Question

Which of the following states of India is landlocked?
a.Maharashtra
b.Madhya Pradesh
c.Odisha
d.Gujarat

Answer 1

Hint - Landlocked means surrounded by land on all sides. The state which does not touch the sea from any side will be the correct answer. A state which has a coastline along the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal cannot be called a landlocked state.

Complete Step by Step Answer - Maharashtra and Gujarat have coastlines running along the Arabian Sea, whereas Odisha has a coastline along the Bay of Bengal. Madhya Pradesh is surrounded by land on all sides.
a.Maharashtra: Maharashtra has a long coastline. It shares boundaries with Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in North, Chattisgarh is East, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in South. On its western side, it has a long coastline stretching across the Arabian Sea. It is the second populous state of the country and its native language is Marathi. It is the third-largest state in the country according to its area. So, it is an incorrect option.

b.Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh is the only landlocked state among the given options. It shares boundaries with Uttar Pradesh in the north, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh in the South, Odisha in the east and Gujarat in the West. The Capital of Madhya Pradesh is Bhopal. It is the second-largest state by area and fifth largest by population. So, it is the correct option.

c.Odisha: Odisha also has a coastline to its east running along the Bay of Bengal. On its north it shares boundaries with Jharkhand and West Bengal, with Chattisgarh is West and with Telangana in the South. The capital of Odisha in Bhubaneswar. It is known for its tribal cultures and it is a very mineral-rich state. It is the 8th largest state by area and 11th largest by population. So, it is an incorrect option.

d.Gujarat: Gujarat has a 1600 km long coastline along the Arabian Sea, the longest for any state in India. It shares borders with Rajasthan in the north, Madhya Pradesh is the east and Maharashtra in the South. The capital of Gujarat is Gandhinagar. According to areas, it is the fifth-largest state in India. So, it is an incorrect option.

Note: A total of 18 states in India are land-locked and they include all the states in the Northeast and all the states above the Tropic of Cancer.