Question

What is the width of India from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh?
A) 2315 Km
B) 2531 Km
C) 2933 Km
D) 3117 Km

Answer 1

Hint: The distance in kilometres between the North-South extent and the East-West extent is different. The north-south extent is from Kashmir (North) to Kanyakumari (South), while the east-west extent is from Gujarat (East) to Arunachal Pradesh (West).

Complete answer:
An area of about 3.28 million sq. Km is occupied by India. The land boundary of the country is about 15,200 km. The total length of India’s coastline, including the island groups that is the Andaman and Nicobar and the Lakshadweep, is 7,516.6 km.

India’s latitudinal and longitudinal extent is the same i.e., 30 degrees. But the distance in kilometres between the North-South extent and the East-West extent is different. The north-south extent from Kashmir (North) to Kanyakumari (South) is about 3,214 km, while the east-west extent from Gujarat (East) to Arunachal Pradesh (West) is about 2,933 km. Therefore, the width of India from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh is 2,933 km.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) 2933 km.

Note: The North-South extent is longer than the East-West extent because of the following reasons:
- The distance between the two longitudes reduces towards poles, while the distance between latitudes remains the same throughout.
- At the equator, the distance between the two longitudes is 111 km and it reduces to 0 at the poles, while the distance between two latitudes is constant that is 111 km.
- The distance between the two longitudes reduces and the east-west extends suffers a U shaped bending because of which the actual east-west distance reduces.
- Hence, the longitudinal lines come closer and the East-West distance becomes less as compared to the North-South distance.