India – Its Geographic Features
India is located in the southern part of Asia and has a land border of 15,106.7 km and coastline of 7,516.6 km. It is latitudinally located in the Northern Hemisphere and longitudinally located in the Eastern hemisphere.
In terms of population, India is the second largest country in the world and in terms of area, India is the seventh largest country in the world.
Given below is a table that showcases a brief description of India and its neighbouring countries:
| India & Its Neighbouring Countries | |
| Country | India |
| Number of Neighbouring Countries | 9 |
| Length of Land Border | 15,106.7 km |
| Coastline | 7,516.6 km |
India’s Neighbouring Countries – Capital & State Borders
The table given below gives the list of neighbouring countries of India along with their capital and Indian states that they share border with:
| Neighbouring Countries – Capital & State Borders | ||
| Neighbouring Country | Capital | Indian States which share Border |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | Ladakh (PoK) |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam |
| Bhutan | Thimphu | West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh & Assam |
| China | Beijing | Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh |
| Myanmar | Yangon | Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | Bihar, Uttarakhand, UP, Sikkim and West Bengal |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat |
| Sri Lanka | Colombo | It is separated to India by Gulf of Mannar |
| Maldives | Male | It lies in the south-west part of India Ocean below the Lakshadweep Island |
Neighbouring Countries – A Brief Summary
Further, we shall discuss the countries which share boundaries with India, along with the essential information with respect to the competitive exams.
-
Afghanistan
Border Length- 106 km
Official Languages – Dari, Pashto
Currency – Afghan Afghani
States/ Provinces – 34 Provinces
Located in Central Asia, Afghanistan has an area of about 6,52,230 sq km. Major dependence of this country’s economy is on agriculture. The prominent religion that is followed by the people in Afghanistan is Islam and the main industrial activities include manufacturing of cotton textiles, woven carpets, handicrafts and woollens.
-
Bangladesh
Border Line – 4096.7 Km
Official Language – Bengali
Currency – Bangladeshi taka
States/ Provinces – 8 Provinces
India and Bangladesh share one of the longest borders in the world and It covers an area of 1,43,998 sq km and has a coastline of 580 km. The Bangladeshi states, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet share their borders with India.
-
Bhutan
Border Line – 699 km
Official Language – Dzongkha
Currency – Ngultrum
States/ Provinces – 20 States
Spread over an area of 38, 394 sq km, the population of this country follows Buddhism followed by Hinduism. There is a parliamentary form of government in Bhutan and the main sources of economy includes Hydropower, agriculture, forestry and tourism.
-
China
Border Line – 3488 km
Official Language – Mandarin
Currency – Chinese Yuan
States/ Provinces – 26 Provinces
The world’s most populated country, China, spreads over an area of about 95,96,960 sq km. The country is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. India and China hold cordial relations but there are certain disputes which lead to strained relations between the two countries.
-
Myanmar
Border Line – 1643 km
Official Language – Burmese
Currency – Burmese Kyat
Located in thewestern portion of mainland South Asia Myanmar and is spread over an area of 6,76,578 sq km. The country is governed by the presidential republic by a bicameral legislature. India is Myanmar’s fourth largest export market.
-
Nepal
Border Line – 1751 km
Official Language – Nepali
Currency – Nepalese Rupee
States/ Provinces – 7 Provinces
Nepal is located to the north east of India and extended over an area of 1,47,181 sq km. The world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest is located in Nepal. Also, eight of the tallest mountain peaks out of the 10 across the world, are located in Nepal. A major part of the economy is handled by tourism and the Government is a federal parliamentary republic.
-
Pakistan
Border Line – 3323 km
Official Language – Urdu
Currency – Pakistani Rupee
States/ Provinces – 4 Provinces
A country which was initially a part of India, was separated to form a new country, named Pakistan. This country spans over an area of 7,96,095 sq km. The Prime Minister is the head of the country and all major decisions are made under his supervision.
-
Sri Lanka
Border Line – Sea Border
Official Language – Sinhala, Tamil
Currency – Sri Lankan Rupee
States/ Provinces – 9 States
One of the two countries which share Indian coastline, Sri Lanka is spread over an area of 65,610 sq km. It is considered as a tourist destination by many and is one of those places which is a home to many ethnic groups and religious cultures.
-
Maldives
Border Line – Sea Border
Official Language – Dhivehi
Currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa
States/ Provinces – 1 Only
Located in the Indian Ocean-Arabian sea area, the island nation of Maldives is located to the south west of India. Spread over an area of 298 sq km only, Maldives comprises more than a thousand coral islands. The predominant religion in the country is Islam.
The information given above shall help candidates prepare themselves for the various competitive exams.
Sample Questions for Neighbouring Countries in India
Given below are a few questions for the reference of candidates to analyse the type of questions asked with respect to this topic in the various competitive Government exams.
Q 1. Which of these Indian states does not share a border with Bhutan?
- Assam
- Sikkim
- Meghalaya
- Arunachal Pradesh
- West Bengal
Answer: (3) Meghalaya
Q 2. Which two countries share the longest border in the world?
- India & Bhutan
- India & Pakistan
- China & India
- Myanmar & India
- India & Bangladesh
Answer: (5) India & Bangladesh
Q 3. How many countries share the sea border with India?
- One
- Three
- Four
- Two
- Seven
Answer: (4) Two
Q 4. Which country shares the smallest border with India?
- Pakistan
- China
- Bhutan
- Myanmar
- Afghanistan
Answer: (5) Afghanistan
Q 5. Which is the smallest neighbouring country of India?
- Bhutan
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Afghanistan
- None of the Above
Answer: (1) Bhutan
The above mentioned questions may candidates understand the type of questions asked related to this topic in the general awareness section of the exam.