PET 2026 · Geography

Isthmus, strait and island channels

Compare narrow land bridges, water passages and three-sided boundaries

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MINDMAPS FOR UPSCPET 2026 · VISUAL REVISION

Isthmus, strait and island channels

Compare narrow land bridges, water passages and three-sided boundaries

Comparison
Landforms, channels and borders
Isthmus and strait: land bridge versus water passageLANDIsthmus: connects land areasStrait: connects water bodies
Isthmus and strait: land bridge versus water passageSwipe sideways to explore the diagram.

Isthmus vs strait

  • An isthmus is narrow land joining two larger landmasses and separating water bodies.
  • A strait is a narrow water passage joining water bodies and separating landmasses.
  • Memory pair: an isthmus bridges land (Panama), whereas a strait bridges water (Palk).

Peninsula, island and archipelago

  • A peninsula is surrounded by water on most sides but remains connected to larger land.
  • Island: land completely surrounded by water; a grouped cluster is an archipelago.
  • Lakshadweep and Andaman–Nicobar are Indian island groups.

Key maritime channels of India

  • Six Degree (Great) Channel separates Great Nicobar (India) from Sumatra (Indonesia).
  • Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands.
  • Nine Degree Channel separates Minicoy from the main Lakshadweep group.

Read the relationship on a map

  • Trace whether land or water remains connected across the narrow feature.
  • For a channel question, identify the landmass on each side.
  • A political border and a physical landform describe different kinds of relationships.
Understand · Connect · Recallmindmapsforupsc.com

Practise this concept · संबंधित प्रश्न

One visual, several questions. These links open the original paper at the matching question.

30 Oct · Shift 1 · 2026

Sources & study notes · स्रोत

Independent revision material, linked to the paper’s concepts. The question papers and answer-key status are available on OpenPYQ.