India's Neighbouring Countries — Study Notes

Overview

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.

Understanding these neighbours is crucial not only for direct factual recall questions but also for context in Current Affairs (summits, treaties, border disputes) and Geography (river sharing, mountain ranges). Students must memorise capitals, currencies, heads of state/government (where applicable), major border features (passes, rivers, disputes), and 2–3 key facts per country.

This topic is scoring if approached systematically: create a comparison table, revise it weekly, and link it to news items (e.g., India-Nepal tensions, India-China LAC standoffs, BIMSTEC summits). Expect 3–5 direct questions in the exam.

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Key Concepts

• **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 Myanmar (~1643 km). Shorter borders with Nepal (~1751 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.
• **Strategic significance**: China and Pakistan are major security concerns (nuclear-armed, territorial disputes). Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh are culturally close with significant people-to-people ties. Myanmar connects India to Southeast Asia (Act East Policy). Sri Lanka is important for Indian Ocean security.
• **Rivers and passes**: Indus rivers flow through Pakistan; Brahmaputra through China, India, Bangladesh; numerous Himalayan passes (Nathu La, Lipulekh, Karakoram) connect India with China, Nepal, Bhutan.
• **Historical and cultural links**: Shared civilisational heritage (Buddhism spread from India to Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar). Hindu-majority Nepal, Buddhist-majority Bhutan and Sri Lanka, Muslim-majority Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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Formulas / Key Facts

### Pakistan

• **Capital**: Islamabad | **Currency**: Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
• **Border with India**: ~3323 km (including LoC); LoC in Jammu & Kashmir established post-1972 Shimla Agreement.
• **Key border features**: Radcliffe Line (1947 partition line), Wagah border crossing (Amritsar-Lahore), Sir Creek dispute (maritime boundary in Rann of Kutch).
• **Major cities**: Karachi (financial hub, port), Lahore (cultural centre), Rawalpindi (military HQ).
• **Key fact**: Indus Water Treaty 1960 governs river-water sharing; nuclear-armed neighbour; CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) runs through PoK.

### China

• **Capital**: Beijing | **Currency**: Renminbi (Yuan, CNY)
• **Border with India**: ~3488 km (disputed); LAC in Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh.
• **Disputes**: Aksai Chin (controlled by China, claimed by India), Arunachal Pradesh (claimed by China as South Tibet).
• **Key passes**: Nathu La (Sikkim), Lipulekh (Uttarakhand) — trade routes; Doklam plateau (India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, 2017 standoff).
• **Key fact**: 1962 Sino-India war; recent LAC tensions in Galwan Valley (2020); BRICS and SCO member.

### Nepal

• **Capital**: Kathmandu | **Currency**: Nepalese Rupee (NPR) — pegged to INR.
• **Border with India**: ~1751 km; open border (no visa required for Indians/Nepalis under 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship).
• **Key border features**: Mahakali, Kali, Gandak rivers; Lipulekh Pass (India-Nepal-China tri-junction, map dispute 2020).
• **Major cities**: Pokhara (tourism), Lumbini (Buddha's birthplace).
• **Key fact**: Hindu-majority country until 2008 (secular republic now); Gurkha soldiers in Indian Army; birthplace of Lord Buddha and Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) on Nepal-Tibet border.

### Bhutan

• **Capital**: Thimphu | **Currency**: Ngultrum (BTN) — pegged to INR; Indian rupee also accepted.
• **Border with India**: ~699 km; shared with West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal.
• **Key border features**: Doklam plateau (India-Bhutan-China tri-junction), Phuentsholing border town.
• **Special relationship**: 1949 Treaty (revised 2007) — India guides Bhutan's foreign policy; only country with embassy in Thimphu is India until recently.
• **Key fact**: Only carbon-negative country in world; Gross National Happiness index; Buddhist monarchy (now constitutional monarchy).

