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Indian Geography

This Section “Indian Geography” is taken from our:

ISBN : 9789386323002
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INFORMATION BULLETIN
1. Official name: Republic of India The Himalayan Mountains
2. Capital: New Delhi The Himalayas are the youngest mountains
3. Nationality: Indian in the world. They are structurally folded
4. Continent: Asia mountains, form an arc of about 2,400
5. Region: South Asia Indian subcontinent km long from west to east. The width
6. Area: Ranked 7th varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150
•• Total 3,287,263 km2 (1,269,219 sq mi) km in Arunachal Pradesh. The altitudinal
•• Land 90.08% variations are greater in the eastern part
•• Water 9.92% than in the western part. There are four
7. Borders : Total land borders : 15,106.70 parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent.
km (9,386.87 mi) Zaskar range lies west of Himalayas and
•• Bangladesh: 4,096.70 km (2,545.57 mi) Indus gorge is beyond it.
Bordering States - West Bengal, Assam, The Great or Inner Himalayas
Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram It is known as ‘Himadri, it is the most
•• C hina (PRC) : 3,488 km (2,167 mi) continuous range with loftiest peaks.
Bordering States - Jammu & Kashmir, Average height of peaks here is 6,000
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, meters. Asymmetrical folds having granite
and Arunachal Pradesh) in the core are snow covered throughout
•• Pakistan: 2,910 km (1,808 mi) the year.
Bordering States- Jammu and Kashmir, The Lesser Himalayas or Himachal
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan This lies south of the Great Himalayas and
and Gujarat north of Shiwalik with altitude varying from
•• Nepal: 1,751 km (1,088 mi) 3,700 m to 4,500 m. Average width of this
Bordering States – Bihar, Uttarakhand, range is 60-80 km. This range is mainly
Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, and West Bengal composed of highly compressed and altered
•• Myanmar: 1,643 km (1,021 mi) rocks. Pir Panjal, Dhaula Dhar, Mahabharat
Bordering States – Manipur and and Mussorie ranges are found as we move
Nagaland west to east.
•• Bhutan: 699 km (434 mi) The Shiwaliks or the Outer Himalayas
Bordering States: West Bengal, Sikkim, It is an outermost range and is also known
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam as lesser Himalayas. The altitude varies
8. Highest point: K2 or Godwin Austin between 900 - 1100 km and the width
(claimed) 8,611 m (28,251.3 ft) varies between 10 -50 km in this range.
Kangchenjunga (administered) 8,598 m The longitudinal valleys lying between the
(28,208.7 ft) Himachal and Shiwaliks are called ‘Dun’ and
9. Lowest point: Kuttanad; –2.2 m (–7.2 ft) are composed of unconsolidated sediments.
10. Longest river: Ganges, Brahmaputra Trans Himalayas
11. Largest lake: Chilka Lake (Odisha) It includes Karakoram and Ladakh Ranges.
Karakoram Range (Krishnagiri) lies north
Major Physiographic Divisons
of Indus. Extended from Pamir crossing
The landmass of India can be divided into Gilgit river reaches Ladakh. Elevation
following major physiographic divisions. is above 5500 m and width is 120-140
The Himalayan Mountain, Northern plain, Km. Ladakh Range is situated in Kashmir
Peninsular plateau, Indian desert, Coastal between Indus and its tributary Shyok.
plains, the islands. Highest peak is Mt. Rakaposhi (7880).

Name of India has been derived from the river Indus.

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Major Mountain Peaks Important Straits
Peak Country Height in Location Channel
meters
Mt. Everest Nepal 8848 Indira point-Indo- Great Channel
nesia
Kanchenjunga India 8598
Makalu Nepal 8481 Little Andaman and 10° Channel
Nicobar
Dhaulagire Nepal 8172
Nanga Parbat India 8126 Minicoy-Lakshad- 9° Channel
Annapurna Nepal 8078 weep
Nanda Devi India 7817 Maldives-Minicoy 8° Channel
Kamet India 7756
Namcha Barwa India 7756 India-Sri Lanka Gulf of Mannar
Gurla Mandhata Nepal 7728 and Palk Strait

Valleys in India

Valleys and its locations

• Araku Valley : Andhra Pradesh
• Damodar Valley : Jharkhand and West Bengal
• Darma Valley : Uttarakhand
• Dzukou Valley : North-eastern part
• Johar Valley : Uttarakhand
• Markha Valley : Ladakh
• Nubra Valley : Ladakh
• Sangla Valley : Himachal Pradesh
• Saur Valley : Uttarakhand
• Suru Valley : Ladakh
• Tons Valley : Uttarakhand
• Yumthang Valley : Sikkim

