India and its Neighbouring Countries

India is located near the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal therefore it has several countries as its neighbours. The main neighbouring countries are “China”, “Bhutan”, “Nepal”, “Pakistan”, “Bangladesh”, “Sri Lanka” and “Myanmar”. 

India’s Neighbouring countries

India is located in the Northern Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere in the world. This country has a vast geographical area and its land border is around 15,106.7Km. The coastline of India is also around 7,516.6 Km. The list of neighbouring countries is long because of its different borders shared with various countries. India mainly shares its border with Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka and the Maldives are maritime neighbours. The different states of India share their borders with these countries. Sri Lanka is counted as a different neighbour because this country did not share its border directly with India. Maldives and Myanmar are the closest neighbours of this country. Sri Lanka is separated from India by its South Sea. The sea separates these two countries but it is also accented as its neighbour country.  “Maldives” also does not share its border directly with India instead of it is also separated by the sea in the western sea part of this country. India always shows a positive attitude to its neighbouring countries to build better relations with them. 

Capitals

Kabul is the capital of “Afghanistan” and it is along with the Ladakh (Pok) state of India. Dhaka is the capital of “Bangladesh” and this country shares its borders with different states of India such as West Bengal, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. “Bhutan’s” capital is Thimphu, with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal. Beijing is the capital of China that shares its border with states with Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. Naypyidaw and Yangon both are the capitals of “Myanmar” and are connected to India by Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Kathmandu is the capital of “Nepal” along with Bihar, UP, West Bengal, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. Islamabad is the capital of “Pakistan” and shares its border with Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir. “SriLanka” has two different capitals, one for commercial purposes and one for the legislative procedure. The Colombo and Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte respectively for commercial and legislative purposes and it has no borders along directly with India. This country is separated from the Gulf of Mannar and separated by the Sea border in the South. Male is the capital of “Maldives” which also has no direct border share with India and lies in the southwest part of the Indian ocean that is below Lakshadweep Island. 

Relations with Neighbouring Countries

Bangladesh was recognised as an independent state because  India fought with this country to liberate it from Pakistan in 1971. Despite this, relations between these two countries are difficult because of irrigation and land disputes. Bhutan has a close friendship and has good ties with India because both countries signed a friendship treaty in 1949. China has not established a good relationship with India since the 1962 Sino-India war and the disputed Himalayan borders have caused a continuing issue between these two countries. Regarding the Maldives, it is a member of SAARC and establishes good relations with India. The cultural link between Myanmar and India makes their relationship strong for a long period because of common interests and cultural similarities. A good relationship is also continued with Sri Lanka, and this country is known as the good friend of India. Nepal has a good relationship with India but due to some land disputes, controversy and fraught are remaining in their relationship. In terms of Pakistan, it is demonstrated that this country has had a huge dispute from its formation till now. 

Conclusion 

India is connected by land or sea to many neighbouring countries. While its relationship with some is more than pleasant, there have been occasional turmoils between countries in terms of geographic borders and diplomacies. Nevertheless, India aims to maintain a positive relationship with all its neighbours at it will not just facilitate growth in both countries but also ensure development in terms of trade and economy.