School course geography programs include the study of the largest water areas - the oceans. This topic is quite interesting. Students are happy to prepare reports and abstracts on it. This article will provide information that contains a description of the geographical position of the Indian Ocean, its characteristics and features. So let's get started.
Brief description of the Indian Ocean
In terms of the scale and quantity of water reserves, the Indian Ocean is comfortably located in third place, behind the Pacific and Atlantic. A significant part of it is located on the territory of the Southern Hemisphere of our planet, and its natural aisles are:
- Southern part of Eurasia in the north.
- East coast of Africa in the west.
- Northern and northwestern coasts of Australia in the east.
- Northern part of Antarctica in the south.
You will need a map to pinpoint the exact location. It can also be used during a presentation. So, on the world map, the water area has the following coordinates: 14°05′33.68″ south latitude and 76°18′38.01″ east longitude.
According to one version, the ocean in question was first called Indian in the work of the Portuguese scientist S. Munster called "Cosmography", which was published in 1555.
Characteristic
The total, taking into account all the seas included in its composition, is 76.174 million square meters. km, the depth (average) is more than 3.7 thousand meters, and the maximum was recorded at over 7.7 thousand meters.
The geographical position of the Indian Ocean has its own characteristics. Due to its large size, it is found in several climatic zones. It is also worth paying attention to the size of the water area. For example, the maximum width is between Linde Bay and the Toros Strait. The length from west to east is almost 12 thousand km. And if we consider the ocean from north to south, then the largest indicator will be from Cape Ras Jaddi to Antarctica. This distance is 10.2 thousand km.
Features of the water area
Studying the features of the geographical position of the Indian Ocean, it is necessary to consider its boundaries. First, note that the entire water area is located in the Eastern Hemisphere. On the southwest side, it borders the Atlantic Ocean. In order to see this place on the map, you need to find 20 ° along the meridian in. e. The border with the Pacific Ocean is in the southeast. It runs along the 147° meridian east. e. The Indian Ocean is not connected with the Arctic Ocean. Its border in the north is the largest continent - Eurasia.
The structure of the coastline has a weak dismemberment. There are several large bays and 8 seas. There are relatively few islands. The largest are Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Curia-Muria, Madagascar, etc.
Bottom relief
The characterization of the geographical position of the Indian Ocean will not be complete if the features of the relief are not considered.
The Central Indian Ridge is an underwater formation located in the central part of the water area. Its length is about 2.3 thousand km. The width of the relief formation is within 800 km. The height of the ridge is more than 1 thousand meters. Some peaks protrude from the water, forming volcanic islands.
The West Indian Ridge is located in the southwestern part of the ocean. There is a lot of seismic activity here. The length of the ridge is about 4 thousand km. But in width it is less than the previous one by about half.
The Arabian-Indian Range is an underwater relief formation. It is located in the northwestern part of the water area. Its length is slightly less than 4 thousand km, and its width is about 650 km. At the end point (Rodriguez Island) it passes into the Central Indian Range.
The bottom of the Indian Ocean consists of sediments from the Cretaceous period. In some places, their thickness reaches 3 km. has a length of about 4500 km in length, and its width varies from 10 to 50 km. It's called Javanese. The depth of the depression is 7729 m (the largest in the Indian Ocean).
Climatic features
One of the most important circumstances in the formation of climate is the geographical position of the Indian Ocean relative to the equator. It divides the water area into two parts (the largest is in the south). Naturally, this arrangement affects temperature fluctuations and rainfall. Most high temperatures recorded in the waters of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Here, the average is a mark of +35 ° С. And in the southern point, the temperature can drop to -16 ° C in winter and up to -4 degrees in summer.
The northern part of the ocean is located in a hot climate zone, due to which its waters are among the warmest in the oceans. Here it is mainly influenced by the Asian continent. Due to the current situation in the northern part, there are only two seasons - a hot rainy summer and a non-cold cloudless winter. As for the climate in this part of the water area, it practically does not change throughout the year.
Given the geographical position of the Indian Ocean, it is worth noting that its largest part is under the influence of air currents. From this we can conclude that the climate is mainly formed due to the monsoons. During the summer period, areas with low pressure are established over land, and areas with high pressure over the ocean. During this season, the wet monsoon runs from west to east. In winter, the situation changes, and then the dry monsoon begins to dominate, which comes from the east and moves to the west.
In the southern part of the water area, the climate is more severe, since it lies in the subarctic zone. Here, the ocean is influenced by proximity to Antarctica. Off the coast of this continent, the average temperature is fixed at around -1.5 ° C, and the buoyancy limit of ice reaches 60 ° parallel.
Summing up
The geographical position of the Indian Ocean is a very important issue that deserves special attention. Due enough large sizes This area has many features. Along the coastline there are a huge number of cliffs, estuaries, atolls, coral reefs. It is also worth noting such islands as Madagascar, Socotra, Maldives. They represent sections A Andaman, Nicobar descended from volcanoes that rose to the surface.
Having studied the proposed material, each student will be able to present an informative and interesting presentation.
The Republic of India is today one of the most dynamic developing countries peace, without which not a single internationally significant political or economic forum can do. The huge volume of the domestic market, associated with a large population, and a favorable geographical position make this country an important player in the international arena.
Geographical position
India is home to one of the most ancient civilizations that originated in the Indus Valley. The isolated geographical position of the country, surrounded on all sides by the Indian Ocean (the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal) and the highest mountain system of the Earth - the Himalayas, deserves special attention.
The Himalayas stretched across the territory of India in an arc, from north to northeast, and to the south of them stretched the vast and fertile Indo-Gangetic plain, on the territory of which in ancient times there were suitable conditions for the emergence of a highly developed urban civilization with a developed complex society and efficient agriculture .
Another major geographical feature of India is the Thar Desert, which extends east of the Ganges valley and is separated from it by the high Aravali mountain range.
Hydrology of the subcontinent
Along with the geographical position of India, it is of great importance for its historical development and state of the art has the hydrography of the subcontinent. A huge number of rivers of various lengths and full flow flow through the territory of the state - from small streams to such giants as the Indus and the Ganges.
Most often, when classifying rivers in the territory of the Republic of India, their source of nutrition is taken as the basis. To determine the nature of nutrition, the terms "Himalayan" and "Dean" are used. The first category includes full-flowing extensive rivers with stable year-round nutrition from snow melting on the peaks of the Himalayas and glacial masses, as well as from rain and monsoon sources. The decan rivers are characterized by rain feeding.
Flow distribution of the largest rivers
Deccan rivers include those that have an unstable supply from monsoons and rains, which means they are prone to drying up and unstable flow. However, all the rivers of the country have a flood period in their calendar - from June to October, when maximum amount precipitation.
It is worth noting that the largest river - the Indus - which gave the name to the country, after the division of the British colony, mostly ended up on the territory of Pakistan. However, there are other major rivers in India, such as the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, as well as the Yamuna, Koshi, Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna and Narmada. Most of the rivers flow into the Indian Ocean, and some into the Arabian Sea.
Climate of India
The vast territory of India, as well as its geographical position, determine the peculiarities of the country's climate. For example, big influence such large geographic features as the Himalayas and the Thar Desert have seasonal fluctuations in temperature and wind direction. They contribute to the formation of monsoons, which are distinctive feature subcontinent.
In addition, such a feature of the geographical position of India as its outlet to the Indian Ocean, which washes the country from two sides, is of importance. Thus, India was isolated from other states for a long time due to geographical reasons.
The climate of India is characterized by three distinct seasons: hot and humid lasts from June to October; cool and dry - from November to February; very hot and dry - from March to May. In each of these seasons, the temperature can fluctuate depending on the height of the region above sea level and its position relative to the Himalayas, but in the lowlands of the country it rarely drops below fifteen degrees above zero. At the same time in mountainous areas The country's temperature can drop to -8 degrees Celsius.
Economy of India
The state of the Indian economy is greatly influenced by its geographical location, the features of historical development, which include the caste system, as well as the demographic situation.
The politics and economy of India are inextricably linked with demographics, primarily because the country ranks second in the world in terms of population, second only to China. The country's population is more than 1,326,000,000 people and is on the rise, in contrast to the same China, whose population has begun to decline in recent years.
The population and size of India make the country one of the world's leading players, which, however, does not remove the huge social tension that exists in the country due to colossal stratification and horrendous poverty. In addition, vestiges such as the caste system and many religious prejudices prevent the country from increasing social mobility and efficient use of human resources.