Mountain Passes of India

Himalayan passes
• Banihal pass — between Doda and Anantnag (Jawahar Tunnel), J & K.
• Shipki La — River Sutluj enters India from Tibet, Himachal Pradesh.
• Bara Lachan La — between Kyelang and Leh, Himachal Pradesh.
• Rohtang pass — between Kullu and Kyelang, Himachal Pradesh.
• Bomdila pass — between Tezpur and Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
Himalaya passes between India and China
• Shipki La — Himachal Pradesh.
• Thaga La and Niti La — Uttarakhand .
• Lipu Lekh La — Tri-junction, India-Nepal-China, Uttarakhand.
• Jelep La — Between India and China (Gangtok-Lhasa Road) Sikkim.
• Nathu La — Between India and China (Entry to Chumbi Valley) Sikkim.
The Southernmost Point of India was called the Pigmation point and now it is known as the Indira point.
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Trans Himalayan passes
• Karakoram pass and Aghil pass — Jammu & Kashmir.
Passes in Western Ghats
• Palghat — between Palakkad and Coimbatore.
• Shenkota — between Kollam and Madurai.
• Thalghat — between Mumbai and Pune.
• Bhorghat — between Mumbai and Nasik.
•• The best known passes of the Pir Panjal plain is divided into three sections, viz.
range are the Pir Panjal Pass (3480 m), the Punjab Plain, the Ganga Plain and the
the Bidil (4270m), Golabghar (9812m) Brahmaputra Plain.
and Banihal Pass (235m). The Jammu- Punjab Plains
Srinagar highway uses the Banihal Pass.
It is western part of the northern plain.
Some important facts about peaks Formed by the Indus and its tributaries like
• Highest Mt. Peak in India: K2 or God- Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
win Austin
• Highest peak in Aravalli: Gurushikhar Ganga Plains
(in Mt. Abu) This plain extends between Ghaggar and
• Highest peak in Satpura - Dhupgarh Tista rivers. The northern states, Haryana,
(Mahadeo Hills) Delhi, UP, Bihar, part of Jharkhand and West
• Highest peak in E. Ghats - Mahendra- Bengal lie in the Ganga plains.
giri (Odisha) Brahmaputra Plains
• Highest peak in W. Ghats - Anaimudi
This plain forms the eastern part of the
(Annamalai Hills - Kerala)
northern plain and lies in Assam.
• Highest peak in Nilgiris - Doda Betta
• Hills in Southern Hill complex - Nilgiri, •• Based on the relief features the northern
Annamalai, Cardamom & Palani plain can be divided into four regions, viz.
• Hills in Eastern Ghats: Shevaroy, Ja- bhabar, terai, bhangar and khadar.
vadi, Palkonda, Nallamalai, Northern The Peninsular Plateau
Circars The peninsular plateau is a tableland. It is
• Oblique ranges to Western Ghats in composed of the oldest rocks and drifted
Maharashtra: Ajanta, Satmala, Harish- from Gondwana land with elevation of 600-
chandra, Balaghat 900 Km. Broad and shallow valleys with
• Satpura range from East to West: rounded hills are the characteristic features
Amarkantak - Maikal- Mahadeo -
of this plateau. The plateau can be broadly
Gawilgarh - Rajpipala
divided into two regions, viz. the Central
• Highest peak in Andaman and Nicobar
Highlands and the Deccan Plateau. The
is lands- Saddle Peak
slope of the Deccan Plateau is from west to
• The highest peak of Naga hills is Sara-
east as the rivers flows.
mati peak.
The Northern Plain The Central Highlands
It lies to the north of Narmada river (Satpura
The northern plain of India is formed by
three river systems, viz. the Indus, the Ganga range), covering portion of Malwa plateau.
and the Brahmaputra along with their It is wider in west and narrower in east.
tributaries. Alluvial soil has been deposited Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand mark the
over millions of years. The total area of eastward extension. The plateau further
the northern plain is about 7 lakh square extends eastwards into the Chhota nagpur
kilometer. It is about 2400 km long and plateau. Touches Aravilli in the west covering
about 240 to 320 km broad. The northern Rajasthan uplands.

The Highest peak is Andaman and Nicobar Island is the Saddle Peak.
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The Deccan Plateau The Islands
It is triangular in shape, Satpura range makes The Lakshadweep Islands are in the
its northern boundary. The Mahadev, Kaimur Arabian Sea. Its area is 32 sq km. This group
Hills and Maikal ranges make its eastern of islands is rich in terms of biodiversity.
part. It extends into the north east which The Andaman and Nicobar Islands group of
encompasses Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong islands can be divided into two groups. The
Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Garo, Khasi Andaman is in the north and the Nicobar
and Jaintia hills are the prominent ranges is in the south. These islands too have rich
starting from west to east. biodiversity.

