Area
1. Which of the following statements are true about India? Use the code given below to select the correct answer:
- India is the fifth largest country in the world
- It occupies about 2.4 percent of the total area of the lithosphere.
- The whole of India lies in the tropic zone.
- 82.5°E longitude is used to determine Indian Standard Time
Code :
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 2 and 4
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]
Ans. (d) 2 and 4
- India is the seventh largest country in the world by area and second largest by population.
- It cover about 2.4% of the Earth’s total surface.
- The main part of India is located between 8º4′ North and 37º6′ North latitude, while the tropical zone is between 23º 30′ North and South latitude.
- Statement 1 and 3 are incorrect. The total area of India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is between 6º45′ and 37º 6′ North latitude.
- The Indian Standard Time is determined by 82.5°E longitude.
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2. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Total area of India – 3.28 million sq. km.
(b) Latitudinal extent – 8º4′ North and 37º6′ North
(c) Longitudinal extent – 68º7′ E – 97º25′ E
(d) Number of states in India – 26
[Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]
Ans. (d) Number of states in India – 26
- India has a total area of 3.28 million square kilometers.
- Its northernmost point is 8°4’N and its southernmost point is 37°6’N.
- Its easternmost point is 68°7’E and its westernmost point is 97°25’E. It is divided into 28 states and 8 UTs.
Trick: Latitudinal extent has all numbers from 3 to 8 except 5. |
3. The area of India is 2.4% of the total area of the world but it–
(a) the population is 16% of the world’s population
(b) the population is 17% of the world’s population
(c) the population is 18% of the world’s population
(d) the population is 28% of the world’s population
[39th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (b) the population is 17% of the world’s population
- The area of India is 3,287,263 square kilometers, which is about 2.4% of the total land area on Earth.
- The total population is 16.7% (or 17.5% according to the 2011 Census) of the world’s population. Therefore, option (b) is the best choice available.
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4. How many villages are (approximately) there in India –
(a) 5 lakh
(b) 6 lakh 30 thousand
(c) 8 lakh
(d) None of these
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (d) None of these
- According to Census 2011, the total number of villages in India is 6 lakh 40 thousand 9 hundred and 32. Thus option (d) is the correct answer.
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5. Which of the following statements about India is incorrect?
(a) India is the 7th largest country in the world
(b) India is the second most populous country in the world
(c) Its land boundary extends for around 15,200 km
(d) The earliest sunrise is seen in Mizoram State
[U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Mains) 2016]
Ans. (d) The earliest sunrise is seen in Mizoram State
- In 1999, people found out that it was not Katchal island in the Andmans, as many thought, but Dong (a village in Arunachal Pradesh) that saw the first sunrise in the world.
- Dong is also the farthest east village in India.
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Latitudinal & Longitudinal Expansion
1. The expansion of India is between –
(a) 37° 17′ 53” North and 8° 6′ 28″ South
(b) 37° 17′ 53″ North and 8° 4′ 28″ South
(c) 37° 17′ 53″ North and 8° 28″ North
(d) None of the above
[39th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1994]
Ans. (d) None of the above
- India stretches from 8°4′ North to 37°6′ North latitudes and 68° 7′ East to 97° 25′ East longitudes.
- The Tropic of Cancer goes almost right through the middle of India.
- This means that none of the options is accurate.
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2. The latitude that passes through Sikkim also passes through:
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Punjab
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Jammu & Kashmir
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (a) Rajasthan
- The same line of latitude goes through both Sikkim and Rajasthan.
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3. 700 East longitude passes through:-
(a) Jodhpur
(b) Jaisalmer
(c) Dholpur
(d) Nagaur
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (b) Jaisalmer
- 700 East longitude passes through Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
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India and the Tropic of Cancer
1. The Tropic of Cancer passes through which of the following states:-
(a) Odisha
(b) Bihar (Jharkhand)
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Andhra Pradesh
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]
Ans. (b) Bihar (Jharkhand)
- The Tropic of Cancer goes through the middle of India and goes through 8 states.
- Those states are Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- At the time of the test, Jharkhand was part of Bihar, so option (b) was the correct answer.
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2. Which one of the following towns is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer :
(a) Agartala
(b) Gandhinagar
(c) Jabalpur
(d) Ujjain
[U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1999, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (b) Gandhinagar
- According to the distance from the Tropic of Cancer, Gandhinagar is the nearest town. Thus option (b) is the correct answer.
- Tropic of Cancer passes through Jasdan in Gujarat, Kalinjarh in Rajasthan, Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh, Sunhat in Chhattisgarh, and Lohardaga in Jharkhand, Krishnanagar in West Bengal, Udaipur in Tripura, Champai in Mizoram.
