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Question 30 of 61 · Physical Features of India
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The total geographical area of India is about:

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Answer: Option D — 32,87,263 square km

Detailed Solution

India has a total geographical area of about 32.87 lakh square km (3.287 million square km), making it the seventh largest country in the world by area.

India's share of the world:

  • India accounts for about 2.4 percent of the world's total land area.
  • But it supports about 17 to 18 percent of the world's population.
  • In 2023, India became the most populous country in the world, according to UN estimates.

The seven largest countries by area:

  • Russia, Canada, the USA, China, Brazil, Australia and India.
  • (The relative ranks of the USA and China depend on how certain territories and waters are counted.)

India's dimensions:

  • North-south extent: about 3,214 km, from Ladakh in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
  • East-west extent: about 2,933 km, from Gujarat in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.

Coastline: the length was traditionally given as about 7,516 km, including the islands. A re-measurement using modern methods, released in 2025, gives a much longer figure of over 11,000 km.

Largest and smallest states by area:

  • Largest: Rajasthan (about 3.42 lakh square km), followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
  • Smallest: Goa (about 3,702 square km).
  • Largest Union Territory: Ladakh; smallest: Lakshadweep.

Physiographic divisions:

India is divided into six major physiographic divisions: the Himalayan mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the Coastal Plains and the Islands.

Land use:

  • About half of India's land area is used for agriculture, one of the highest proportions in the world.
  • About 21 to 25 percent is under forest and tree cover.

Official figures:

The area of 32,87,263 square km includes the areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh under illegal occupation of Pakistan and China, as claimed by India.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗28,74,000, 36,12,000 and 42,50,000 square km do not match India's official area.

Quick tip

Remember: India's area = 32,87,263 square km (about 2.4 percent of the world); 7th largest country; largest state = Rajasthan.

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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.

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