Social class VI

1. Our Country India

2. India Size and Location
• Our country India is a great country in the world It is
very Beautiful and of vast geographical expanse.
• India is seventh largest country in the world has an
area of about 3.28 million sq. km.
• The north-south extent from Kashmir to Kanyakumari
is about 3,200 km. And the east-west extent
from Arunachal Pradesh to Kuchchh is about 2,900
km.
• Located in Centrally South Asia, India protrudes in the
Indian Ocean as Peninsula

3. India’s Grid Location
• India is located in the northern hemisphere.
• The Tropic of Cancer (23°30‘N) passes
almost halfway through the country.
• Latitude extent- From south to north, the
mainland of India extends between 8°4 ‘ N and
37°6 ‘ N latitudes.
• longitudes extent- From west to east, India
extends between 68°7 ‘ E and 97°25 ‘ E
longitudes

5. India’s Neighbours
• There are seven countries that share land boundaries with India. These are –
Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

6. India’s Neighbours
• Short Trick- बचपन में MBA किया
ब- Bangladesh
च- China
प- Pakistan
न- Nepal
M- Myanmar
B- Bhutan
A- Afghanistan
Our island neighbours are- Sri
Lanka and the Maldives. Sri Lanka is
separated from India by the Palk
Strait.

7. Political and Administrative Divisions
• For administrative purposes, the country is divided into 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
• The states have been formed mainly on the basis of languages.
• Rajasthan is the largest state and Goa is the smallest state in terms of area.
• Telangana became the 29th state (because that time J & K was a state) of India on 2 June
2014.
• On 31 October 2019 Jammu and Kashmir became union territory.
• Union Territory of Daman and Diu has been merged with the Union Territory, Dadra and
Nagar Haveli and the new UT will be called Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
with effect from 26 January 2020.

8. Political and Administrative
Divisions

9. Physical Division
Our Country India has a diversity of
physical features such as
• mountains,
• plateaus,
• plains,
• coasts and
• islands.

10. Himalayan
The word Himalayan is derived from
Him+alaya mean ‘the abode of snow’. The
Himalayan mountains are divided into three
main parallel ranges.
Great Himalaya or Himadri– The
northernmost is the Great Himalaya or
Himadri. The world’s highest peaks are
located in this range.
Middle Himalaya or Himachal– lies to the
south of Himadri.
The Shiwalik– is the southernmost range.

12. The Great Indian Desert
• In the western part of India lies the
Great Indian desert. It is a dry, hot and
sandy stretch of land. It has very little
vegetation.

14. Aravali hills, one of the oldest
ranges of the world, border it
on the north-west side.
The Vindhyas and the Satpuras
are the important ranges.
The rivers Narmada and Tapi
flow through these ranges.
These are west-flowing rivers
that drain into the Arabian
Sea.
The Western Ghats or Sahyadris
border the plateau in the west
and the Eastern Ghats provide
the eastern boundary.

17. Some Important Terms
• Peninsula: A piece of land that is surrounded by water on three sides.
• Desert: A vast sandy stretch of land.
• Island: A piece of land that is surrounded by water on all sides.
• Tributary: A small river or stream that contributes its water to the main river by discharging it into the main river from either side.
• Delta: An area of land formed at the mouth of the river. It is usually triangular in shape.
• Alluvial deposits: Fine soil brought by rivers and deposited in the river basins.
• Corals: These are skeletons of tiny marine animals called polyps.
• Tsunami: A strong and devastating harbour wave, generated due to an earthquake on the seafloor.
• Strait: A narrow passage of water connecting two large water bodies like seas and oceans.
• The Indian Ocean- The Indian Ocean is present in the south of our country India it is the third-largest of the world’s five oceanic divisions.
• The Himalayas– The Himalayas, are a mountain range in Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.
• The Arabian Sea– It is present in the southwestern part of India. The Indian state Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala touch the Arabian Sea.
• The Bay of Bengal– It is present in the south-eastern part of India. The Indian states Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh touch the Bay of Bengal.

18. Exercise
1. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) Name the major physical divisions of India.
Answer – The major physical divisions of India: (i) The Himalayas (ii) The Northern
Indian Plains (iii) The Great Indian Desert (iv) The Peninsular Plateau (v) The Coastal
plains (vi) The two groups of Islands
(b) India shares its land boundaries with seven countries. Name them.
Answer – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar share
their border with India.
(c) Which two major rivers fall into the Arabian Sea?
Answer – The two major rivers that fall into Arabian Sea are Narmada and Tapi.
(d) Name the delta formed by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
Answer – Sunderbans delta is formed where the Ganga and the Brahmaputra flow into
Bay of Bengal.

19. Exercise
(e) How many States and Union Territories are there in India? Which states
have a common capital?
Answer – There are 28 states and 8 Union Territories. Haryana and Punjab have the same
capital.
(f) Why do a large number of people live in the Northern Plains?
Answer – A large number of people live in the Northern Plains, because the river plains
provide fertile land for cultivation.
(g) Why is Lakshadweep known as a coral island?
Answer – Lakshadweep islands are called as the coral islands, because they have been
formed from corals. Corals are formed from the skeletons of tiny marine animals called
polyps.

20. 2. Tick the correct answers.
(a) The southernmost Himalayas are known as
(i) Shiwaliks
(ii) Himadri
(iii) Himachal
(b) Sahyadris is also known as
(i) Aravali
(ii) Western Ghats
(iii) Himadri
(c) The Palk Strait lies between the countries
(i) Sri Lanka and Maldives
(ii) India and Sri Lanka
(iii) India and Maldives
(d) The Indian islands in the Arabian Sea are known as
(i) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(ii) Lakshadweep Islands
(iii) Maldives
(e) The oldest mountain range in India is the
(i) Aravali hills
(ii) Western ghats
(iii) Himalayas
Exercise

21. • Answer –
• (a) The southernmost Himalayas are known as – (i) Shiwaliks
• (b) Sahyadris is also known as – (ii) Western Ghats
• (c) The Palk Strait lies between the countries – (ii) India and Sri Lanka
• (d) The Indian islands in the Arabian Sea are known as – (ii) Lakshadweep Islands
• (e) The oldest mountain range in India is the – (i) Aravali hills
Exercise

22. Exercise

23. • Map skills
• 1. On an outline map of India, mark the following.
• (a) Tropic of Cancer
• (b) Standard Meridian of India
• (c) State in which you live
• (d) Andaman Islands and Lakshadweep Islands
• (e) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
Exercise