GeographyICSE Class 8 · India: Geographical Features

India: Location, Extent, Political Divisions and Physiographic Divisions (ICSE Class 8)

Updated 17 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

India lies in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, between about 8 degrees 4 minutes N and 37 degrees 6 minutes N and 68 degrees 7 minutes E and 97 degrees 25 minutes E. The Tropic of Cancer divides it nearly into two halves, and the Standard Meridian 82 degrees 30 minutes E gives IST (5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT). It has 28 states and 8 union territories and six physiographic divisions: the Himalaya, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, Thar Desert, coastal plains and islands.

Understand India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions

1. Location and extent. Latitude of the mainland: about 8 degrees 4 minutes N to 37 degrees 6 minutes N. Longitude: about 68 degrees 7 minutes E to 97 degrees 25 minutes E. The Tropic of Cancer (23 degrees 30 minutes N) divides the country nearly in half and passes through eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. The Standard Meridian is 82 degrees 30 minutes E, passing near Mirzapur; IST is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Southernmost point: Indira Point on Great Nicobar; the mainland ends at Kanyakumari. Size: about 3.28 million sq km, about 3,214 km north to south and 2,933 km east to west.

2. Neighbours. Land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar (India's official map also shows a border with Afghanistan). Across the sea: Sri Lanka (Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar) and the Maldives. Water bodies: Arabian Sea (west), Bay of Bengal (east), Indian Ocean (south).

3. States and union territories. 28 states and 8 UTs. Examples of capitals: Assam - Dispur; Gujarat - Gandhinagar; Karnataka - Bengaluru; Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram; Odisha - Bhubaneswar; Telangana - Hyderabad; Uttarakhand - Dehradun; Andhra Pradesh - Amaravati; Chandigarh is the UT and the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. UT capitals: Delhi - New Delhi; Ladakh - Leh; Lakshadweep - Kavaratti; Puducherry - Puducherry; Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Sri Vijaya Puram; Jammu and Kashmir - Srinagar (summer) and Jammu (winter). Names and numbers can change by law, so check the latest official list.

4. The Himalaya. Young fold mountains formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, in three parallel ranges: Himadri (greater, highest, snow-covered, Kangchenjunga in Sikkim); Himachal (lesser; Shimla, Mussoorie, Darjeeling; Kashmir and Kullu valleys); Shiwaliks (outer, lowest, loose sediments, flat valleys called duns such as Dehradun). The Purvanchal hills (Patkai, Naga, Mizo) lie in the east. They act as a barrier to cold winds and give perennial rivers, forests, tourism and hydropower.

5. Northern Plains. Deposited by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries: flat, very fertile alluvial soil, one of the world's most densely populated regions. Punjab plains (west), Ganga plains (centre), Brahmaputra plains (Assam). Older alluvium is bhangar, newer khadar; the marshy belt at the foot of the Shiwaliks is the terai.

6. Peninsular Plateau. The oldest landmass, of ancient hard rocks. Central Highlands (north of the Narmada, including Malwa) and the Deccan Plateau (south of the Narmada). Western Ghats (continuous, higher; Anai Mudi is the highest peak of south India) and Eastern Ghats (broken by rivers, lower). Rich in minerals; black soil suits cotton.

7. Thar Desert. Western Rajasthan; sandy dunes; rainfall usually below 25 cm a year; the Luni is the main river; thorny sparse vegetation.

8. Coastal plains and islands. Western coastal plain: narrow, between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea (Konkan, Kannad, Malabar; backwaters of Kerala). Eastern coastal plain: wider, along the Bay of Bengal (Northern Circars, Coromandel coast; deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri; Chilika Lake). Islands: Andaman and Nicobar (Bay of Bengal; Barren Island has India's only active volcano) and Lakshadweep (small coral islands in the Arabian Sea).