The Western and the Eastern Ghats ISLANDS OF INDIA

The average elevation of Western Ghats is
900 – 1600 metres compared to 600 metres
in case of Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats
stretch from Mahanadi Valley to the Nilgiris
in the south.
The Indian Desert
It lies towards the western margins of the
Aravali Hills. This region gets scanty rainfall
which is less than 150 mm in a year. Hence,
the climate is arid and vegetation is scanty.
The Thar Desert
Major Island Group
• The Thar desert extends across Gujarat,
Haryana and Punjab; and covers more Two major island groups are situated
than 60% of the geographical area of on either side of Indian peninsula.
Rajasthan. The region is also called as Andaman and Nicobar island group lies
‘MARUSTHALI’. on the eastern part, i.e. in Bay of Bengal
• Luni is the seasonal river and gets very and Lakshadweep island group lies on
the western part of India, i.e. in Arabian
little rainfall.
Sea.
• It has an arid climate and vegetation is
Altogether there are 247 smaller islands
sparse.
from which 204 are in Bay of Bengal and
• Ghaggar flows through Rajasthan and
43 islands are in Arabian Sea.
disappears at the heart of the Thar
desert. Drainage in India
The Coastal Plains The pattern of drainage in India is mostly
Towards the west and east of Peninsular influenced by its varied physiological
stretches narrow coastal strips are situated. divisions. Thus, they are classified into three
They run along the Arabian Sea in west major types such as: Himalayan, Peninsular
and along the Bay of Bengal in east. The and Inland drainage.
western coast lies between the Western Himalayan Rivers
Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is divided into The Himalayan Rivers mostly originate
three sections. The Konkan is northern from Himalayan mountain range. These are
part, comprised of Mumbai and Goa. The mostly perennial in nature which means
Kannada Plain makes the central part and availability of water throughout the year as
the Malabar coast is the southernmost they obtain water from the large ice cover of
coast. The eastern coastal plain is wider and great Himalayan range. Major rivers of this
runs along the Bay of Bengal. section are the Indus, the Ganges and the
The northernmost point of the country is in Jammu and Kashmir, known as Indira col.
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Brahmaputra. Other important tributaries •• It enters the plain at Rupnagar (Ropar).
of this section are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas •• It is joined by the Beas at Harike.
and Sutlej of Indus river system, Yamuna, •• From near Ferozepur to Fazilka, it
Son, Ramganga, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi of forms the boundary between India and
the Ganges river System, and Tista, Lohit,
Pakistan for nearly 120 km.
Manas, Subansiri River, Dhansiri River of the
Brahmaputra River System. •• It joins the Indus a few kilometers
above Mithankot.
The Ganga River System
•• It is the largest in India.
•• The total area of the Ganga basin in
India is 861,404 sq km which accounts
for 26.3% of the geographical area of
the country.
•• The Ganga basin covers over 12,500 sq
Ravi km in northern India.
•• It originates from Kullu hills near the Ganga
Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh. •• It originates as Bhagirathi from the
•• It cuts a deep gorge in the Dhaula Dhar Gangotri glacier.
range after crossing Chamba. •• Alaknanda joins it at Devaprayag.
•• It enters Punjab Plains near Madhopur Pindar river joins it at Karan Prayag
and later enters Pakistan 26 km below
and Mandakini or Kali Ganga at Rudra
Amritsar.
Prayag.
•• It debouches into the Chenab a little
•• The combined waters of the Bhagirathi
above Rangpur in Pakistani Punjab.
and the Alaknanda flow in the name of
Beas the Ganga, below Devprayag.
•• It also originates near Rohtang Pass, •• It debouches on plain from hills in
close to the source of the Ravi. Haridwar.
•• It crosses the Dhaula Dhar range •• It is joined by Yamuna in Allahabad.
through a deep gorge from Lorji to
•• Beyond Farakka, it is known as Padma
Talwara.
in Bangladesh.
•• It debouches on the plain near Pong and
•• It bifurcates itself into Bhagirathi-
meets the Sutlej river at Harike.
•• It lies entirely within the Indian territory. Hooghly in West Bengal and Padma-
Meghna in Bangladesh.
Sutlej •• The delta formed by the Ganga-
•• It rises from the Mansarovar - Rakas Brahmaputra is the largest delta of the
Lake near Darma Pass in western Tibet, world covering an area of 58,752 sq km.
where it is also known as Langcher
•• Sundarbans is a part of the world’s
Khambab.
largest delta.
•• In Nari Khorsan province of Tibet, it has
•• The total length, 2525 km, is distributed
created an extraordinary canyon.
•• It is joined by the Spiti river at Namgia among states:
near the Shipki La. (i) Uttar Pradesh – 1140
•• Before entering the Punjab Plain, it cuts (ii) W. Bengal – 520 km
a gorge in Naina Devi Dhar (Bhakra (iii) Bihar – 445 km,
Dam has been constructed here). (iv) Uttarakhand – 310 km.
The most important waterfall by river Narmada is Dhuandhar falls near Jabalpur, is also called the Marble falls.
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The Drainage System
Name of the Length Area drained
Source
river (in km) (sq km)
Ganga Gangotri Glacier at 7,010 m 2,525 861,404
Yamuna Yamnotri Glacier at 6,330 1,376 366,223
Chambal Near Mhow (Indore-M.P) 1,050 139,468
Ramganga Garhwal district at 3,110 m 596 32,493
Ghaghra Near Gurla Mandhota peak 1,080 127,950
Gandak South of Manasarovar 425 in India 46,300 (7,620 in India)
Kosi Tibet-Nepal border at 7,620 730 in India 86,900 (21,500 in India)
Sikkim Nepal- Tibet Himalaya

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DELTA AND ESTUARY

Delta Estuary
1. The triangular deposits made by rivers 1. The sharp edged mouth of rivers, devoid of
at their mouth form a delta. any deposits is known as estuary.
2. Deltas are founded in the regions of 2. Regions of high tides and rift valleys witness
100 tides and coastal plains. estuaries.
3. Deltas are fertile lands. 3. Estuary does not have fertile lands.
4. Ganga, Brahmaputra, Krishna, Kaveri and 4. Narmada and Tapi rivers form estuaries.
Mahanadi rivers form Delta.

Yamuna •• Betwa, rising in Bhopal, joins the

•• It is the largest and the most important Yamuna near Hamirpur. Dhasan is an
tributary of the Ganga. important tributary of Betwa.
•• It originates from the Yamunotri glacier
Son
on the Bandarpunch Peak in Garhwal in
Uttarakhand. •• It is a large south bank tributary of the
•• It enters the plains near Tajewala. Ganga.
•• Tons, a tributary of it, joins it below •• The Son river springs from the
Kalsi. At this site, the water carried by Amarkantak Plateau.
the Tons is twice the water carried by •• It joins the Ganga near Danapur in
the Yamuna.
Patna district.
•• It takes a southerly course upto
Mathura and south easterly in its •• Its catchment area is 71,259 sq km.
onward journey upto Allahabad where •• Almost all the tributaries join it on its
it unites with the Ganga. right bank.
Chambal •• Tributaries are Johilla, Rihand, Kanhar
•• It rises near Mhow in the highlands of and North Koel.
Janapao Hills in MP. Damodar
•• It enters a gorge at Chaurasigarh.
•• It joins Yamuna in Etawah district of •• It rises in the hills of the Chota Nagpur
Uttar Pradesh. plateau and flows through a rift valley.
•• Banas joins it near Sawai Madhopur. •• It is also called ‘Sorrow of Bengal’.