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3. Among the following cities, which one is nearest to the Tropic of Cancer?
(a) Delhi
(b) Kolkata
(c) Jodhpur
(d) Nagpur
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2003]
Ans. (b) Kolkata
- The latitudinal position of the above cities in the context of the Tropic of Cancer is:-
Delhi – 28º25′ – 28º53′ North
Kolkata – 22º30′ North
Jodhpur – 26º0′ – 27º37′ North
Nagpur – 21º09′ North
- The Tropic of Cancer is located approximately 23º 30′ North of the Equator, so the nearest city to the Tropic of Cancer from the above options is Kolkata.
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4. Which of the following Indian states lies north of the tropic of Cancer?
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Manipur
(c) Mizoram
(d) Tripura
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) (Re. Exam) 2013, U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (b) Manipur
- The Tropic of Cancer goes through 8 Indian states: Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Manipur is north of the Tropic of Cancer.
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5. Which, among the following places, will have maximum day length in the month of June?
(a) Hyderabad
(b) Chennai
(c) Bhopal
(d) Delhi
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]
Ans. (d) Delhi
- In the northern hemisphere, the days start to get longer when the sun moves north of the equator.
- On June 21st (the summer solstice), the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer and the North Pole is tilted towards the sun.
- Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, the northern hemisphere will experience anywhere from 12 to 24 hours of daylight.
- Delhi is the best choice given the options since it is the furthest north from the Tropic of Cancer.
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Standard Time
1. When it is midnight at IST meridian, a place observes 6 A.M. The meridian on which the said place is located is
(a) 7º 31′ E
(b) 172º 30′ E
(c) 7º 30′ E
(d) 127º 30′ W
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2002]
Ans. (b) 172º30′ E
- When it is midnight at Indian Standard Time (IST), a place located east of India is observing 6:00 A.M.
- This is because the Sun rises earlier in the east. After 6 hours, the difference in their meridian will be 90 degrees (15 degrees per hour).
- IST is the time used all over India and is based on 01 82º30′ East longitude.
- This means the place is located at 172º 30′ East.
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2. How many hours of time difference will be there between the most western village of Gujrat and the most eastern village of Arunachal Pradesh, Walong ?
(a) 1 hour
(b) 2 hour
(c) 3 hour
(d) 1/2 hour
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1992]
Ans. (b) 2 hour
- Gujarat is located on the west coast of India and Arunachal Pradesh is located on the east coast of India.
- The difference in the longitudes of these two places is about 29º26′.
- Since each longitude is 4 minutes apart, the total difference in longitude is almost 2 hours.
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3. Consider the following statements:
- The longitude of Jabalpur’s location is between those of Indore and Bhopal.
- The latitude of Aurangabad’s location is between those of Vadodara and Pune.
- Bengaluru is situated more southward than Chennai.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3
(b) Only 2
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1, 2 and 3
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2003]
Ans. (c) 2 and 3
- Statement (1) – The longitude of Jabalpur’s location is not between those of Indore and Bhopal.
- Statement (2) – The latitude of Aurangabad is between those of Vadodara and Pune.
- Statement (3) – Bengaluru is situated more southward than Chennai.
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4. Which of the following cities is closest to the IST (Indian Standard Time) meridian?
(a) Rewa
(b) Sagar
(c) Ujjain
(d) Hoshangabad
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (a) Rewa
- Indian standard time (IST) is 5 : 30 hours (5 hours 30 minutes) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
- The Standard Time of India is calculated on 82º 30′ East longitude.
- It passes through Mirzapur district in Uttar Pradesh. The location of above cities with regard to their closeness to IST meridian is:
Rewa – 81º 02′ E to 82º 20′ E
Sagar – 78º 04′ E to 78º 20′ E
Ujjain – 75º 00′ E to 76º 30′ E
Hoshangabad – 76º 47′ E to 78º 44′ E
- Thus it is clear that Rewa is closest to the IST meridian.
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5. If it is 10.00 a.m. IST, then what would be the local time at Shillong at 92° E longitude?
(a) 9.38 a.m.
(b) 10.38 a.m.
(c) 10.22 a.m.
(d) 09.22 a.m.
[I.A.S. (Pre) 1999]
Ans. (b) 10.38 a.m.
- Indian Standard Time is calculated from 82.5° East longitude. Shillong is located further East, at 92°, which is 9.5° away from IST.
- Since each degree of longitude is equal to 4 minutes, the local time in Shillong would be 38 minutes ahead of IST.