India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions: key facts

Extent: $L a t i t u d e 8 d e g r ees 4 min u t es N t o 37 d e g r ees 6 min u t es N ∣ L o n g i t u d e 68 d e g r ees 7 min u t es E t o 97 d e g r ees 25 min u t es E$
Time: $S t an d a r d M er i d ian 82 d e g r ees 30 min u t es E ∣ I S T = GM T + 5 h o u r s 30 min u t es ∣1 d e g r eeo f l o n g i t u d e = 4 min u t es$
Size: Area about 3.28 million sq km
North-south 3,214 km
East-west 2,933 km
Divisions: Himalaya
Northern Plains
Peninsular Plateau
Thar Desert
Coastal plains
Islands

How to answer India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions questions

For location questions, give latitude and longitude with degrees and minutes.

1For time sums, use 1 degree = 4 minutes and say whether the place is east (ahead) or west (behind).
2For physiographic divisions, give location, origin or formation, features and importance.
3Use examples for each: peaks, rivers, towns and states.
4Learn state-capital pairs in groups of four.

India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Phoning across the country

Suppose a student in a far eastern town at 97 degrees E asks a friend in a far western town at 68 degrees E what time it is.

By how many minutes would the local sun times differ, and why does India still use one time?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Longitude difference = 97 - 68 = 29 degrees.
Time difference = 29 x 4 = 116 minutes, about 1 hour 56 minutes; the east is ahead.
India uses one Standard Time (IST) based on 82 degrees 30 minutes E to avoid confusion across the country.

Answer: 116 minutes (about 1 h 56 min); one IST avoids confusion.

Memory hook: East ahead, 4 minutes per degree.

Tricks to remember India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Tropic through eight
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram: GRMC JW TM.
Use it when: States on the Tropic of Cancer.
Himadri, Himachal, Shiwalik
Greater, lesser, outer: high to low, north to south.
Use it when: Himalaya ranges.
East ahead, west behind
IST at 82.5 degrees E; places east are ahead of IST, west behind.
Use it when: Time sums.

India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Standard time · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

What is the Standard Meridian of India? By how much is IST ahead of GMT?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Standard Meridian is 82 degrees 30 minutes E, which passes near Mirzapur.
82.5 x 4 = 330 minutes = 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT.

Answer: 82 degrees 30 minutes E; IST is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT.

Example 2: Neighbours · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Name the six countries that share land borders with India (as listed in the syllabus text) and the water body to the south.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The Indian Ocean lies to the south.

Answer: Six neighbours as listed; Indian Ocean to the south.

Example 3: Time difference · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

The extreme longitudes of mainland India are about 68 degrees 7 minutes E and 97 degrees 25 minutes E. (a) Find the difference in longitude. (b) Find the difference in local time between the two places.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) 97 degrees 25 minutes - 68 degrees 7 minutes = 29 degrees 18 minutes.
(b) 29 degrees x 4 = 116 minutes; 18 minutes of arc x 4 seconds per minute of arc = 72 seconds; total = 117 minutes 12 seconds, about 1 hour 57 minutes.

Answer: (a) 29 degrees 18 minutes. (b) 117 minutes 12 seconds, i.e. 1 hour 57 minutes 12 seconds (about 1 hour 57 minutes).

Example 4: Himalayan ranges · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Describe the three parallel ranges of the Himalaya from north to south, naming one feature of each.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Himadri (greater): highest and snow-covered; Kangchenjunga.
Himachal (lesser): hill stations such as Shimla and Mussoorie.
Shiwaliks (outer): lowest, loose sediments, with duns such as Dehradun.

Answer: Himadri, Himachal, Shiwaliks with features as above.

Example 5: Compare the coasts · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Compare the western and eastern coastal plains of India under: (a) width, (b) rivers and deltas, (c) named parts, (d) one unique feature.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(a) Western: narrow, between Western Ghats and Arabian Sea; eastern: wider, along the Bay of Bengal.
(b) The eastern coast has the large deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri; the western coast is noted for lagoons (backwaters) in Kerala rather than deltas.
(c) Western: Konkan, Kannad, Malabar; eastern: Northern Circars and Coromandel.
(d) Western: backwaters of Kerala; eastern: Chilika Lake.

Answer: Narrow western against wider eastern with deltas; named parts and backwaters against Chilika Lake.

