Chapter 9: India and the world on a map
India's 28 states and 8 union territories with their capitals, the biggest and smallest, the Tropic of Cancer states, India's neighbours and borders, its islands and its farthest points.
6 facts to know
India is a union of states and union territories. A state has its own elected government, led by a Chief Minister. A union territory is run mainly by the central government through a Lieutenant Governor or Administrator, though Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir also have elected assemblies.
As of October 2026 there are 28 states and 8 union territories. India covers about 3.28 million sq km, which makes it the seventh-largest country in the world.
Also called The National Capital Territory of Delhi
New Delhi is the capital of India. Delhi is a union territory with its own elected assembly and Chief Minister, which makes it different from most union territories. Rashtrapati Bhavan (pictured), the home of the President, stands at one end of the Kartavya Path.
Remember
New Delhi is the capital; Delhi is the territory around it.Areas are in thousand square kilometres, rounded, from the 2011 Census. Populations are also from the 2011 Census, the latest full count as of October 2026.
Also called The largest state by area
At about 342,000 sq km, Rajasthan is the largest state, a little over a tenth of India. Most of the Thar Desert is here, and it has a long border with Pakistan. Its capital Jaipur is the Pink City, and the Hawa Mahal (pictured) is its best-known building.
Remember
Rajasthan is the largest state; Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra come next.
Also called The smallest state by area; the 25th state
Goa is the smallest state, at about 3,700 sq km. It was ruled by Portugal for over 450 years and joined India in 1961. It was a union territory until 1987, when it became India's 25th state. The church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (pictured) stands in the centre of Panaji.
Remember
Smallest state, 25th state: Goa.
Also called The state with the most people
Almost 200 million people lived in Uttar Pradesh in 2011, about one Indian in six, more than in most countries. It sends the most members to the Lok Sabha, 80. Its capital Lucknow, on the Gomti river, is home to the state assembly, the Vidhan Bhawan (pictured).
Remember
UP has the most people; Maharashtra and Bihar come next.
Also called The state with the fewest people
About 610,000 people lived in Sikkim in 2011, the fewest of any state. It is also the second-smallest state by area, after Goa. A kingdom until 1975, it then became India's 22nd state. Gangtok (pictured) is built along a ridge, and Kangchenjunga can be seen from it.
Remember
Sikkim: fewest people, second-smallest area.| By area | Largest | Smallest |
|---|---|---|
| States | Rajasthan, then Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra | Goa, then Sikkim, Tripura |
| Union territories | Ladakh | Lakshadweep (32 sq km) |
| By population (2011) | Most | Fewest |
|---|---|---|
| States | Uttar Pradesh, then Maharashtra, Bihar | Sikkim, then Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Union territories | Delhi | Lakshadweep |
1956
The States Reorganisation Act redraws most states along the lines of language
1975
Sikkim becomes the 22nd state
1987
Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh become states in February, and Goa becomes the 25th state in May
2000
Chhattisgarh (1 November), Uttarakhand (9 November, first called Uttaranchal) and Jharkhand (15 November) are carved out of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
2014
Telangana becomes the newest state on 2 June, carved out of Andhra Pradesh
2019
The state of Jammu and Kashmir becomes two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on 31 October
2020
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu merge into one union territory on 26 January
2026
Parliament names Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh in law, in April
2026
Kerala is officially renamed Keralam on 25 August
Also called The newest state
Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 and is the newest state. For ten years Hyderabad was the shared capital of both states; since 2 June 2024 it has been Telangana's alone. The domed Dr B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat (pictured) stands beside the Hussain Sagar lake.
Remember
The newest state, Telangana, kept the old capital, Hyderabad.
After losing Hyderabad to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh began building a new planned capital, Amaravati, on the Krishna river near Vijayawada. The state's High Court (pictured) already sits there. Plans changed more than once over the years, but in April 2026 Parliament amended the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act to name Amaravati as the capital in law.
Remember
Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati. Telangana: Hyderabad.Don't confuse
Amaravati is also the name of the ancient Buddhist site on the Krishna famous for its sculpture. The new capital is named after it.
Jammu and Kashmir was a state until 2019, when Parliament made it a union territory with its own elected assembly, and made Ladakh a separate union territory. As of October 2026 statehood has not been restored, though the central government has said it will be. Srinagar, with the houseboats of Dal Lake (pictured), is the summer capital, and Jammu the winter capital.
Remember
Two capitals for two seasons: Srinagar in summer, Jammu in winter.
Also called The largest union territory
The largest union territory, high, cold and thinly peopled. It borders China in the east. India's official map also shows Gilgit-Baltistan, held by Pakistan, and Aksai Chin, held by China, as part of Ladakh. Leh Palace (pictured), built in the 17th century for the kings of Ladakh, looks over the old town of Leh.
Remember
Ladakh is the biggest union territory and Lakshadweep the smallest.
Also called The capital of two states
Chandigarh is a union territory and also the capital of both Punjab and Haryana, an arrangement made when Haryana was split from Punjab in 1966. The city was planned in the 1950s by the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier. His Palace of Assembly (pictured) is part of the Capitol Complex, a World Heritage Site.
Remember
One city, two state capitals, and a union territory of its own.| Union territory | Capital | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram | Called Port Blair until September 2024 |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | Also the capital of Punjab and Haryana |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman | Two territories merged in January 2020 |
| Delhi | New Delhi | Has an elected assembly and Chief Minister |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter) | Union territory since 31 October 2019 |
| Ladakh | Leh, with Kargil | Largest union territory; since 31 October 2019 |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | Smallest union territory; coral islands |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | Old French territory, spread across four separate parts |
Listed from the largest state to the smallest. Area is in thousand square kilometres, rounded.
| State | Capital | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | Jaipur | 342 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 308 |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai (Nagpur for the winter session) | 308 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | 241 |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | 196 |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | 192 |
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | 163 |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar | 156 |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | 135 |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 130 |
| Telangana | Hyderabad | 112 |
| Bihar | Patna | 94 |
| West Bengal | Kolkata | 89 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | 84 |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | 80 |
| Assam | Dispur | 78 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla (Dharamshala in winter) | 56 |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Bhararisain, in Gairsain, in summer) | 53 |
| Punjab | Chandigarh | 50 |
| Haryana | Chandigarh | 44 |
| Keralam (Kerala until August 2026) | Thiruvananthapuram | 39 |
| Meghalaya | Shillong | 22 |
| Manipur | Imphal | 22 |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | 21 |
| Nagaland | Kohima | 17 |
| Tripura | Agartala | 10 |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | 7 |
| Goa | Panaji | 4 |
Madhya Pradesh is very slightly bigger than Maharashtra, and Meghalaya very slightly bigger than Manipur. Exams often ask you to compare two states, so a few pairs are worth knowing: Arunachal Pradesh is more than twice the size of Keralam, Assam is bigger than Punjab, Chhattisgarh is bigger than Jharkhand, and West Bengal is bigger than Uttarakhand.
The Tropic of Cancer is the line of latitude where the sun is straight overhead at noon on the longest day of the year. It runs across India from west to east through eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram. Signs mark where it crosses roads, like this one near Mehsana in Gujarat (pictured).
Remember
West to east, two pairs then four: Gujarat and Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, then Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram.Don't confuse
It does not cross Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. Between West Bengal and Tripura it passes through Bangladesh.India has land borders with seven countries, as given by the Ministry of Home Affairs: 15,106.7 km in all. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are neighbours across the sea. Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
| Neighbour | Land border | Indian states and UTs on it |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 4,096.7 km (the longest) | West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram |
| China | 3,488 km | Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Pakistan | 3,323 km | Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh |
| Nepal | 1,751 km | Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim |
| Myanmar | 1,643 km | Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram |
| Bhutan | 699 km | Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Afghanistan | 106 km | Ladakh |
These are India's official figures, which follow India's official map. Two of them include land India claims but does not hold. The 106 km border with Afghanistan runs along Gilgit-Baltistan, which India shows as part of Ladakh but Pakistan has held since 1947. Part of the China border runs around Aksai Chin, which India shows as part of Ladakh but China holds. In practice, India and China are separated there by the Line of Actual Control, and India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir by the Line of Control.
West Bengal has the longest border with Bangladesh. Arunachal Pradesh, in the far north-east, borders Bhutan, China (Tibet) and Myanmar; its Upper Subansiri district touches Tibet in the north.
Coastline. India's coastline, including its islands, was re-measured on more detailed maps, and the new official figure, adopted in 2025, is 11,098.81 km, up from the old figure of 7,516.6 km. The coast did not grow: the new maps simply follow more of its bends. Gujarat has the longest coastline of any state, 2,340.62 km on the new measure, and was also the longest on the old one.
A chain of 836 islands and islets, of which only 31 are lived on. The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman group in the north from the Nicobar group in the south. Barren Island is India's only active volcano, and Indira Point on Great Nicobar is India's southernmost point. The capital, renamed Sri Vijaya Puram from Port Blair in September 2024, has the Cellular Jail (pictured), where the British held freedom fighters.
Remember
The Andamans are in the Bay of Bengal, far closer to Myanmar than to mainland India.
Also called The smallest union territory
Thirty-six small islands built of coral, with a total land area of only 32 sq km, which makes Lakshadweep the smallest union territory. Its name means "a hundred thousand islands". Clear lagoons ring the islands, like this one at Kavaratti (pictured). The Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy, the southern island, from the rest.
Remember
Lakshadweep is coral islands in the Arabian Sea; the Andamans are hilly islands in the Bay of Bengal.The standard meridian. India stretches nearly 30 degrees of longitude from west to east, so the sun rises in Arunachal Pradesh about two hours before it rises in Gujarat. To give the whole country one clock, India uses a single line of longitude, 82.5 degrees east (82 degrees 30 minutes), which passes near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Standard Time is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The line was chosen because it lies near the middle of the country and is a multiple of 7.5 degrees, as time zones usually are.
Also called Cape Comorin
The southernmost point of mainland India, where the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet. Just offshore are the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the tall statue of the poet Thiruvalluvar (pictured). India's true southernmost point is farther south, at Indira Point in the Nicobar Islands.
Remember
Kanyakumari is the tip of the mainland; Indira Point is the tip of India.| Direction | Farthest point | Where |
|---|---|---|
| North, on India's official map | About 37 degrees 6 minutes north | Gilgit-Baltistan, Ladakh; held by Pakistan |
| North, in the area India governs | Near Indira Col, at the Siachen Glacier | Ladakh |
| South | Indira Point, about 6 degrees 45 minutes north | Great Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| South of the mainland | Kanyakumari, about 8 degrees 4 minutes north | Tamil Nadu |
| East | Near Kibithu, about 97 degrees 25 minutes east | Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh |
| West | Ghuar Mota, near Sir Creek, about 68 degrees 7 minutes east | Kutch district, Gujarat |
From north to south India measures about 3,214 km, and from east to west about 2,933 km.
Question 1 of 8
Signs like this one mark the Tropic of Cancer. Which of these states is not crossed by the Tropic of Cancer?
Question 2 of 8
This palace is in the capital of India's largest state by area. Which state is that?
Question 3 of 8
Which became India's 25th state, in 1987?
Question 4 of 8
With which country does India share its longest land border?
Question 5 of 8
This building stands in a city that is the capital of two states. Which two?
Question 6 of 8
As of October 2026, what is the capital of Andhra Pradesh?
Question 7 of 8
Which of these pictures is from India's smallest union territory?
Question 8 of 8
Which of these statements about the areas of states is true?
Real exam questions on this topic, each with a full solution.
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