Quartz is the chief rock that has formed the Aravalli Ranges.
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•• It joins the Hooghly 48 km below •• Then all three streams unite at Triveni
Kolkata. north of the Mahabharat Range to form
•• The total length of the river is 541 km. the Kosi.
•• Its catchment area is 25,820 sq km. Peninsular Rivers
Ramganga The Peninsular Rivers are mostly having
•• It rises in the Garhwal district of their origin from Western Ghats running
Uttarakhand. parallel with western coast from north to
•• It enters the Ganga plain near Kalagarh. south. They are seasonal in nature as the
•• Its basin covers 32,493 sq km. source of water is rainfall only. The rivers
Ghaghra form deltas at their mouth. Some of the
•• It originates near the Gurla Mandhota rivers such as Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna
peak, south of Manasarovar in Tibet. and Cauvery are drained into the Bay of
•• It is known as the karnali in Western Bengal whereas the other prominent rivers
Nepal. like Narmada and Tapi both fall into the
•• It joins Ganga a few kilometres Arabian Sea.
downstream of Chapra in Bihar. The West Flowing Rivers
•• The total catchment area of the river is
127,950 sq km out of which 45% is in Narmada
India. •• It is the largest of all the west flowing
Kali rivers of the Peninsula.
•• It rises from the Amarkantak plateau in
•• It rises in high glaciers of snow covered
region of trans-Himalayas. Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh.
•• It forms the boundary between Nepal •• It flows through a rift valley between
and Kumaon. the Vindhyan Range on the north and
•• It is known as the Sarda or Chauka after the Satpura range on the south.
it reaches the plains near Tanakpur. •• The Dhuandhar (Clouds of Mist) falls
is formed by the Narmada river in
Gandak
Jabalpur.
•• It originates near the Tibet-Nepal border. •• It makes an estuary studded with
•• Kali Gandak, Mayangadi, Bari and several islands. Aliabet is the largest
Trishuli are the major tributaries of it. island.
•• Its drainage area is 46,300 sq km out of
•• The Sardar Sarovar Project has been
which 7620 sq km is in India.
constructed on this river.
Burhi Gandak
Tapi (or Tapti)
•• Originating from the western slopes
•• It is the second largest west flowing
of Sumesar hills near the India-Nepal
border, it joins the Ganga opposite river of the Indian peninsula.
Munger town. •• It is also known as ‘the twin’ of the
•• Its length is 610 km and drainage area Narmada.
is 12,200 sq km. •• It originates from Multai in Betul
district of Madhya Pradesh.
Kosi
Sabarmati
•• The Kosi river consists of seven
streams, namely, Sut Kosi, Tamba Kosi, •• This 320 km long river is the name given
Talkha, Doodh Kosi, Botia Kosi, Arun to the combined streams-the Sabar and
and Tamber and is popularly known as the Hathmati.
Saptkaushiki. •• It rises from the hills of Mewar in
•• Seven rivers mingle with each other to the Aravalli Range. Its tributaries are
form three streams named the Tumar, Hatmati, Sedhi, Wakul, Meshwa, Vatrak,
Arun and Sun Kosi. etc.
Rann of kutch is believed to have once been a part of the Arabian Sea.
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Mahi Inland Drainage
•• It rises in the Vindhyan range and Some rivers of India do not reach upto the
debouches into the Gulf of Khambhat. sea and constitute inland drainage. These
•• Its length is 533 km. rivers are mostly present in the drier regions
•• It drains an area of 34,862 sq km. of the country like Western Rajasthan,
•• The main tributaries are Som, Anas and Ladakh and Aksai Chin etc. Ghaggar river
Panam. is the most important example of inland
•• Mahi river cuts tropic of cancer twice. drainage. It is a seasonal stream rising
Luni (or the Salt River) from the lower slopes of Himalayas and
•• Its water is brackish below Balotra. is said to flow on the dried bed of ancient
•• Its source lies to the west of Ajmer river Saraswati. It forms boundary between
(Rajasthan) in the Aravallis. Punjab and Haryana for much of its length
•• The river is known as the Sagarmati in and gets subsumed in Rajasthan desert.
its upper course and from Govindgarh, Another such river is Luni, which is the
where Sarsuti joins it, becomes Luni. largest river of Rajasthan. It originates near
Finally, it gets lost in the Rann of Pushkar and flows South-West of Aravalis
Kachchh. till it reaches Rann of Kutch.

Famous Cities and River Banks

City River City River City River
Allahabad At the confluence Ferozpur Satluj Mathura Yamuna
of the Ganga and Guwahati Brahmaputra Nasik Godavari
Yamuna (Sangam) Haridwar Ganga Patna Ganga
Agra Yamuna Hyderabad Musi Panjim Mandavi
Ayodhya Saryu Jabalpur Narmada Srinagar Jhelum
Ahmedabad Sabarmati Jamshedpur Swarnarekha Surat Tapti
Badrinath Alaknanda Jaunpur Gomti Sambalpur Mahanadi
Bareilly Ram Ganga Kanpur Ganga Serirangapatam Cauvery
Cuttack Mahandadi Kota Chambal Tiruchurapalli Cauvery
Kurnool Tungabhadra Kolkata Hooghly Ujjain Kshipra
Delhi Yamuna Lucknow Gomti Vijayawada Krishna
Dibrugarh Brahmaputra Ludhiana Sutlej Varanasi Ganga

Annual yield of water

River Contribution (%)
Brahmaputra 33.8
Ganga 25.2
Godavari 6.4
Indus 4.3
Mahanadi 3.6
Krishna 3.4
Narmada 2.9