Where students lose marks in India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Wrong time direction
East places are said to be behind IST.
Do this: East is ahead, west is behind; 1 degree = 4 minutes.
Usually costs: 2 marks.
Mistake: Mixing Himadri and Shiwaliks
Names and heights are interchanged.
Do this: Himadri: highest; Shiwaliks: lowest outer range.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong state capital pairs
Mumbai/Gandhinagar swapped.
Do this: Revise capitals in pairs: Maharashtra - Mumbai; Gujarat - Gandhinagar.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: No units in size or distance
Km and degrees omitted.
Do this: Always write km, sq km or degrees.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

Write latitudes and longitudes in the form degrees and minutes.
Draw a quick outline map to check neighbours and divisions.
Use the 4-minutes-per-degree rule and show every step.
Quote UT and state numbers as 28 and 8, and note that lists can change by law.

Practice questions on India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which state does the Tropic of Cancer NOT pass through?
(a) Gujarat
(b) Odisha
(c) Mizoram
(d) Tripura
Hint
Check the list of eight.
Answer
(b) Odisha.
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
Name the capital of (a) Assam and (b) Uttarakhand.
Hint
Dispur; Dehradun.
Answer
(a) Dispur (b) Dehradun.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
What are duns? Give one example.
Hint
Valleys in the Shiwaliks.
Answer
Flat valleys in the Shiwaliks; for example Dehradun.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Calculate the time at a place 82 degrees 30 minutes E when it is 12 noon at 0 degrees longitude (GMT), and the time at 90 degrees E.
Hint
4 minutes per degree.
Answer
At 82 degrees 30 minutes E: 82.5 x 4 = 330 minutes = 5 h 30 min ahead, so 5:30 pm. At 90 degrees E: 90 x 4 = 360 minutes = 6 hours ahead, so 6:00 pm.
Q5 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): The Western Ghats receive heavy rainfall on their western side.
Reason (R): They are continuous and higher than the Eastern Ghats and face the moist monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Hint
Which side faces the winds?
Answer
(a) The continuous, high Ghats block the moist winds on the windward side.
Q6 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Describe the Northern Plains under: (a) formation, (b) soil, (c) three divisions, (d) bhangar, khadar and terai.
Hint
Four headings.
Answer
(a) Formed by deposits of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries. (b) Fertile alluvial soil. (c) Punjab plains, Ganga plains and Brahmaputra plains. (d) Bhangar is older alluvium, khadar is newer alluvium, and the terai is the marshy belt at the foot of the Shiwaliks.
Q7 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
"The Himalaya are important to India in more than one way." Explain with four points.
Hint
Climate, rivers, economy.
Answer
They act as a barrier to cold winds from Central Asia; they give rise to perennial rivers that create the fertile plains; they provide forests and hydropower; and their scenery supports tourism and hill stations.
Q8 · 3 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
A map shows a place at 12 degrees N and 80 degrees E on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, with a delta and a coastal plain. Using the syllabus, decide which physiographic division and which part of the coast it belongs to, and name one river delta on that coast.
Hint
Eastern coast, south.
Answer
It is on the eastern coastal plain, in the Coromandel coast region facing the Bay of Bengal. A river delta on that coast is that of the Kaveri (or Godavari or Krishna to the north).

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.States on the Tropic of Cancer?Show answer
Eight: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram.
2.IST relative to GMT?Show answer
5 hours 30 minutes ahead.
3.Oldest landmass of India?Show answer
The Peninsular Plateau.
4.Highest peak of south India?Show answer
Anai Mudi.
5.India's only active volcano?Show answer
Barren Island.

India: Location, Neighbours, States and Physiographic Divisions: frequently asked questions

How many states and UTs does India have?

28 states and 8 union territories, as listed in the chapter; names and numbers can change by law.

Which is the southernmost point of India?

Indira Point on Great Nicobar; the mainland ends at Kanyakumari.

Why are the Shiwaliks called the outer Himalaya?

They are the outermost and lowest range, made of loose sediments.

What is the importance of the Thar Desert's Luni river?

It is the main river of the desert region.