Rajasthan: Location, Area and Neighbours
The question in plain words: Where is Rajasthan in India, how big is it, and who are its neighbours?
What you will be able to do: find Rajasthan on the map, state its area, name its five neighbouring states with directions, and explain its border with Pakistan.
1. A story: the tea stall at the Pushkar fair
Meena lives in a village near Ajmer. Every year, in the month of Kartik, she and her father run a tea stall at the Pushkar fair.
On the first day, an old camel trader stops by. "We have come from Punjab," he says.
Then come farmers from Haryana. Then traders from Uttar Pradesh, a family from Madhya Pradesh, and herders from Gujarat.
At night Meena asks her father, "How do people from so many states reach our fair?"
He smiles. "They are our neighbours, beta. Their borders touch Rajasthan."
Today we will answer Meena's question on the map.
2. Step one: find Rajasthan on the map of India
- Look at the north-west of India, the top-left part of the map. The big orange state is Rajasthan.
- Its capital is Jaipur.
- The Tropic of Cancer passes through the southern tip of Rajasthan, through Dungarpur and Banswara districts.
- Most of Rajasthan lies north of the Tropic of Cancer.
3. Step two: how big is Rajasthan?
- Area: 3,42,239 square kilometres.
- That is about 10.41% of the area of India.
- In simple words: cut India into 10 equal pieces, and about one piece is Rajasthan alone.
- So Rajasthan is the largest state of India by area.
- On 1 November 2000, Chhattisgarh was formed out of Madhya Pradesh. Since then, Rajasthan has been number one.
Rajasthan at a glance
- Capital
- Jaipur in the eastern part of the state
- Area
- 3,42,239 sq km about 10.41% of India
- Latitude
- 23°03'N to 30°12'N Tropic of Cancer in the south
- Longitude
- 69°30'E to 78°17'E whole state in the eastern hemisphere
"Largest" means largest in area, not in population.
4. Step three: five neighbouring states, like a clock
Start at the north of the map and go round clockwise.
- Punjab — north
- Haryana — north-east
- Uttar Pradesh — north-east and east
- Madhya Pradesh — south-east
- Gujarat — south-west
Now look at the length of each border on the map:
- The longest state border is with Madhya Pradesh.
- The shortest state border is with Punjab.
- Delhi is not a neighbour of Rajasthan. Haryana lies in between.
5. Step four: the country border in the west
- To the west and north-west of Rajasthan lies the neighbouring country Pakistan.
- Two provinces of Pakistan touch Rajasthan: Punjab (Pakistan) and Sindh.
- This international border is about 1,070 km long.
- It starts at Sri Ganganagar in the north and runs to Barmer in the south-west.
- It is part of the Radcliffe Line, drawn in 1947.
Be careful: the name "Punjab" comes twice. India's Punjab is to the north of Rajasthan. Pakistan's Punjab is to the north-west.
6. Shortcuts (after you understand)
Neighbours, clockwise from the north: "Please Help Us Make Good maps" → Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat. Area: "1 in 10" — about one tenth of India is Rajasthan. Borders: longest with "M" (Madhya Pradesh), shortest with "P" (Punjab). Shape: on the map Rajasthan looks a bit like a kite. Use this only as a memory aid.
7. Quick check
Which of these is NOT a neighbouring state of Rajasthan?
Show answer
Correct answer: C
Rajasthan has five neighbouring states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Haryana lies between Delhi and Rajasthan.
Option A: Punjab is to the north and touches Rajasthan.
Option B: Haryana is to the north-east and touches Rajasthan.
Option D: Gujarat is to the south-west and touches Rajasthan.
Hint: Remember "Please Help Us Make Good maps".
What is the area of Rajasthan?
Show answer
Correct answer: A
Rajasthan's area is 3,42,239 sq km, about 10.41% of India.
Option B: The first digit is 3, not 2.
Option C: The first digit is 3, not 4.
Option D: Here "42" and "24" have swapped places.
Hint: Remember "three-forty-two" and "two-thirty-nine".
Which state lies to the south-west of Rajasthan?
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Gujarat lies to the south-west of Rajasthan.
Option A: Madhya Pradesh is to the south-east.
Option C: Uttar Pradesh is to the north-east and east.
Option D: Haryana is to the north-east.
Hint: Look at the bottom-left of the map.
About how long is Rajasthan's international border with Pakistan?
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Correct answer: B
The border is about 1,070 km long. It runs from Sri Ganganagar in the north to Barmer in the south-west.
Option A: 107 km has one zero too few. The border is about a thousand km.
Option C: In 3,070 km the first digit is wrong. The border is about a thousand km.
Option D: 10,700 km is far too much. India's whole land border is only about 15,100 km.
Hint: About one thousand kilometres.
A Class 4 teacher wants to teach the neighbouring states of Rajasthan. Which first activity is best?
Show answer
Correct answer: B
Children learn fastest from their own experience. Starting from people and places they know and then moving to the map follows the principle "from known to unknown".
Option A: Writing names again and again builds rote memory, not a sense of direction and position.
Option C: Only listening keeps children passive.
Option D: A test before teaching does not help learning.
Hint: From known to unknown.
"Delhi is on the border of Rajasthan." No. Haryana lies between Delhi and Rajasthan. "Rajasthan is also the largest state by population." No. Rajasthan is the largest by area. "Pakistan's Punjab is a neighbouring state." No. It is a province of another country; the neighbouring states are only the five Indian ones.
Map on the ground: draw a thick outline of Rajasthan with chalk in the school yard. Five children stand as the five neighbouring states in the right directions. Directions first: find north in the classroom. Then ask, "What lies to the north of our school?" Link to life: city names at the bus stand, truck number plates (PB, HR, UP, MP, GJ) — children spot the state from each one. Include everyone: make a map with a raised border of thread and glue, so a child with low vision can find each state by touch. Check understanding: each child writes the five states and Pakistan in the right directions on a blank map.
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