The highest range of the western ghats is called the Sahyadri Range.
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Important Rivers of India
Name Origin From Fall into Length (km)
Ganges Combined Sources Bay of Bengal 2525
Satluj Mansarovar Rakas Lakes Chenab 1050
Indus Near Mansarovar Lake Arabian Sea 2880
Ravi Kullu Hills near Rohtang Pass Chenab 720
Beas Near Rohtang Pass Satluj 470
Jhelum Verinag in Kashmir Chenab 725
Yamuna Yamunotri Ganga 1375
Chambal M.P. Yamuna 1050
Ghagra Matsatung Glacier Ganga 1080
Kosi Near Gosain Dham Park Ganga 730
Betwa Vindhyanchal Yamuna 480
Son Amarkantak Ganga 780
Brahmaputra Near Mansarovar Lake Bay of Bengal 2900
Narmada Amarkantak Gulf of Khambat 1057
Tapti Betul Distt. of M.P. Gulf of Khambat 724
Mahanadi Raipur Distt. in Chattisgarh Bay of Bengal 858
Luni Aravallis Rann of Kuchchh 450
Ghaggar Himalayas Near Fatehabad 494
Sabarmati Aravallis Gulf of Khambat 416
Krishna Western ghats Bay of Bengal 1327
Godavari Nasik distt. in Maharashtra Bay of Bengal 1465
Cauvery Brahmagir Range of Western Bay of Bengal 805
Ghats
Tungabhadra Western Ghats Krishna River 640

Important River Valley Projects in India

Bhakra Nangal Project Situated on Sutlej in Punjab. Highest in India. Ht.
226m. Reservoir is called Gobind Sagar Lake.
Mandi Project On Beas in Himachal Pradesh
Chambal Valley Project On Chambal in Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan, 3
dams include Gandhi Sagar Dam, Rana Pratap Sagar
Dam and Jawahar Sagar Dam
Damodar Valley Project On Damodar in Bihar, based on Tennessee Valley
Project USA
Hirakud Project On Mahanadi in Odisha, World’s Longest Dam:
4801m
The Dzukou valley is a valley located at the border of Nagaland and Manipur.
 218
Rihand Project On Son in Mirzapur, Reservoir is called Gobind Vallabh
Pant reservoir
Kosi Project On Kosi in N. Bihar
Mayurkashi Project On Mayurkashi in West Bengal
Kakrapara Project On Tapi in Gujarat
Nizamsagar Project On Manjra in Andhra Pradesh
Nagarjuna Sagar Project On Krishna in Andhra Pradesh
Tungabhadra Project On Tungabhadra in Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka
Shivasamudram Project On Cauvery in Karnataka. One of the oldest river
valley projects in India.
Tata Hydel Scheme On Bhima in Maharashtra
Sharavathi Hydel Project On Jog Falls in Karnataka
Kundah & Periyar Project In Tamil Nadu
Farakka Project On Ganga in WB. Apart from power and irrigation,
also helps to remove silt for easy navigation.
Ukai Project On Tapti in Gujarat
Mahi Project On Mahi in Gujarat
Salal Project On Chenab in J&K
Mata Tila Multipurpose Project On Betwa in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh
Thein Project On Ravi, Punjab.
Pong Dam On Beas, Punjab
Tehri Dam On Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand
Sardar Sarovar Project On Narmada, Gujarat/MP.
Lakes
Lakes of India are of high importance as they prevent flooding during high rain and on the
other hand it stimulate an even water flow during dry seasons. India is bestowed with some
really beautiful lakes which are not only of geomorphologic importance but also attracts a
large number of tourists every year. Many such lakes are Dal Lake,Wular, Chilka, Loktak,
Nakki, Kodaikanal, Sukhna, Puskar, Nakki, Sukhna, Manasbal, Bhojtal, Hussain Sagar, Tam
dil, Pulicat etc.

Important lakes in India

Lakes Name State
Kolleru Lake, Pulicat Lake Andhra Pradesh
Deepor Beel, Chandubi Lake, Haflong Lake, Son Beel Assam
Kanwar Lake Bihar
Hamirsar Lake, Kankaria Lake, Nal Sarovar, Sursagar Lake Gujarat
Brighu Lake, Dashir Lake, Dhankar Lake, Kareri (Kumarwah) Himachal Pradesh
Lake, Khajjiar Lake,
Macchial Lake, Maharana Pratap Sagar, Manimahesh Lake, Nako
Lake, Pandoh Lake,

Johar valley in Uttarakhand was a major trade route with Tibet.

 219
Prashar Lake, Renuka Lake, Suraj Taal, Chandra Taal Himachal Pradesh
Badkhal Lake, Brahma Sarovar, Karna Lake, Sannihit Sarovar, Haryana
Surajkund Lake, Tilyar Lake, Blue Bird Lake
Dal Lake, Pangong Tso, Sheshnag Lake Jammu & Kashmir
Bellandur Lake, Ulsoor Lake, Sankey Lake, Agara Lake, Karanji Karnataka
lake, Kukkarahalli lake, Lingambudhi Lake, Pampa Sarovar
Ashtamudi Lake, Maanaanchira Lake Kerala
Upper Lake, Lower Lake Madhya Pradesh
Moti Jheel Uttar Pradesh
Gorewada Lake, Lonar Lake Maharashtra
Umiam Lake Meghalaya
Loktak Lake Manipur
Palak Dil Lake, Tam Dil Lake Mizoram
Anshupa Lake, Chilka Lake, Kanjia Lake Odisha
Kanjli Wetland, Harike Wetland, Ropar Wetland Punjab

Soil Parts of South Bihar, Birbhum and Bankura

As a prime natural resource soil plays an districts of West Bengal, Mirzapur, Jhansi,
important role in the growth of human Banda, Hamirpur district of UP, Aravali
activities of a specific location. The type of Hills and eastern half of Rajasthan.
soil found in India can be classified in number •• Property: Abundance of Ferric oxide
of ways but as per All India Soil Survey Absence of lime matters and hence
Committee of Indian Council of Agricultural highly fertile.
Research there are 8 types of soil found in •• Colour: Red
India. •• Texture: Sandy to clay and loamy.
•• Suitable for: Production of Wheat,
Alluvial soil
cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato.
Spatial Distribution: Wide spread in
Black / Regur soil
northern plains and river valleys such as
Indus-Ganga- Brahmaputra plain, Narmada- •• Spatial Distribution: Most of the
Tapi plain, deltas and estuaries of Peninsular Deccan is occupied by Black soil.
India. •• Property: Mature soil with high water
Property: Mixture of Humus, lime and retaining capacity, become sticky when
organic matters and hence highly fertile. wet and shrinks when dried. Iron, lime,
Colour: Light Grey to Ash Grey. calcium, potassium, aluminum and
Texture: Sandy to silty loam or clay. magnesium.
Suitable for: Production of Wheat, rice, •• Colour: Deep black to light black.
maize, sugarcane, pulses, oilseed. •• Texture: Clayey.
Red soil •• Suitable for: Best soil for cotton
production.
Spatial Distribution: Mainly found in the
areas of low rainfall. The states with red Arid / Desert soil
soils are Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, South-east •• Spatial Distribution: Seen widely
part of Maharashtra, Eastern Part of Andhra under Arid and Semi-Arid conditions
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Chota such as Rajasthan, Parts of Haryana and
Nagpur in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattishgarh Punjab.
Markha river is a tributary of Zanskar river lying within Hemis National Park.
 220
•• Property: Lack of moisture and Forest soil and Mountain Soil
Humus and contains impure Calcium •• Spatial Distribution: Mostly found
Carbonate. in Himalayan Region mainly in valley
•• Colour: Red to Brown. basins, and Western and Eastern Ghats
•• Texture: Sandy of Peninsular India
•• Suitable for: Salt tolerant crops like •• Property: Rich in humus, deficient in
barley , rapeseed, wheat , millet, maize. Potash, Phosphorous and lime.
Laterite soil •• Suitable for: Wheat, maize, barley in
southern India and temperate fruit in
•• Spatial Distribution: mostly found
Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh
in Eastern Ghats, the Rajmahal Hills,
and Uttarakhand.
Vidhyas, Satpura and Malwa Plateau.
•• Property: Prone to leaching of lime and Climate
silica from soil, rich iron and aluminum, Although India is basically a tropical
•• Deficient in Nitrogen, Potash, country, it experiences wide variation in
Potassium, Lime, Humus climatic condition depending upon the
•• Colour: Red colour due to iron oxide altitude, latitude, distance from sea and
•• Texture: Clayey rocky relief. The variability can be observed in
•• Suitable for: Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and number of factors such as:
Cashew nuts are cultivated mainly. •• Western Rajasthan experiences a
Saline soil high temperature during June where
as the areas close to Kashmir are
•• Spatial Distribution: mostly found
relatively experiencing a much lower
Andhra Pradesh and Karnatak, in Drier
temperature. The coastal lands are
parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, comparatively having a moderate
Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. In climate due to the nearness of sea.
Gujarat the area around gulf of Khamart, •• The amount of rainfall also varies
vast estuaries of the Narmada, Tapi and throughout the country. The rainfall in
Mahi river. India is primarily governed by Monsoon
•• Property: Mainly saline and alkaline wind which generally hits the south
in nature, rich in sodium, magnesium, west coast of India generally in June
calcium salt, and sulphurous acid. and known as onset of Monsoon. The
•• Not suitable for agricultural wind then starts circulating via the Bay
productivity. of Bengal covering the entire eastern,
Peaty/marshy soil north eastern and parts of central India.
The highest rainfall is experienced in
•• Spatial Distribution: generally found
Mawsynram Cherrapunji in Meghalaya
Coastal areas of Odisha and Tamil Nadu,
i.e. 1221 cm of annual rainfall every
Sunderbans of West Bengal, Bihar and
year. On the other hand in the month
Almora district of Uttarakhand.
of October and November the monsoon
•• Property: heavy and highly acidic trough of Low pressure starts receding
in nature, deficient in Potash and from Northern Plain results into rain in
Phosphate. Southern India. About 50% to 60% of
•• Colour: Black rainfall in Tamil Nadu is caused due to
•• Suitable for: Paddy Cultivation. Retreat of Monsoon from North East.
Tache gompa is an important Buddhist monastry in the Markha valley.
 221
Rain fall Distribution in India
Amount Heavy Rainfall Moderately Heavy Less Rainfall Scanty Rainfall
of Rain (> 200cm) Rainfall (50-100 cm) <50cms
fall (100-200 cm)
States West coasts, Southern Parts of Upper Ganga Northern part of
on the western Gujarat, East Tamil valley, eastern Kashmir, Western
Ghats, Sub- Nadu, North-eastern Rajasthan, Punjab, Rajasthan, Punjab
Himalayan areas Peninsular, Western Southern Plateau and Deccan
in North East and Ghats, eastern of Karnataka, Plateau
Meghalaya Hills. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradessh
Assam, West Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Bengal, Southern Odisha, the middle
slopes of eastern Ganga valley.
Himalayas.

