India is the seventh largest country in the world and the second largest country in Asia. It is separated from the rest of the continent by the Himalayas. With an area of 32,87,263 sq.km, India accounts for about 2.4% of the total area of the world. Many Indian states are larger than several countries of the world.
1. Frontiers and Location
Land and Water Frontiers
- India has a 15,200 km long land frontier: Pakistan and Afghanistan in the north-west, China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east.
- The longest border is with Bangladesh (4156 km); the shortest is with Afghanistan (106 km).
- The mainland coastline is about 6,100 km, washed by the Indian Ocean and its two arms – the Arabian Sea (west) and the Bay of Bengal (east). Including the islands, the coastline is 7516.6 km.
- India and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow and shallow sea called the Palk Strait.