India: Geographical Facts

India is basically a peninsula, with the Arabian Sea on the west, the Bay of Bengal on the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south.  India, one of the world's most ancient and living civilizations is the 7th largest country in the world. With 2.4 per cent of the total surface area of the world, many of the Indian states themselves are larger than a number countries of the world.

The Himalayan Mountains separate India from much of the rest of Asia and China. The Himalayas have many of the tallest mountains in the world. The tallest mountain in India is the Kanchenjunga at 28, 208 feet.

Climate: Northern India, especially in the Himalayas, has seasonal temperatures with cool winters. Most of southern India, particularly inland, is hot and dry. Temperatures can reach as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Monsoons during June through September produce severe storms with rain. The western and north-eastern coasts hit by monsoons get considerable rain, some areas getting over 100 inches per year.

Population: 930 million people.

Geographic size: 1.2 million square miles.

Capital: New Delhi.

Major cities and population: New Delhi, Delhi (7 million), Bombay (13 million), Calcutta (11 million), Madras (6 million), Bangalore and Kanpur.

Tallest Mountain in India: Kanchenjunga

Longest River in India: Ganga (Ganges)

Coldest Place in India: Drass, Ladakh

Largest State in India: Rajasthan