NATURAL VEGETATION
Natural Vegetations or the forest type of India vary from place to place depending upon
several factors such as climate, soil, rainfall, temperature as well as their seasonal variation
along with varied edaphic and biotic conditions. Various botanist and ecologist have given
different classification on the basis of climatic and adaptive factors. On the basis of such
suggestion a generalised classification can be done with 5 main types and 16 sub types of
vegetation.

Classification of Natural Vegetation

Type Sub- Types
Moist Tropical Forest •• Tropical wet Evergreen
•• Tropical semi evergreen
•• Tropical Moist Deciduous
•• Littoral and Swamp

Dry Tropical Forest •• Tropical dry evergreen

•• Tropical dry deciduous
•• Tropical Thorn
Mountain Sub-tropical •• Sub tropic Broad leaved hill
Forest •• Sub tropical Moist hills (pine)
•• Sub tropic dry evergreen
Mountain Temperate •• Mountain Wet Temperate
Forest •• Himalayan Moist Temperate
•• Himalayan Dry Temperate

Alpine Forest •• Sub- Alpine

•• Moist – Alpine Scrub
•• Dry Alpine Scrub

Nubra Valley lies in the Ladakh Valley is a high altitude cold desert.
 222
Spatial Distribution of Natural vegetation in India

LANGUAGES
According to the schedule eight of our constitution, there are 22 officially recognized
languages in India; among all, Hindi dominates the scene as it is spoken by 41.03% of people
followed by Bengali (8.11 %), Telugu (7.19 %), Marathi (6.99), Tamil (5.91 %) and Urdu
(5.01%). Sanskrit, Bodo, Manipur, Dogri and Konkani are the languages which have least
speakers in India. Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali were added to the Eighth Schedule
with the passing of the 100th Amendment to the Constitution of India in 2003, taking the
The little Andaman and the South Andaman is separated by the Duncan Passage.
 223
total number of Scheduled languages to 22 to be the official language of the country
in 2001. There are total 234 identifiable along with English to be an additional
mother tongues. language. Other than these two French and
Official languages in India: Article 343 Portuguese are the official languages of
of the Indian Constitution considers Hindi Puducherry and Goa respectively.
Tribal Groups of India
Tribal Region Tribal Region
Group Group
Abhor Arunachal Pradesh Kharia Jharkhand, Odisha
Adivasi A.P, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kol Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Some
Northeastern States, West Bengal,
Andaman and Nicobar
Ahgani Manipur Kolam Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh, Telengana, M.P
Apatani Arunachal Pradesh Kota Karnataka
Baiga Madhya Pradesh Kuki Mizoram
Bakarwal Jammu and Kashmir Lahaula Himachal Pradesh
Bhil M.P and Rajasthan Lepcha Sikkim
Birhor M.P and Bihar Lushai Mizoram, Manipur
Chang Nagaland Muria Chhattisgarh
Chenchuas Telengana, Karnataka Miha Rajasthan
Sutiya Assam Moplah Malabar
Gaddis Himachal Pradesh Munda West Bengal, Jharkhand,
Odisha, Chhattishgarh
Gallong Arunachal Pradesh Nishi Assam
Garo Meghalaya Naga Nagaland
Gond M.P and Bihar Oraon MP, Bihar and Odisha,
Chhota Nagpur, W.B,
Gujjar Rajasthan Onges Andaman & Nicobar
Irula Tamil Nadu Singpho Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh
Jaintia Meghalaya Santhal WB, Odisha, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Assam
Jarawa Andaman, Islands Sangtam Nagaland
Kanikar Tamil Nadu and Kerala Sema Nagaland
Kalkari Maharashtra Sentinelese Andaman & Nicobar
Kharia Maharashtra Shompen Andaman & Nicobar
Khond Jharkhand Toda Tamil Nadu
Khasi Meghalaya Uralis Kerala
Wancho Arunachal Pradesh
Warli Maharashtra, Daman
and Diu, Bihar, Madhaya
Pradesh, West Bengal
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
The Andaman group of Islands is separated from the Nicobar group by the 10 Degree Channel.
 224