India has a large labor force. More than five hundred million people are classified as able-bodied in the country, which has become the basis for the stable growth of the Indian economy over the past decades. However, it should be noted that the level of well-being differs significantly in different geographical regions of the Republic of India, as well as in rural and urban areas. In addition, some castes do not have the opportunity to get out of poverty, which is often criticized by the world community.
Population of India
India is an example of a heavily urbanized country. It has a large number of cities with a population of more than one million people, and the largest of them is Mumbai, whose population, according to official estimates, exceeds thirteen million people. Delhi, the country's capital, is no more than one million inhabitants behind Mumbai.
The geographical position of India, combined with a large population, creates special conditions for political life inside the country. And the great ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity contributes to the growth of tension.
India is located in South Asia, and most of it is located on the Hindustan Peninsula. In the northwest, India borders on Pakistan, in the north - on Afghanistan, in the northeast - on China, Nepal and Bhutan, and in the east - on Myanmar and Bangladesh. In the southwest, India is washed by the waters of the Arabian Sea, in the southeast - by the Bay of Bengal, belonging to the Indian Ocean basin. In the south, India is separated from Sri Lanka by the rather narrow Strait of Polk. The advantage of the economic and geographical position is determined, first of all, by the location of India, halfway between the countries of Southwest and Southeast Asia. At the same time, the land borders of India for the most part pass along hard-to-reach frontiers: India is separated from Pakistan by the Thar Desert, from Afghanistan, China, Nepal and Bhutan - by the highest mountains of the world - the Himalayas, Hindu Kush and Karakorum, from Myanmar and Bangladesh - by impenetrable jungle. The wealth of Indian nature is in its diversity. 3/4 of the country's territory is occupied by plains and plateaus. India resembles a huge triangle with its apex pointing towards the Indian Ocean. Along the base of the Indian triangle stretched the Karakorum, Gin-dukush and Himalayas mountain systems. South of the Himalayas lies the vast, fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. To the west of the Indo-Gangetic Plain lies the barren Thar Desert. Further south is the Deccan Plateau, which occupies most of central and southern India. On both sides, the plateau is bordered by the mountains of the Eastern and Western Ghats, their foothills are occupied by tropical forests. The climate of India in most of its territory is subequatorial, monsoonal. In the north and northwest - tropical, where precipitation is about 100 mm / year. On the windward slopes of the Himalayas, 5000-6000 mm of precipitation falls annually, and in the center of the peninsula - 300-500 mm. In summer, up to 80% of all precipitation falls. The largest rivers of India - the Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra, originate in the mountains and are fed by snow-glacier and rain. The rivers of the Deccan plateau are fed by rain. During the winter monsoon, the rivers of the plateau dry up. In the north of the country, brown-red and red-brown soils of the savannas prevail, in the center - black and gray tropical and red-earth laterinth soils. In the south - yellow earth and red earth, developed on lava covers. Coastal lowlands and river valleys are covered with rich alluvial soils. The natural vegetation of India has been greatly altered by man. Monsoon forests have survived only 10-15% of the original area. Every year, the forest area in India is reduced by 1.5 million hectares. ha. Acacias and palm trees grow in the savannahs. In subtropical forests - sandalwood, teak, bamboo, coconut palms. In the mountains, altitudinal zonality is clearly expressed. In India, the animal world is rich and diverse: deer, antelopes, elephants, tigers, Himalayan bears, rhinos, panthers, monkeys, wild boars, many snakes, birds, fish. The recreational resources of India are of global importance: coastal, historical, cultural, architectural, etc. India has significant mineral reserves. Manganese deposits are concentrated in central and eastern India. The bowels of India are rich in chromites, iron ore, uranium, thorium, copper, bauxites, gold, magnesites, mica, diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones. Coal reserves in the country amount to 120 billion tons (Bihar state and West Bengal). India's oil and gas are concentrated in the Asamu valley and on the plains of Gujaratu, as well as on the shelf of the Arabian Sea in the Bombay region. Adverse natural phenomena in India are droughts, earthquakes, floods (8 million hectares), fires, avalanches in the mountains, soil erosion (6 billion tons the country loses), desertification in western India, deforestation.
The population of India as of May 18, 2016 is 1,289,020,000 according to . The population of India as of July 2014 is 1,236,344,631. India's population growth rate is 1.2%, which is 94th among all countries in the world in 2013. The population of India is more than 1.27 billion people in 2014, which is more than one sixth of the world's population (17.5% of the world's population). India is projected to become the most populous country in the world by 2025, surpassing China. India's population reached 1 billion in 1998.
