II. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Area and Location
Most of the country of India lies on a peninsula in Southern Asia that extends into the Indian Ocean. As shown in figure 1, India is bordered to the north and west by Pakistan. To the northeast resides China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Burma. India tapers into the Indian Ocean dividing it into two bays, the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. Besides the mainland, there are two groups of islands, specifically Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Figure 1. Map of India and Surrounding Countries.
Source: "Country Background Notes: India." U.S. Department of State. 1. <http://www.state.gov/p/sca/ci/in/index.htm>.
India is the seventh largest country in the world covering an area of 3.29 million square kilometers (U.S. Department of State 1). It is about the size of a third of the United States (CIA World Fact Book 1).
Topography
There are three main topographical features in India. These are the Himalayan Mountains, the Deccan Plateau, and the Indo-Gangetic Plains. In the north, the Himalayan Mountains form a physical and climatic barrier from the rest of Asia. Together, the Himalayan Mountains span approximately 1,500 miles and are home to some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest, which rises 8,850 meters and K2, which rises 8,611 meters (Swiss Foundation 1). The Deccan Plateau makes up the majority of Central and Southern India covering an area of 1.9 million square kilometers. It is mainly flat with elev ...