- That means that if it is 10:00 am on Indian Standard Time, then in Shillong it would be 10:38 am.
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6. When it is noon at IST meridian, what would be the local time at 120º East longitude –
(a) 09.30
(b) 14.30
(c) 17.30
(d) 20.00
[U.P.P.C.S.(Pre) 2001]
Ans. (b) 14.30
- The time difference between India’s standard time and 120° East longitude is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- If it is noon in India, then the time at 120° East is 2:30 PM.
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7. The Indian Standard Time Meridian does not pass through
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Uttar Pradesh
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2010]
Ans. (c) Maharashtra
- The Indian Standard Time Meridian which is located at 82 21º E cuts through Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. However, it does not go through Telangana.
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8. The Indian Standard Time is taken from which of the following city?
(a) Allahabad (Naini)
(b) Lucknow
(c) Meerut
(d) Muzaff arnagar
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993]
Ans. (a) Allahabad (Naini)
- Indian Standard Time is based on 82° 30′ E longitude, which goes through Mirzapur (close to Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.
- It is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
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9. If the Sun rises at TIRAP in Arunachal Pradesh at 5.00 am (IST) then what time (IST) will the Sun rise in Kandla in Gujarat?
(a) About 5.30 a.m.
(b) About 6.00 a.m.
(c) About 7.00 a.m.
(d) About 7.30 a.m.
[U.P.P.C.S (Pre) 2010]
Ans. (c) About 7.00 a.m.
- Kandla in Gujarat and Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh are located at different longitudes, which means that the time difference between them is around two hours.
- For example, when the Sun rises at 5:00 am in Tirap (95° 32′), it will be 7:00 am in Kandla (70° 11′).
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Extreme Points
1. The southernmost point of India is-
(a) Kanyakumari
(b) Rameshwaram
(c) Indira Point
(d) Point Calimere
[Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2003, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (c) Indira Point
- The four extreme points of India are: Southernmost Point – Indira Point (6o 4′ N latitudes) is a village in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.
- It is located in the Great Nicobar tehsil. It is the location of the southernmost point of India’s territory.
- On the mainland, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu (8o 4′ N latitudes) is the southernmost point.
- Northernmost Point – Near Siachen Glacier, at Indira Col Ladakh.
- Westernmost point – Guhar Moti or Ghuar Mota (Gujarat).
- Easternmost Point – Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh).
- Point Calimere is located in state of Tamilnadu.
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2. Name the place in India where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean meet.
(a) Kanyakumari
(b) Indira Point
(c) Nagercoil
(d) Rameshwaram
[Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]
Ans. (a) Kanyakumari
- Kanyakumari is located at the bottom of India and is part of Tamil Nadu.
- It is the place where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean all join together.
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3. Which one of the following pair of states of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost state?
(a) Assam and Rajasthan
(b) Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
(c) Assam and Gujarat
(d) Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2015]
Ans. (d) Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat
- The easternmost state is Arunachal Pradesh and the westernmost is Gujarat.
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4. The westernmost point of India is –
(a) 68° 7′ W, Gujarat
(b) 68° 7′ W, Rajasthan
(c) 68° 7′ E, in Gujarat
(d) 68° 7′ E, Rajasthan
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]
Ans. (c) 68° 7′ E, in Gujarat
- Guhar Moti is located in Kutch, Gujarat, India.
- It is the westernmost point of India and its coordinates are 23.713 North and 68°7′ East.
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5. Which one among the following major Indian cities is most eastward located?
(a) Hyderabad
(b) Bhopal
(c) Lucknow
(d) Bengaluru (Bangalore)
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2007]
Ans. (c) Lucknow
- The location of the above-mentioned cities can be determined by their longitudinal extension, which are
Hyderabad – 78° 23′ E to 78º 68′ E
Bhopal – 77º 12′ E to 77º 40′ E
Lucknow – 80º 34′ E to 81º 12′ E
Bangalore (Now Bengaluru) – 77º 19′ E to 77º 50′ E
- All the above cities are located in the middle of the eastern longitudes.
- Thus, the city that has the largest longitudinal extension is located eastward.
- By looking at the above longitudes Lucknow is most eastward located.
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Bordering Countries
1. Consider the following statements :
- Assam shares border with Bhutan and Bangladesh.
- West Bengal shares border with Bhutan and Nepal.
- Mizoram shares border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2, and 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
[I.A.S. (Pre) 2006]
Ans. (a) 1, 2, and 3
- The political map of India shows that Assam is next to Bhutan and Bangladesh, West Bengal is next to Bhutan and Nepal and Mizoram is next to Bangladesh and Myanmar.
