India's Neighbouring Countries

About 7 min · General Awareness · English

Time worked out from the lesson's 470 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.

India shares land or maritime borders with seven major countries: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Questions on neighbouring countries appear frequently in the General Awareness section of UPSSSC PET, typically testing capitals, currencies, border details, recent bilateral developments, and basic geographical/political facts.

Key ideas

Seven neighbours: Pakistan and Afghanistan (land), China, Nepal, Bhutan (northern borders), Bangladesh and Myanmar (eastern borders), Sri Lanka and Maldives (maritime). For UPSSSC PET focus, the seven are Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka (Maldives less frequently asked).
Border lengths matter: India shares the longest land border with Bangladesh (~4096 km), followed by China (~3488 km), Pakistan (~3323 km including LoC), and Nepal (~1751 km). Shorter borders with Myanmar (~1643 km) and Bhutan (~699 km). Sri Lanka is separated by Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar.
Capitals and currencies: Every country has a distinct capital city and currency. Pakistan (Islamabad, Pakistani Rupee), China (Beijing, Renminbi/Yuan), Nepal (Kathmandu, Nepalese Rupee), Bhutan (Thimphu, Ngultrum), Bangladesh (Dhaka, Taka), Myanmar (Naypyidaw, Kyat), Sri Lanka (Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte — legislative; Colombo — commercial, Sri Lankan Rupee).
Types of borders: Land borders (mountains, rivers, fences), Line of Control (LoC with Pakistan in Kashmir — de facto border, not international), Line of Actual Control (LAC with China in Ladakh and Arunachal — disputed), and maritime boundaries (Sri Lanka, Maldives).
Regional groupings: SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives. BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative) includes India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan — excludes Pakistan and China.

Watch out for

Confusing capitals: Students often write Colombo as capital of Sri Lanka. The legislative capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Colombo is commercial capital. In exams, Kotte is accepted. Similarly, Myanmar's capital is Naypyidaw, not Yangon (Rangoon, old capital).
Currency confusion: Nepalese Rupee, Pakistani Rupee, Sri Lankan Rupee, and Indian Rupee sound similar. Remember: Nepal and Bhutan currencies (NPR, BTN) are pegged to INR; Pakistan and Sri Lanka currencies (PKR, LKR) are independent.
Border length ranking errors: Many assume China or Pakistan is longest because of prominence in news. Bangladesh has the longest land border with India due to encircling West Bengal and touching five Indian states.

Quick reference

Longest border: Bangladesh (~4096 km) > China (~3488 km) > Pakistan (~3323 km).
Open border (no visa): Only with Nepal and Bhutan (special treaties).
Island neighbour: Sri Lanka (Palk Strait, Gulf of Mannar); Maldives (maritime only, not in main seven).
Landlocked neighbours: Nepal, Bhutan (no sea access).
SAARC excludes China; BIMSTEC excludes Pakistan, Afghanistan.

Check yourself: 3 questions

1. Which of the following countries does NOT share a land border with India?
2. The capital of Bangladesh is Dhaka. Which river flows through Dhaka?
3. Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, lies on the border between Nepal and which other country?

This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 17 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.

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