Roughly extending from 8Рnorth to 38Рnorth latitude and from 68Рeast to 98Рeast longitude the country of India is of great geographical extent and diversities. It sprawls from the snowy ranges of the Himalayas in the north to the shores of the Indian Ocean in the south through the great plains and plateaus in between. It is about 3200 km in length from north (Kashmir) to south (Kanyakumari) and 2900 km from west (Gujarat) to east (Arunachal Pradesh), its vast ness in area and variation in tropographic character and geological structure result in great diversities in climate, vegetation, soil, cropping pattern, human activities and so on across the country. It is often known as a subcontinent. Which one among the following is the most important reason behind the prevalence of extreme type of climate in different parts of India ?

The prevalence of extreme types of climate in different parts of India is primarily attributed to its long latitudinal extent. Spanning roughly from 8°N to 37°N, the country is divided by the Tropic of Cancer [1]. The southern part lies in the tropical zone, experiencing high temperatures with low annual ranges due to its proximity to the equator [1]. Conversely, the northern regions lie in the sub-tropical and temperate zones, being further from the equator and thus experiencing extreme climates with high daily and annual temperature ranges [1][t1]. While the Himalayas act as a climatic barrier [t5] and the peninsular location provides maritime moderation to the south [2], it is the vast latitudinal spread that creates the fundamental thermal gradient and climatic diversity across the subcontinent [1].

Sources

1. [1] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate > FACTORS DETERMINING THE CLIMATE OF INDIA > p. 29
2. [2] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: India — Location > INDIA – LOCATION > p. 2