India's Neighbours: Land Borders, Named Boundary Lines, Straits and Choke Points

India's Neighbours: A Map You Must Be Able to Redraw

India's frontier is one of the most examined pieces of static geography, because it produces clean, single-answer facts: which country, how long, which line, which strait. It also links to history, since most of India's boundaries were drawn by named people in named years, and to current affairs, since disputed sections keep returning to the news.

The whole topic fits four boxes. Land neighbours — seven countries, with the longest and shortest borders being favourite questions. Named lines — Radcliffe, McMahon, Durand, LoC and LAC, each attached to one pair of countries. Sea neighbours and straits — Sri Lanka, Maldives and the channels that divide the islands. Choke points — the Siliguri Corridor and the great mountain passes.

Treat this as a case study of how a boundary carries history: every line is a decision made by someone, at some moment, and the name plus the pair of countries is what exams test.

1. Which country shares the longest land border with India?

2. The Durand Line separates which two countries?

3. The McMahon Line is the boundary between India and which country?

4. Which strait separates India from Sri Lanka?

5. The southernmost point of Indian territory, Indira Point, is located on which island?

6. How many Indian states share a land border with Bangladesh?

7. Sikkim shares a border with which three countries?

8. The Siliguri Corridor ('Chicken's Neck') connects which parts of India?