Physical features of India

Major Physiographic Divisions

The Himalayan Mountains
The Northern Plains
The Peninsular Plateau
The Indian Desert
The Coastal Plains
The Island
Describe how the Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions
from west to east.

(i) Punjab Himalayas. These divisions have been demarcated by river

valleys. For instance, the part of Himalayas lying between Indus and
Sutlej has been traditionally known as Punjab Himalayas but it is also
known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal Himalayas from west to
east respectively.
(ii) Kumaon Himalayas. The part of the Himalayas lying between Sutlej
and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon Himalayas.
(iii) Nepal Himalayas. The Kali and Tista riven demarcate the Nepal
Himalayas.
(iv) Assam Himalayas. The part lying between Tista and Dihang rivers is
known as Assam Himalayas.
Himalayas based on longitudinal extent

The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent a

number.
 Several valleys lie between these ranges. The northernmost range is
known as the greater inner Himalayas or the Himadri. It is the most
continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height
of 6000 M.
It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks. The range lying to the
south of the Himadri forms the most rugged mountain system and is
known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya.
The Ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed and altered
rocks. The altitude is between 3700 and 4500 M and the average with is
of 50 km.
The outermost range of the Himalayas is called the shivaliks. They
extent over a width of 10 to 50 km and have an altitude varying
How were the northern plains formed
The Northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major
river systems, namely the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along
with their tributaries. This plain is formed of 8 alluvial soils. The
deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the
Himalayas over 6 million years, formed this fertile plain. With a rich soil
cover combined with adequate water supply and favorable climate, it is
agriculturally a productive part of India.
Explain the division in the northern plains
What the variation in the northern plain in its relief features
The Northern Plains can be divided into four regions on the basis of
relief features
Bhabar: After going down from the mountain a narrow belt is formed
which is 8-16 km by the deposition of river pebbles. This belt is called
Bhabar. It lies parallel to the Siwalik range. Streams again appear in this
region and make it a wet and marshy region.
Terai: Terai region lies towards the south of the Bhabar belt with a width
of 10-20 km. In this region, the streams reappear and make wet,
swampy, and marshy regions. This region was full of forest and wildlife,
but it was cleared to accommodate the migrants from Pakistan (present-
day Bangladesh) and to create agricultural land.
Bhangar: Bhangar is the largest part of the Northern Plains and it is
composed of old alluvial soil (deposited before the river changed its
course). It lies above the floodplain and resembles a terrace. Locally, the
soil of this region is called Kankar.
Khadar: This floodplain is formed by younger alluviums called Khadar.
The soil of this region is renewed every year, and it is highly fertile. This
region is considered ideal for intensive agricultural activities.
The Peninsular Plateau
The Peninsular Plateau of India lies to the south of the Northern Plains
and extends up to the tip of the Indian peninsula. The Peninsular Plateau
is a tableland with gently rising rounded hills and broad shallow valleys.
It is roughly triangular in shape. It is the oldest and the most stable
landmass of India. The plateau is formed of old crystalline igneous and
metamorphic rocks. The Peninsular Plateau consists of two broad
divisions – the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada
river is known as Central Highlands. It comprises of Malwa Plateau
Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand plateaus the Vindhya Range and extends
as Chhota Nagpur Plateau. The Aravalli’s are highly denuded old hills
that lie on the western and northwestern margins of the Peninsular
Plateau
The part of the Peninsular Plateau lying to the south of river Narmada is
known as Deccan Plateau. It is a triangular landmass with broad base in
the north and tapers southward. It is formed due to lava flows so a
greater part of it is composed of basaltic rocks of volcanic origin. It is
flanked by the Satpura range in the north. The Mahadev the Kaymer
hills and Maikal range from its eastern extensions. The Deccan Plateau
is flanked by the Western Ghats in the west and Eastern Ghats in the
east. The Western Ghats have comparatively higher elevation of an
average of 900 to 1600 meters. The Eastern Ghats have an average
elevation of 600 meters. So, the plateau is higher in the west and slopes
gently eastwards. The black soil area of the Deccan Plateau is known as
Deccan Trap.
The Indian Desert
What are the major features of Indian desert?
The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.

It is a sandy plain covered with sand dunes.

This region receives very low rainfall, below 150 mm per year.
It has a dry climate with low vegetation cover.

The Coastal Plains

A coastal plain is a flat, low-lying piece of land next to the ocean. To the
east and west of the peninsular plateau, 2 narrow strips of plain lands are
found, which are respectively called Eastern Coastal Plain and Western
Coastal Plain.

Eastern Coastal Plain

The Eastern Coastal Plains is a wide stretch of landmass lying between

the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. In the northern part, it is
referred to as the Northern Circar, while the southern part is known as
the Coromandel Coast. Large rivers, such as the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri, have formed an extensive delta on
this coast. Lake Chilika is an important feature along the eastern coast.

Western Coastal Plain

The western coast is sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea. It is a narrow plain and consists of 3 sections, as mentioned
below:

The northern part of the coast is called the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa)
The central stretch is called the Kannad Plain
Differentiate between the Western and the Eastern Ghats.
The Western Ghats runs parallel to the western coast in a north-south
direction from the Tapi River to Kanyakumari.
But the Eastern Ghats runs in a north-east to a south-west direction
parallel to the eastern coast from Orissa to the Nilgiri hills.
Western Ghat’s average width is 50 to 80 km. But Eastern Ghat’s width
varying from 100 to 200 km. The Western Ghats is a source of many
large rivers which flow in Peninsular India.
But no big river originates from the Eastern Ghats.
The Western Ghats is almost perpendicular to the south-west monsoons
coming from the Arabian Sea and causes heavy rainfall in the western
coastal plain.
But the Eastern Ghats is almost parallel to the monsoons coming from
the Bay of Bengal and does not cause much rainfall.
The Western Ghats continuous and can be crossed through passes only.
But the Eastern Ghats has been divided into several parts by large rivers.
Western Ghats average elevation is 900 to 1,100 meters above sea-level.
But the average elevation of Eastern Ghats is about 600 metres above
sea level.

The southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast

The Islands
An island is a piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water.
Lakshadweep Islands group is composed of small coral islands which
were earlier known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive.

The entire group of islands is divided into 2 broad categories:

The Andaman in the north

The Nicobar in the south
These islands lie close to the equator and experience an equatorial
climate, and have thick forest cover.

The diverse physical features of India have immense future possibilities

for development because of the following reasons.

The mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth.
The northern plains are the granaries of the country. They provide the
base for early civilisations.
The plateau is a storehouse of minerals, which has played a crucial role
in the industrialisation of India.
The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port
activities.
What are the main features of Indian Islands?
An island is a piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water.
The Lakshadweep Islands group is composed of small coral islands
which were earlier known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive.