- GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA -

GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

Location of India Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan.
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Geographic Co-ordinates 20 00 N, 77 00 E

Area
Total 3,287,590 sq km
Land 2,973,190 sq km
Water 314,400 sq km
Comparative Slightly more than one-third the size of the US.

Land boundaries (Total) 14,103 km.

Border Shared With Countries
Bangladesh 4,053 km
Bhutan 605 km
Burma 1,463 km
China 3,380 km
Nepal 1,690 km
Pakistan 2,912 km

Coastline: Claims and Boundaries
Coastline 7,000 km
Maritime claims (Contiguous zone) 24 NM
Territorial sea 12 NM
Continental shelf 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone 200 NM

Climate Varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Terrain Upland Plain (Deccan Plateau) in South, Flat to Rolling Plain along the Ganges, Deserts in West, Himalayas in North.

Elevation extremes
Lowest point Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources Coal, Iron Ore, Manganese, Mica, Bauxite, Titanium Ore, Chromite, Natural Gas, Diamonds, Petroleum, Limestone, Arable Land

Land use
Arable land 54.35%
Permanent crops 2.66%
Other's 42.99% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land 590,000 sq km (1998 est.)


Natural hazards Droughts, Flash Floods, Widespread and Destructive Flooding from Monsoonal Rains, Severe Thunderstorms, Earthquakes.

Environment
Current issues Deforestation, Soil Erosion, Overgrazing, Desertification, Air Pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions, Water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides, Tap water is not potable throughout the country, Huge and growing population is verstraining natural resources.
International agreements Party To: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling.
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements