Physical Features of

India
India - Physical features

India is a country with diverse releif features. From the

lofty Himalayan Mountains to the calm coastal plains. It has
almost all types of terrain and physical features.
 These features were formed due to
a majorly due to movement of

How were these

tectonic plates. This causes faulting
, folding and volcanic activity.

features formed ? Weathering ,erosion and deposition

have also resulted in their
formation.
 The main physiographic divisions of

The
India are :

physiographic
● The Himalayan Mountains
● The Northern plains

divisions of
● The Peninsular Plateau
● The Great Indian Desert

India ●
●
The Coastal Plains
The Islands
 ● The himalayas are young fold
mountains in the northern part

The Himalayan
of our country.
● They consist of the world’s

Mountains
highest mountains.
● They are made up of
sedimentary rocks.
 The himalayas are composed of 3
parallel mountain ranges :

1. Himadri or the Greater

Parts of the Himalayas with an average

height of 6000 m .

Himalayas 2. Himachal with an average

altitude of 4100 m.
3. Shivaliks with an average
height of 1000 m.
 ● The northern plains has been
formed by the interplay of three
river systems : Ganga ,
Brahmaputra and Indus.

Northern plains
● This plain is made up of fertile
alluvial soil deposited by these
rivers
● It is 2400 km long and 240 to
320 km wide.
 The northern plains have 4 parts :

1. Bhabhar : After descending from

mountains , rivers deposit pebbles and
form a narrow belt known as Bhabhar

Parts of 2. Terai : South of bhabhar , this is a

marshy , wetland with thick vegetation

Northern Plains
cover.
3. Bhangar: This is the largest part of the
northern plains. It presents a terrace like
feature and is full of kankar.
4. Khadar: It is the newer part of the plain
and is fertile as it is renewed every year.
 ● It is an old tableland composed
of crystalline, igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
● It is triangular in shape.

The peninsular
● It was formed during the
drifting and breaking of the

Plateau
Gondwana land.
● It has many broad and shallow
valleys and round hills.
● The western ghats and the
eastern ghats form the edges
of this plateau.
 ● It lies towards the westward
margins of the Aravali Hills.
● It is an undulating plain with
The Great Indian ●
sand dunes.
It receives rainfall less than
Desert 150mm per year.
● It has semi arid climate with
low vegetation
 ● The peninsular plateau is
flanked by stretch of narrow
coastal strips.

The Coastal ● The western coast has three

parts : Konkan ,Malabar and
plains ●
Kannad.
The Eastern coast has two
parts : Coromandel Coast and
the Northern Circars.
 India has two large groups of
Islands:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands: It lies in

the Bay of Bengal. Its capital is Port
Blair. These islands are parts of

The Islands submerged mountains in the Bay of

Bengal.
2. Lakshadweep islands: Earlier known as
laccadive and minicoy cover an area of
32 sq.km Their administrative centre is
on Kavaratti island