The Geography of Mumbai

Position

The island city of Bombay lies off the west coast of India just south of the tropic of Cancer. Because of its harbour, a wide bay between the city and the mainland, facing Africa and East Asia, Bombay has been a natural shipping and trading center through all of its short history. It has grown in spite of lying in a seismically active zone.

Climate and Weather

The position of the city ensures a uniform warm temperature throughout the year. The main climatic variation is provided by rainfall. Lying windward of the Western Ghats, Bombay receives most of its rain from the South Asian Monsoon, between June and September every year. Weather forecasts are available.

The City

The seven islands of Bombay were joined together into one landmass through three centuries of reclamation. This one island is now 436 square kilometres in area (approximately 170 square miles), and is connected to the mainland by several bridges. As a new millennium begins, the city is spreading over these bridges into the mainland.