India is located in northern hemisphere between latitudes 8 degrees 4 minutes north and 37 degrees 6 minutes north, and longitudes 68 degrees 7 minutes east and 97 degrees 25 minutes east. It has a total land area of 3.28 million square kilometers and shares land borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. India's central location between East and West Asia allows it to have contact with countries in West Asia, Africa, and Europe via trans-Indian ocean routes.