SSC
India's share of the world's total land area is about:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — 2.4%
Detailed Solution
India covers a total area of about 32.87 lakh square kilometres (3.287 million sq km). This is about 2.4% of the total land area of the world. India is the seventh-largest country in the world by area, after Russia, Canada, the United States, China, Brazil and Australia.
In contrast, India is home to about 17-18% of the world's population. In 2023, India overtook China to become the most populous country in the world, according to United Nations estimates. This means that India has to support a very large population on a relatively small share of the world's land, which puts great pressure on its land, water and other natural resources.
India also has about 4% of the world's freshwater resources and about 7-8% of the world's recorded species of plants and animals.
Some important facts about India's size and location:
India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. Its mainland extends between latitudes 8°4'N and 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E.
The Tropic of Cancer (23°30'N) passes through the middle of the country, through eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
The north-south extent is about 3,214 kilometres, and the east-west extent is about 2,933 kilometres.
India's land boundary is about 15,200 kilometres long, and the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands together is about 7,516.6 kilometres (a new government estimate in 2024-25 put the coastline at about 11,098 kilometres using improved methods).
The Standard Meridian of India is 82°30'E, passing near Mirzapur (Prayagraj) in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
India's southernmost point is Indira Point in the Great Nicobar Island; the southernmost point of the mainland is Kanyakumari.
Why not the other options?
- ✗4.2% is incorrect.
- ✗7.5% is close to India's share of the world's recorded species.
- ✗17.8% is close to India's share of the world's population.
Quick tip
Remember: India = 2.4% of world land, about 17-18% of world population, 7th largest country; Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states; IST meridian = 82°30'E; southernmost point = Indira Point.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Physical Features of India Questions
View all ›- Q1.Which is the largest state of India by area?
- Q2.The stretch of the western coast of India between Mumbai and Goa is known as the:
- Q3.The Eastern Ghats stretch from the:
- Q4.In India, 'Kayals', a distinctive feature of the Malabar Coast, refer to:
- Q5.Doddabetta Peak is located in which of the following hill ranges?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Physical Features of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Physical Features of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's location and extent, its neighbours and boundary lines, and its physiographic divisions: the Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains and the islands, along with important mountain passes, peaks and hill ranges. Questions often ask which states the Tropic of Cancer passes through, the southernmost point of India (Indira Point), the highest peak in India (Kangchenjunga), and which pass connects which regions. India shares its longest land border with Bangladesh. Learning the Himalayan ranges from north to south (Himadri, Himachal and Shiwaliks) is also useful. Practise the physical features of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.