Question

India is surrounded by water bodies on three sides and land on the other; therefore it is a:
A. Continent
B. Sub-continent
C. Peninsula
D. Island

Answer 1

Hint: The nation is surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
- The Arab world is also surrounded by water on three sides, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Other examples include Italy, the US State of Florida, etc.
- It comprises the complex topological and climatic patterns of South India and is also in the form of a large inverted triangle.

Complete Answer:
The Indian Peninsula is a triangular landscape of ancient landmass with a long history of erosion, resurgent tectonic activity and denudation. The nation is bounded to the west by the Arabian Sea to the east by the Bay of Bengal and to the north by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. The line formed by the Narmada River and the Mahanadi River is the traditional boundary between northern and southern India.

The peninsular upland is the largest physiographic division of India, occupying an area of around 16 Lakh km2. It is bounded by the Aravallis in the North West, by the Hazaribagh and Rajmahal Hills in the North East, by the Western Ghats in the West and by the Eastern Ghats in the East. The highest point of Peninsular India is Anamudi, which is 2695 metres above sea level.

The options are as follows:
- A continent can be understood as a broad continuous mass of land conventionally perceived as a collective area. Therefore, Option A is wrong.
- The subcontinent is part of a larger continent, made up of a variety of countries that make up a vast mass of land. Therefore, Option B is also wrong.
- The peninsula is a three-sided area of land surrounded by water. So India is called the peninsula. Therefore, Option C is right.
- Island can be understood as any area of land smaller than the mainland and completely surrounded by water. Thus, option D is also wrong.

Therefore, the right answer is Option C.

Note: Peninsular India can be divided into four regions. Central Highlands, Deccan Plateau, Western Sahyadri Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
- The Deccan Plateau, which covers the major portion of the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, is a vast elevated area bounded by the C-shape formed by all these mountain ranges.
- The world's largest peninsula is the Arabian Peninsula.