C | Chhattisgarh |
| A | Andhra Pradesh |
Indian Standard Time (IST) is set at which longitude?
The sun-time difference between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh is about?
IST passes through 5 states remembered by the mnemonic .
A difference of 1° longitude equals minutes of time.
The four cardinal extreme points of India are high-frequency exam questions, especially for map-based MCQs.
| Direction | Extreme Point | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Northernmost | Indira Col | Himachal Pradesh / Ladakh |
| Southernmost (mainland) | Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) | Tamil Nadu |
| Southernmost (islands) | Indira Point | Great Nicobar, A&N Islands |
| Easternmost | Kibithu | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Westernmost | Guhar Moti | Gujarat |
Which is the easternmost point of India?
The southernmost point of India including islands is?
The northernmost point of India is Col.
The westernmost point of India is Moti in Gujarat.
The Tropic of Cancer at 23½°N bisects India roughly through its centre, passing through exactly 8 states.
| # | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gujarat |
| 2 | Rajasthan |
| 3 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 4 | Chhattisgarh |
| 5 | Jharkhand |
| 6 | West Bengal |
| 7 | Tripura |
| 8 | Mizoram |
Mnemonic to remember: *"Gujrati Raja Made Chief Justice Win The Meeting"* → Gujarat → Rajasthan → Madhya Pradesh → Chhattisgarh → Jharkhand → West Bengal → Tripura → Mizoram
Through how many Indian states does the Tropic of Cancer pass?
Which of these states does the Tropic of Cancer pass through?
The Tropic of Cancer is located at a latitude of degrees North.
In the Tropic of Cancer states, the westernmost is .
India shares boundaries with seven land neighbours and is separated from Sri Lanka by the Palk Strait.
Indian States Touching Bangladesh (Mnemonic: *M A M Take Water*)
Indian States Touching Nepal (Mnemonic: *S U B B U*)
Indian States Touching Bhutan (Mnemonic: *W B A S A*)
Indian States Touching Pakistan (Mnemonic: *G R P J&K Ladakh*)
Indian States Touching China (LAC / McMahon Line / Johnson Line — all disputed)
Indian States Touching Myanmar (Mnemonic: *Anu Na Ma Mi*)
| Neighbour | Border Length | Key Line/Name | Indian States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 4,096 km | Radcliffe Line | Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, Tripura, W. Bengal |
| China | 3,488 km | LAC / McMahon Line | Ladakh, HP, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Pakistan | 3,323 km | Radcliffe Line / LOC | Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, J&K, Ladakh |
| Nepal | 1,751 km | Open border | Sikkim, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand |
| Myanmar | 1,643 km | — | Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram |
| Bhutan | 699 km | — | West Bengal, Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Afghanistan | 106 km | — | Ladakh |
| Sri Lanka | Water (Palk Strait) | — | — |
India shares land borders with how many countries?
India is separated from Sri Lanka by which water body?
The Indian state surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides is .
The border between India and Bangladesh is named the Line.
| State | Countries |
|---|---|
| Sikkim | Nepal, Bhutan, China |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Bhutan, China, Myanmar |
| West Bengal | Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh |
Which Indian state shares boundaries with the maximum number of other states?
Which state shares borders with Nepal, Bhutan and China?
Among states, shares its boundary with West Bengal only, being one of the minimum-boundary states.
The state shares borders with Bhutan, China and Myanmar.
Ladakh, India's largest Union Territory by area, has a uniquely strategic position among India's UTs.
Ladakh is the Union Territory that shares its boundary with which three countries?
Ladakh has India's shortest international land boundary with which country?
Ladakh is India's largest Territory by area.
Ladakh's shortest international land boundary with Afghanistan is km long.
Take 5 questions at a time — tap an option to check. After each round, revise the notes above and take the retest for 5 fresh questions, until you've mastered the whole chapter.