### **Chapter 1 – India: Size and Location**
#### 1. Ancient Civilization and Importance of India
* India is one of the world's oldest civilizations.
* Over the past five decades, India has made remarkable progress in **agriculture, industry, technology, and world trade**.
* India has also played a significant role in world history.
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#### 2. Size and Geographical Location of India
* India is a **vast country** located in the **Northern Hemisphere**.
* **Latitudinal extent:** 8°4′ N to 37°6′ N.
* **Longitudinal extent:** 68°7′ E to 97°25′ E.
* The **Tropic of Cancer (23°30′ N)** passes through the middle of India.
* **Area:** About **3.28 million sq. km**, which is **2.4% of the world's land area**.
* **Coastline:** About **7,516.6 km long** (including Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands).
* **North–South extent:** \~3,200 km.
* **East–West extent:** \~2,900 km.
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#### 3. Indian Standard Time (IST)
* The longitude **82°30′ E** (near Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh) is taken as the standard meridian of India.
* It gives a **uniform time** (IST) for the entire country.
* There is a time difference of about **2 hours** in sunrise/sunset between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh.
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#### 4. India and the World
* India lies in the **south of Asia** and its southern part extends into the **Indian Ocean**.
* This location connects India with **Asia, Europe, and Africa**.
* The **Indian Ocean is named after India**.
* After the **opening of the Suez Canal (1869)**, the distance between India and Europe was reduced by about **7,000 km**.
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#### 5. India's Boundaries and Neighbouring Countries
* India's **land boundary** is about **15,200 km** long.
* Neighbouring countries:
* **Northwest:** Pakistan, Afghanistan
* **North:** China, Nepal, Bhutan
* **East:** Bangladesh, Myanmar
* **South (by sea):** Sri Lanka and Maldives
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#### 6. Political Divisions of India
* India has **28 states and 8 Union Territories**.
* Before 1947, India was divided into **British provinces and princely states**.
* After independence, princely states and provinces were merged to form a **unified India**.
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#### 7. India's Global Importance and Contacts
* Since ancient times, India has been a **center of trade and cultural exchange**.
* India's **spices, textiles, mathematics, philosophy, and epics** (Ramayana, Mahabharata) influenced many parts of the world.
* India also received influences from **Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans**.
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✅ **In short:**
India, a vast country in the **south of Asia**, has a unique geographical position that has made it culturally, commercially, and politically important since ancient times. Its size, boundaries, neighbours, and sea routes have connected it with the rest of the world.
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