- All these statements are true, so (a) is the right answer.
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2. Extension of the International boundaries of India along with their neighboring countries in ascending order is
(a) China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal
(b) Nepal, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh
(c) Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China
(d) Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bangladesh
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2019]
Ans. (b) Nepal, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh
- India’s international borders, from smallest to largest, are Nepal, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh. Therefore, option (b) is the right option.
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3. Which one of the following states does not form the border with Bangladesh –
(a) Meghalaya
(b) Tripura
(c) Manipur
(d) Mizoram
[Uttrakhand U.D.A./LDA (Mains) 2007, U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2004, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2002, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002]
Ans. (c) Manipur
- Five Indian states, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, are located near Bangladesh’s six divisions, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Khulna, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Chittagong.
- Manipur, however, does not border Bangladesh, but does have an International border with Myanmar.
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4. Which one of the following Indian states does not share a border with Bhutan?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Meghalaya
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) West Bengal
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]
Ans. (b) Meghalaya
- Bhutan and India are close to each other and are separated by borders.
- Bhutan’s borders touch four Indian states: West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Meghalaya does not have a border with Bhutan, but it does with Bangladesh.
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5. Which of the following Indian states shares maximum boundary with Myanmar?
(a) Manipur
(b) Arunachal Pradesh
(c) Mizoram
(d) Nagaland
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2007]
Ans. (b) Arunachal Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh shares maximum boundary with Myanmar.
- The neighbouring countries of India are Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldive and Sri lanka.
- The Indian boundaries are of both types i.e., natural and man-made. India shares the longest land boundary with Bangladesh (4096.7 km) and the shortest Land boundary with Afghanistan (106 km).
- Indian states & UTs bordering with neighbouring countries are –
1. Bordering Pakistan – Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat
2. Bordering China – Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh
3. Bordering Nepal – Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal
4. Bordering Bangladesh – West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
5. Bordering Bhutan – West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
6. Bordering Myanmar – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram
7. Bordering Afghanistan – Ladakh
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6. Which of the following groups of Indian states share its boundaries with Pakistan?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.
(b) Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
(c) Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.
(d) Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat.
[U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2001, U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]
Ans. (b) Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
7. The group of Indian states neighboring Nepal is –
(a) Sikkim-Bhutan
(b) Sikkim-Bihar
(c) Asom- Bihar
(d) Uttar Pradesh-Haryana
[R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1999, 2000]
8. Which of the following states of India does not have a common border with Myanmar?
(a) Assam
(b) Nagaland
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Mizoram
[U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2012]
9. The boundary between India and Pakistan was demarcated by:
(a) Durand Line
(b) McMahon Line
(c) Maginot Line
(d) Radcliffe Line
[U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1996]
Ans. (d) Radcliffe Line
- The Radcliffe line divided India and Pakistan.
- The Durand line is the border between India and Afghanistan.
- The McMahon Line is the divide between India and China.
- The Maginot Line is the separation between France and Germany.
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10. The Durand Line demarcated the Indian boundary with which of the following countries?
(a) Afghanistan
(b) Burma
(c) Nepal
(d) Tibet
[U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2006]
11. The boundary line between India and Pakistan is an example of
(a) Superimposed boundary
(b) Antecedent boundary
(c) Relict boundary
(d) Subsequent boundary
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016]
Ans. (a) Superimposed boundary
- In 1947, Sir Radcliffe created a plan that divided Pakistan and India.
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12. Which of the following lines demarcates India and the south-eastern part of China?
(a) Durand Line
(b) McMahon Line
(d) Redcliff e Line
(d) None of these.
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993]
13. Which of the following separates India and Sri Lanka?
(a) Suez Canal
(b) Palk Strait bay
(c) Gulf of Khambhat
(d) Gulf of Kutch
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]
Ans. (b) Palk Strait bay
- Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait, which is approximately 64-137 km wide.
- The strait was named after Robert Palk, who was the governor of Madras at the time.
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14. Which State of India has borders with three countries namely Nepal, Bhutan, and China?
(a) Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Meghalaya
(c) West Bengal
(d) Sikkim
[M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008, M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2015]
Ans. (d) Sikkim
- Sikkim, a state in India, is surrounded by three countries: Nepal, Bhutan, and China.
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15. Which one of the following states of India has an international boundary on its three sides?
(a) Assam
(b) Nagaland
(c) Tripura
(d) West Bengal
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]
Ans. (c) Tripura
- Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, west, and south, making it have an international border on three sides.
- Assam and Mizoram are to the east of Tripura.
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