Indian Geography (Part-II)

21. Which of the following line demarcates India and the south-eastern part of China? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993]

(a) Durand Line
(b) McMahon Line
(c) Radcliffe Line
(d) None of these

Correct Answer: (b) McMahon Line

Solution:The boundary line between India and China was named McMahon Line. This boundary line was determined by Sir Henry McMahon. It is a geographical border between Northeast India and Tibet. It is the boundary between China and India, although its legal status is disputed by the Chinese government. It was negotiated between Tibet and Great Britain at the end of the Shimla Conference in 1914. It is named after Henry McMahon, who was the foreign secretary of British India and the chief negotiator of the convention at Simla. The length of this boundary is 890 kilometers. It runs from the eastern border of Bhutan along the crest of the Himalayas until it reaches the great bend in the Brahmaputra River, where that river emerges from its Tibetan course into the Assam Valley. Though India considers the McMahon Line as the legal national border, China rejects it, contending that Tibet was not a sovereign state and therefore did not have the power to conclude treaties.

22. McMahon line forms the boundary between - [U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]

(a) India and China
(b) India and Pakistan
(c) India and Myanmar
(d) India and Nepal

Correct Answer: (a) India and China

Solution:The boundary line between India and China was named McMahon Line. This boundary line was determined by Sir Henry McMahon. It is a geographical border between Northeast India and Tibet. It is the boundary between China and India, although its legal status is disputed by the Chinese government. It was negotiated between Tibet and Great Britain at the end of the Shimla Conference in 1914. It is named after Henry McMahon, who was the foreign secretary of British India and the chief negotiator of the convention at Simla. The length of this boundary is 890 kilometers. It runs from the eastern border of Bhutan along the crest of the Himalayas until it reaches the great bend in the Brahmaputra River, where that river emerges from its Tibetan course into the Assam Valley. Though India considers the McMahon Line as the legal national border, China rejects it, contending that Tibet was not a sovereign state and therefore did not have the power to conclude treaties

23. Which of the following separates India and Sri Lanka? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]

(a) Suez Canal
(b) Palk Strait Bay
(c) Gulf of Khambhat
(d) Gulf of Kutch

Correct Answer: (b) Palk Strait Bay

Solution:Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separated Sri Lanka from India. Palk Strait: A strait connecting the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, lying between the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the Sri Lankan Jaffna peninsula.
Gulf of Mannar: A large shallow bay in the Indian Ocean, situated near Mannar Island in Sri Lanka.
Adam's Bridge: A chain of shoals connecting the Palk Strait to the Gulf of Mannar.

24. Which State of India has borders with three countries namely Nepal, Bhutan and China? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008, M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2015]

(a) Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Meghalaya
(c) West Bengal
(d) Sikkim

Correct Answer: (d) Sikkim

Solution:The boundary line between India and China was named McMahon Line. This boundary line was determined by Sir Henry McMahon. It is a geographical border between Northeast India and Tibet. It is the boundary between China and India, although its legal status is disputed by the Chinese government. It was negotiated between Tibet and Great Britain at the end of the Shimla Conference in 1914. It is named after Henry McMahon, who was the foreign secretary of British India and the chief negotiator of the convention at Simla. The length of this boundary is 890 kilometers. It runs from the eastern border of Bhutan along the crest of the Himalayas until it reaches the great bend in the Brahmaputra River, where that river emerges from its Tibetan course into the Assam Valley. Though India considers the McMahon Line as the legal national border, China rejects it, contending that Tibet was not a sovereign state and therefore did not have the power to conclude treaties.

25. Which one of the following states of India has an international boundary on its three sides? [U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008]

(a) Assam
(b) Nagaland
(c) Tripura
(d) West Bengal

Correct Answer: (c) Tripura

Solution:Tripura is bordered by Bangladesh from north, west and south. Thus it has an international border on three sides. Assam and Mizoram are located in the east of Tripura.

26. Extension of the International boundaries of India along with their neighbouring countries in ascending order are: [M.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2019]

(a) China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal
(b) Nepal, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh
(c) Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China
(d) Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bangladesh

Correct Answer: (b) Nepal, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh

Solution:The length of the international border (land border) with the neighbouring countries of India is as follows:

Country	Length of border (in km)
Bangladesh	4096.7
China	3488
Pakistan	3323
Nepal	1751
Myanmar	1643
Bhutan	699
Afghanistan	106

Total: 15,106.7
Therefore, according to the question, the ascending order is - Nepal, Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh.

27. India's territorial limit extends towards the sea up to how many nautical miles/km from the coast? [68th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2022]

(a) 10 nautical miles (about 19.9 km)
(b) 16 nautical miles (about 25.9 km)
(c) 12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km)
(d) More than one of the above
(e) None of the above

Correct Answer: (c) 12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km)

Solution:India's territorial limit extends towards the up to 12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km) from the coast. Significantly, the main land of India, extends from Kashmir in the north to Kanniyakumari in the South and Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the West. India's Southern boundary extends upto 6° 45'N latitude in the Bay of Bengal. The actual distance measured from north to south is 3214 km and that of east to west is only 2933 kms.

28. Which district of Uttarakhand is not situated along the Tibbet boundary? [69th B.P.S.C. (Pre), 2023]

(a) Uttarkashi
(b) Chamoli
(c) Almora
(d) None of the above

Correct Answer: (c) Almora

Solution:Almora district of Uttarakhand is not situated along the Tibbet boundary. Significantly, three districts of Uttarakhand shares border with Tibet-Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi.