Differnece in distances of India despite extent of langitude & latitude is same?

Question

The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India is about 30 degree each. however, there is a difference the north-south and east-west distances of the country. Why it is so?

Answer 1

It is because the earth is speherical. The distance between same longitudes and latitudes are only the same on the equator.  As you get further away from they become smaller.

Answer 2

It's because degrees of latitude are called parallels and they are always the same distance apart. Degrees of longitude are not parallel. Starting at the equator they are the same distance apart as degrees of latitude are, but as you move away from the equator (in our case here north towards India) the degrees of longitude slowly converge until they eventually meet at the poles. So if India was located on the equator, then the degrees of longitude and latitude would be approximately equal. Good question!!