Geography
India: Location and Physiography
India: Location and Physiography — Quick Revision
One-page CGPSC quick revision for India's location and physiography: extent, borders, Himalaya, plains, plateau, coasts and islands in tables.
Location, the five relief divisions and the islands on one page. For explanations, go back to the chapter.
How to use this sheet
Scan it top to bottom in the week before Prelims. Bold entries are the facts examiners return to most often.
Location and Extent
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Latitude | 8°4′ N – 37°6′ N (mainland) |
| Longitude | 68°7′ E – 97°25′ E |
| N–S / E–W | About 3,214 km / 2,933 km |
| Area | About 32.87 lakh km²; 2.4% of world land; 7th largest |
| Standard Meridian | 82°30′ E, near Mirzapur; IST = GMT + 5 h 30 min |
| Meridian states (5) | UP, MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh |
| Tropic of Cancer states (8) | Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram |
| Extreme points | North: Indira Col; South: Indira Point; mainland south: Kanyakumari; West: Guhar Moti; East: Kibithu–Dong area |
| Land border | About 15,106.7 km; longest Bangladesh (4,096.7), then China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan; shortest Afghanistan (106) |
| Coastline | 7,516.6 km (old); 11,098.81 km (revised, promulgated April 2025); Gujarat longest |
| Channels | Ten Degree: Andaman/Nicobar; Nine Degree: Minicoy/Lakshadweep; Eight Degree: Minicoy/Maldives; Palk Strait: TN/Sri Lanka |
The Himalayas
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Young fold mountains; Indian–Eurasian collision; Tethys sediments |
| Length / width | About 2,400 km; 400 km (Kashmir) to 150 km (Arunachal) |
| Trans-Himalaya | Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar; K2 8,611 m |
| Himadri | Greater; about 6,000 m; highest peaks, glaciers |
| Himachal | Lesser; 3,700–4,500 m; Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mahabharat; hill stations |
| Shiwalik | Outer; 900–1,100 m; youngest; Duns |
| Regional divisions | Punjab (Indus–Satluj), Kumaon (Satluj–Kali), Nepal (Kali–Tista), Assam (Tista–Dihang) |
| Purvanchal | Patkai Bum, Naga, Manipur, Mizo hills |
| Peaks | Kanchenjunga 8,586 (highest in India); Nanda Devi 7,816 (highest wholly in India); Kamet 7,756 |
| Passes | Zoji La, Banihal, Khardung La (J&K/Ladakh); Rohtang, Shipki La (HP); Lipulekh (UK); Nathu La, Jelep La (Sikkim); Bomdi La (Arunachal) |
Northern Plains and the Desert
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | About 7 lakh km²; 2,400 km long; 240–320 km wide |
| Bhabar | 8–16 km; pebbles; streams disappear |
| Terai | Marshy; streams re-emerge |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium; kankar |
| Khadar | Newer alluvium; most fertile |
| Doabs | Bist–Jalandhar (Beas–Satluj), Bari (Beas–Ravi), Rechna (Ravi–Chenab), Chaj (Chenab–Jhelum), Sind Sagar (to the Indus) |
| Ganga plain | Ghaggar to Tista |
| Brahmaputra plain | Braided river; Majuli (district 2016) |
| Thar | West of Aravalli; Marusthali; barchans; Luni |
Peninsular Plateau
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nature | Oldest, stable Gondwana block; about 16 lakh km²; slopes west to east |
| Central Highlands | Aravalli, Malwa, Vindhya–Kaimur, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand, Chotanagpur |
| Deccan | Satpura–Mahadeo–Maikal, Deccan Traps, Western and Eastern Ghats, Dandakaranya |
| North-east | Meghalaya (Garo, Khasi, Jaintia), Karbi Anglong; Malda gap |
| Western Ghats | Continuous, 900–1,600 m; Anamudi 2,695 m (highest in peninsula); UNESCO 2012 |
| Eastern Ghats | Discontinuous, about 600 m; Jindhagada/Arma Konda about 1,690 m (NCERT: Mahendragiri 1,501 m) |
| Other peaks | Doddabetta 2,637 (Nilgiri); Guru Shikhar 1,722 (Aravalli); Parasnath 1,365; Dhupgarh 1,350 (Satpura) |
| Westward rivers | Narmada, Tapi: rift valleys, estuaries |
| Chhattisgarh | Baghelkhand (Koriya), Chotanagpur (Jashpur–Samri; Gaurlata), Maikal (Kabirdham), Mahanadi basin, Dandakaranya (Bastar) |
Coastal Plains and Islands
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| West coast (N→S) | Kachchh–Kathiawar, Konkan (Mumbai–Goa), Kannad (Goa–Mangaluru), Malabar (Mangaluru–Kanyakumari) |
| East coast (N→S) | Utkal, Northern Circars, Coromandel |
| West vs East | Narrow, submergent, estuaries vs wide, emergent, deltas |
| Chilika | Largest brackish lagoon; Odisha; Ramsar 1981 |
| Kolleru | Freshwater; Godavari–Krishna |
| Pulicat | Behind Sriharikota |
| Vembanad | Longest lake; Kerala |
| Andaman and Nicobar | 836 islands (31 inhabited); tectonic; capital Sri Vijaya Puram (renamed 2024); Saddle Peak about 737 m |
| Barren Island | India’s only active volcano; Narcondam dormant |
| Lakshadweep | 36 islands (10 inhabited); coral; Kavaratti; Andrott largest; Minicoy southernmost |
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Indira Point (south, Great Nicobar) | vs | Indira Col (north, Siachen) |
| Tropic of Cancer: Jharkhand, WB | vs | Standard Meridian: Odisha, AP |
| Kanchenjunga (highest in India) | vs | Nanda Devi (highest wholly in India) |
| Duns (Shiwalik valleys) | vs | Duars (North Bengal–Assam foothill plains) |
| Bhangar (old, kankar) | vs | Khadar (new, fertile) |
| Purvanchal (Himalayan) | vs | Garo–Khasi–Jaintia (Peninsular) |
| Anamudi (highest in the south) | vs | Doddabetta (highest in the Nilgiris) |
| Chilika (brackish) | vs | Kolleru (freshwater) |
| Andaman (tectonic) | vs | Lakshadweep (coral) |
Favourite MCQ trap
“The Tropic of Cancer passes through Odisha.” Wrong. Odisha is on the Standard Meridian list (UP, MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, AP). The Tropic passes through Jharkhand and West Bengal, north of Odisha. Only two states appear on both lists: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Second favourite trap
“Khadar is the older alluvium.” Wrong. Bhangar is old (with kankar); Khadar is new and more fertile. Remember: Khadar = Kids (new).
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