The Indian mainland (excepting Andaman & Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in Arabian Sea) lies between latitudes 8  4’ and 37  6’ north, longitudes 68  7’ and 97  25’ east and measures about 3214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes.

India has a land frontier of about 15200 km .The total coastline of the mainland, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands is 7516.6 km. The Tropic of Cancer roughly divides the country into two unequal parts. India covers an area of 3287263 sq. km extending from snow covered Himalayan heights in the north to the rain forests of the south. India shares borders with Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean.