Geography

At a glance 10 facts

1. 1India's extentThe mainland runs from 8°4' N to 37°6' N and from 68°7' E to 97°25' E; the Tropic of Cancer (23°30' N) crosses its middle.
2. 2Tropic of Cancer statesEight states, west to east: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram. Odisha lies south of it.
3. 3Longitude and time1° of longitude = 4 minutes of time. IST is set on 82°30' E, 5 h 30 min ahead of GMT. Kiribati's Line Islands, on UTC+14, see each new day first.
4. 4India and Sri LankaThe Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar separate Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka.
5. 5IslandsTen Degree Channel: between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Lakshadweep is of coral origin. Barren Island, in the Andaman and Nicobar group, is India's only active volcano.
6. 6Western GhatsSahyadri in Maharashtra, Nilgiri in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Anaimalai and Cardamom Hills in Kerala. Anamudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak of the peninsula.
7. 7Which way rivers flowNarmada and Tapi flow west through rift valleys to the Arabian Sea; Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri flow east to the Bay of Bengal and form deltas.
8. 8Cities on riversSrinagar (Jhelum), Lucknow (Gomti), Surat (Tapi), Nashik (Godavari), Cuttack (Mahanadi).
9. 9Mountain passesZoji La: Kashmir valley to Ladakh, on the Srinagar to Leh road. Shipki La: Himachal Pradesh to Tibet. Nathu La: Sikkim to Tibet. Bomdi La: Arunachal Pradesh.
10. 10SoilsBlack soil (regur) forms on Deccan Trap lava (basalt) and suits cotton; red soil forms on crystalline igneous rocks; laterite where heavy rain leaches the soil.