India occupies most of the South Asia region within three large orographic regions: the Himalayan mountains, the Indo-Gangetic plain and the Deccan plateau on the Hindustan peninsula (occupies its inner part). It extends from the north from 37°06′ to 80°4′ north latitude for 3,214 km and from the west from 68°07′ to 97°25′ east longitude for 2,933 km. Its area is 3,287,263 km² (taking into account the part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with an area of 83,787 km², which is held by Pakistan, and the part of the same state with an area of 37,555 km², which is held by the PRC; from the point of view of the Republic of India, these territories are illegally occupied and are considered New Delhi with their own).
In fact, the sovereignty of India extends over a territory of 3,166 thousand km². The total length of India's borders is 14,103 km. In the northwest, India borders on Pakistan (border length - 2,912 km), in the north - on Bhutan (605 km), China (3,380 km) and Nepal (1,690 km), in the east - on Bangladesh and Myanmar (4 053 km and 1463 km respectively). From the south it is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, in the west by the waters of the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean, in the east by the Bay of Bengal of the Indian Ocean. The sea coast accounts for about 5,686 km (according to other sources, 6,083 km).
The capital is New Delhi.
Population. India is the second most populous country in the world. The last census was conducted in 2001 (the 14th in a row). According to her, the population was 1,028,610,328 people. As of mid-2009, the estimated population was 1,171.029 million.
According to estimates for the middle of 2009, the natural population growth was 1.6%; birth rate per 1,000 people - 23; mortality per 1,000 people - 7; the proportion of the population under 15 years old is 32%, 65 years and older is 5%. Average life expectancy in India is 64 years; for men, this figure is 63 years, for women - 65 years. 29% of the population lives in cities.
India is a multinational country. The main ethnic groups living in India include Hindustanis, Punjabis, Bengalis, Marathas, Gujaratis, Assamese, Kashmiris, Telugu, Tamils, Malayalis and a number of others. Small peoples of the Mongoloid group, living mainly in the northeastern part of the country, include the Manipurs, Nagas, Mizos, Tiperas and a number of others.
According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2009, the adult literacy rate (15 years and over) in India in 2007 was 66.0% (estimated). The overall rate of students in primary, secondary and higher educational institutions- 61.0%, education level index - 0.643.
According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2009, the Human Development Index (HDI) for India in 2007 was 0.612, which placed it 134th in the world (out of 182) in the overall ranking of countries on this indicator (a group of countries with average level of human development).
The Republic of India occupies an area in southern Asia. The state is based on the Hindustan peninsula. Indian territories are part of the Eurasian continent. Where to find India on the world map?
India on the map
In relation to the equator, the country is located in the northern hemisphere of the planet. The vast lands of India are bordered by the following neighbours:
- Pakistan;
- Butane;
- Nepal;
- Bangladesh;
- Myanmar;
In addition to the above land borders, India has its own maritime borders. They pass next to the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia.
The lands of Jammu and Kashmir are disputed Indian territories, if they are conditionally included in the country, then India will have another neighbor - Afghanistan.
The imposing area of India is 3,287,263 sq. km. The state has a coastline of 7 thousand km. India is washed by the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Indian territories have access to the Arabian Sea.
The climatic conditions of India are considered tropical monsoonal. This type of climate gives India only three seasons, instead of the generally accepted four.
Relief of India
The diverse relief of the country in the north is expressed by real glaciers, and in the south it is represented by plains. Deserts, rainforests and mountains - all this is in abundance in India. highest point The Indian state considers a mountain in the Himalayas with the complex name Kanchenjunga. The height of the peak is 8586 meters.
The sacred rivers Ganges and Indus originate in the Himalayas. For example, the Indus River stretches 2879 km beyond the horizon, giving coastal areas fresh greenery and life-giving moisture.
Due to the summer rainy season, many parts of India are regularly flooded. In the northeast of the country there are large reserves of minerals. India produces iron ore, diamonds, gold, coal and other natural resources.
On the lands of India there are many forests, turning into wastelands and hills. It is in Indian territories that tropical evergreen forests, deciduous massifs and light forests grow.
Administrative divisions of India
In total, 29 states, 6 union districts and the capital New Delhi are major administrative elements of the state. The states themselves are divided into districts. There are 600 districts in India, each district is divided into smaller taluks.
