 Satellite view of the subcontinent | |
| Continent | Asia |
|---|---|
| Region | South Asia and Southeast Asia (Indian subcontinent) |
| Coordinates | 21°N 78°E / 21°N 78°E |
| Area | Ranked 7th |
| • Total | 3,287,263 km2 (1,269,219 sq mi) |
| • Land | 91% |
| • Water | 9% |
| Coastline | 7,516.6 km (4,670.6 mi) |
| Borders | Total land borders:[1] 15,200 km (9,400 mi) Bangladesh: 4,096.70 km (2,545.57 mi) China (PRC): 3,488 km (2,167 mi) Pakistan: 3,323 km (2,065 mi) Nepal: 1,751 km (1,088 mi) Myanmar: 1,643 km (1,021 mi) Bhutan: 699 km (434 mi) |
| Highest point | Kangchenjunga 8,586 m (28,169 ft) |
| Lowest point | Kuttanad −2.2 m (−7.2 ft) |
| Longest river | Ganges (or Ganga) 2,525 km (1,569 mi) |
| Largest lake | Loktak Lake (freshwater) 287 to 500 km2 (111 to 193 sq mi) Chilika Lake (brackish water) 1,100 km2 (420 sq mi) |
| Exclusive economic zone | 2,305,143 km2 (890,021 sq mi) |
India is situated north of the equator between 8°4' north (the mainland) to 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' east to 97°25' east longitude.[2] It is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi).[3][4][5] India measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,933 km (1,822 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,516.6 km (4,671 mi).[1]
On the south, India projects into and is bounded by the Indian Ocean—in particular, by the Arabian Sea on the west, the Lakshadweep Sea to the southwest, the Bay of Bengal on the east, and the Indian Ocean proper to the south. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separate India from Sri Lanka to its immediate southeast, and the Maldives are some 125 kilometres (78 mi) to the south of India's Lakshadweep Islands across the Eight Degree Channel. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands, some 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) southeast of the mainland, share maritime borders with Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. The southernmost tip of the Indian mainland (8°4′38″N, 77°31′56″E) is just south of Kanyakumari, while the southernmost point in India is Indira Point on Great Nicobar Island. The northernmost point which is under Indian administration is Indira Col, Siachen Glacier.[6] India's territorial waters extend into the sea to a distance of 12 nautical miles (13.8 mi; 22.2 km) from the coast baseline.[7] India has the 18th largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 2,305,143 km2 (890,021 sq mi).
The northern frontiers of India are defined largely by the Himalayan mountain range, where the country borders China, Bhutan, and Nepal. Its western border with Pakistan lies in the Karakoram and Western Himalayan ranges, Punjab Plains, the Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch salt marshes. In the far northeast, the Chin Hills and Kachin Hills, deeply forested mountainous regions, separate India from Burma. On the east, its border with Bangladesh is largely defined by the Khasi Hills and Mizo Hills, and the watershed region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.[clarification needed]
The Ganges is the longest river originating in India. The Ganges–Brahmaputra system occupies most of northern, central, and eastern India, while the Deccan Plateau occupies most of southern India. Kangchenjunga, in the Indian state of Sikkim, is the highest point in India at 8,586 m (28,169 ft) and the world's third highest peak. The climate across India ranges from equatorial in the far south, to alpine and tundra in the upper regions of the Himalayas. Geologically, India lies on the Indian Plate, the northern part of the Indo-Australian Plate.
- ^ a b "Annual Report 2016-17, Ministry of Home Affairs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ India Yearbook, p. 1
- ^ "India". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2012. Total area includes disputed territories not under Indian control.
- ^ "India at a Glance: Area". Ministry of Home Affairs: Government of India. 2001. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Jammu and Kashmir - CIA" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 2002. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Manorama Yearbook 2006 (India – The Country)". Manorama Year Book. Malayala Manorama: 515. 2006. ISSN 0542-5778.
- ^ "Territorial extent of India's waters". The International Law of the Sea and Indian MaritimeLegislation. 30 April 2005. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2006.