### Bangladesh

• **Capital**: Dhaka | **Currency**: Bangladeshi Taka (BDT)
• **Border with India**: ~4096 km (longest land border); shared with West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram.
• **Key border features**: Farakka Barrage on Ganga (1996 water-sharing treaty), Teesta river water dispute (West Bengal-Bangladesh), Indo-Bangladesh enclaves resolved (2015 Land Boundary Agreement).
• **Major cities**: Chittagong (port city), Sylhet.
• **Key fact**: 1971 Liberation War (India helped create Bangladesh from East Pakistan); textile industry hub; riverine country (Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta).

### Myanmar (Burma)

• **Capital**: Naypyidaw (administrative) | **Currency**: Kyat (MMK)
• **Border with India**: ~1643 km; shared with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram.
• **Key border features**: Moreh-Tamu crossing, Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (connects NE India to Sittwe port).
• **Major cities**: Yangon (Rangoon, former capital, commercial hub), Mandalay.
• **Key fact**: Act East Policy gateway; BIMSTEC member; military rule (junta seized power 2021); Rohingya refugee crisis affects Bangladesh-India.

### Sri Lanka

• **Capital**: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (commercial) | **Currency**: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
• **Maritime border**: Separated by Palk Strait (narrow waterway) and Gulf of Mannar; Adam's Bridge (Ram Setu) — chain of shoals.
• **Key issues**: Tamil ethnicity issue (Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka), LTTE insurgency (ended 2009), fishing rights in Palk Strait (Indian fishermen arrested frequently).
• **Major cities**: Kandy (cultural capital), Galle (port).
• **Key fact**: Island nation; Buddhist-majority; Colombo Port used by China (Hambantota port on lease to China, debt-trap concerns); tourism and tea exports.

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Worked Examples

**Example 1**: *Which country shares the longest land border with India?*

**Solution**:

• Pakistan: ~3323 km
• China: ~3488 km
• Nepal: ~1751 km
• Bangladesh: ~4096 km (longest)
• Myanmar: ~1643 km
• Bhutan: ~699 km

**Answer**: Bangladesh (~4096 km).

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**Example 2**: *The currency of Bhutan is Ngultrum. Is it pegged to Indian Rupee?*

**Solution**: Yes, Bhutanese Ngultrum is pegged 1:1 with Indian Rupee. Indian currency is also legal tender in Bhutan due to close economic ties and 1949/2007 treaties.

**Answer**: Yes, pegged to INR.

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**Example 3**: *Which Indian states share a border with Myanmar?*

**Solution**: Myanmar lies to India's east. Check North-Eastern states:

• Arunachal Pradesh (yes)
• Nagaland (yes)
• Manipur (yes)
• Mizoram (yes)
• Assam (no direct Myanmar border, but close)
• Tripura (Bangladesh border)
• Meghalaya (Bangladesh border)

**Answer**: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram.

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Common Mistakes

• **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.

• **Line of Control (LoC) vs Line of Actual Control (LAC)**: LoC is the **de facto border with Pakistan in J&K** (post-1972 Shimla Agreement). LAC is the **disputed border with China** (not officially delineated, prone to standoffs). Do not interchange these terms.

• **Ignoring Bhutan-China-India tri-junction**: **Doklam plateau** is frequently in news (2017 standoff). Remember it is at the Bhutan-China-India junction, and India supports Bhutan's territorial claim. Lipulekh Pass is **Nepal-China-India tri-junction** (different location, 2020 map dispute with Nepal).

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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**.
• **Pegged currencies**: Nepal (NPR), Bhutan (BTN) — both pegged 1:1 to INR.
• **Capital of Myanmar**: **Naypyidaw** (not Yangon); **Sri Lanka legislative capital**: **Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte** (Colombo commercial).
• **Disputes**: **Aksai Chin (China)**, **PoK (Pakistan)**, **Kalapani/Lipulekh (Nepal)**, **Teesta water (Bangladesh)**.

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**Revision Tip**: Make a two-column table with Country | Capital | Currency | Border length | Key fact. Revise daily for one week before exam. Link each country to a recent news item (e.g., China = Galwan/LAC, Bangladesh = Teesta, Nepal = Lipulekh). This builds retention and helps in Current Affairs integration.