AGRICULTURE IN INDIA
A wide range of crops can be grown in (iii)Lower Gangetic Plain Region
India as the land is supported by element Located in West Bengal (except the
essential for crop growth such as relief,
hilly areas), eastern Bihar and the
soil, climate, abundant sunshine and long
growing seasons. Brahmaputra valley lie in this region
with the rainfall of 100 cm-200 cm. Rice
Kinds of Crops is the main crop which at times yields
The major Indian crop can be divided into three successive crops (Aman, Aus and
following categories: Boro) in a year. Jute, maize, potato, and
Food crops pulses are other important crops.
Rice, Wheat, Maize, Millet, Jower, Bajra, (iv) Middle Gangetic Plain Region
Ragi, and pulses like Gram, Tur (Arhar) Large parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
Cash crops are covered and receive 100 cm and
Cotton, Jute, Sugarcane, Tobacco, Oilseeds, 200 cm of rainfall. Rice, maize, millets
Ground Nut, Linseed, Sesame, Castor seed, grow in kharif; wheat, gram, barley,
Rapeseed, Mustard peas, mustard and potato in rabi are
Plantation crops important crops.
Tea, Coffee, Spices, Cardamom, Ginger, Turmeric, (v) Upper Gangetic Plains Region
Coconut, Areca nut and Rubber Central and western parts of Uttar
Horticulture Pradesh and Haridwar and Udham Nagar
Apple, Peach, Pear, Apricot, Almond, districts of Uttarakhand fall into it. Rainfall
Strawberry, Walnut, Mango, Banana, Citrus is between 75 cm-150 cm. Wheat, rice,
Fruit, Vegetables. sugarcane, millets, maize, gram, barley,
oilseeds, pulses and cotton are the main
Agro-climatic Regions
crops.
(i) Western Himalayan Region (vi) Trans-Ganga Plains Region
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh
Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi
and the hill region of Uttarakhand fall
into it. Valley floors grow rice, while and the Ganganagar district of
the hilly tracts grow maize in the kharif Rajasthan come under it. Rainfall
season. Winter crops are barley, oats, varies between 65 cm and 125 cm.
and wheat. Apple orchards and other The main crops are wheat, sugarcane,
temperate fruitls such as peaches, cotton, rice, gram, maize, millets,
apricot, pears, cherry, almond, litchis, pulses and oilseeds etc. The region
walnut, etc. Saffron is grown in this faces the threat of water logging,
region. salinity, alkalinity, soil erosion and fall
(ii) Eastern Himalayan Region of water table.
Arunachal Pradesh, hills of Assam, (vii) Eastern Plateau and Hills
Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur,
Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and
Mizoram, Tripura, and the Darjeeling
district of West Bengal come into this Dandakaranya come under it. 80 cm-
region. Annual rainfall is 200-400 cm. 150 cm of annual rainfall is received.
The main crops are rice, maize, potato, Rice, millets, maize, oilseeds, ragi, gram,
tea. Orchards of pineapple, litchi, potato, tur, groundnut and soyabean
oranges and lime are also found. grow on rainfed areas.
The largest reserves of Kyanite are found in the Lapsa Buru area in Jharkhand.
 225
(viii)Central Plateau and Hills the main crops in the rain-fed areas,
Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand, Bhander while in the irrigated areas, sugarcane,
Plateau, Malwa Plateau, and rice, and wheat, are cultivated.
Vindhyachal Hills receive rainfall 50 (x) Southern Plateau and Hills
cm-100 cm. Crops like millets, wheat,
Interior Deccan includes parts of
gram, oilseeds, cotton and sunflower
southern Maharashtra, the greater
grow in this region.
parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
(ix) Western Plateau and Hills and Tamil Nadu uplands from Adilabad
Malwa plateau and Deccan plateau district in the north to Madurai district
(Maharashtra). 25 cm-75 cm. of annual in the south. Annual rainfall is between
rainfall. Wheat, gram, millets, cotton, 50 cm and 100 cm. Millets, oilseeds,
pulses, groundnut, and oilseeds are pulses grows here.

AGRO-CLIMATIC
ZONES OF INDIA

I. Western Himalayan Region IX. Western Plateau and Hills

II. Eastern Himalayan Region X. Southem Plateau and Hills
III. Lower Gangetic Plain Region XI. Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills
IV. Middle Gangetic Plain Region XII. Western Coastal Plains and Ghats
V. Upper Gangetic Plains Region XIII. Gujarat Plains and Hills
VI. Trans-Ganga Plains Region XIV. Western Dry Region
VII. Eastern Plateau and Hills XV. Island Region
VIII. Central Plateau and Hills

Mining and Smelting of copper in India are managed by Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL).
 226
(xi) Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills maize, millets, pulses, turmeric and
Coromandal and northern Circar coasts cassava. Nearly half of the cropped
of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha come into area is under coconut plantation. The
it. Annual rainfall here varies between 75 area is covered with thick forests and
cm and 150 cm. Main crops include rice, agriculture is in backward stage.
jute, tobacco, sugarcane, maize, millets, Major Growing Seasons in India
groundnut and oilseeds. Cultivation of
spices (pepper and cardamom) and Kharif (July to October)
development of fisheries is also done. Major crops are rice, maize, sorghum, pearl
(xii) Western Coastal Plains and Ghats millet/bajra, finger millet/ragi (cereals),
Malabar and Konkan coastal plains arhar (pulses), soyabean, groundnut
and the Sahyadris are included in it. (oilseeds), cotton, etc.
Annual rainfall is more than 200 cm.
Rabi (October to March)
Rice, coconut, oilseeds, sugarcane,
millets, pulses and cotton are the Major crops wheat, barley, oats (cereals),
main crops. The region is famous for chick pea/gram (pulses), linseed, mustard
plantation crops and spices.
(oilseeds) etc.
(xiii)Gujarat Plains and Hills
Zaid (March to June)
They includes hills and plains of
Kathiawar, and the fertile valleys of Muskmelon, Watermelon, Vegetables of
Mahi and Sabarmati rivers. Annual cucurbitacae family such as bitter gourd,
rainfall varies between 50 cm and 100 pumpkin, ridged gourd etc.
cm. Groundnut, cotton, rice, millets,
oilseeds, wheat and tobacco are the International Boundaries with India
main crops. It is an important oilseed • India shares its international boundaries
producing region. with Pakistan in the West, Nepal, China
(xiv)Western Dry Region and Bhutan in the North-East.
Extended over Rajasthan, West of the • It is surrounded by Burma and
Aravallis, this region has an erratic Bangladesh to the East.
rainfall of an annual average of less
• Sri Lanka is located in the South of India.
than 25 cm. Horticultural crops like
• Radcliffe line separates India and
watermelon, guava and date palm
grow here. Pakistan.
• The McMahan Line is the effective
(xv) Island Region
boundary between India and China.
It includes Andaman-Nicobar and
Laksha-dweep which have typically • The Durand Line is boundary between
equatorial climate (annual rainfall India–Afghanistan and Pakistan–
less than 300 cm). Main crops are rice, Afghanistan.

Gypsum is a hydrated sulphide of Calcium used for reclaiming alkaline soils.

 227

Industry Major Industrial Type

As per the type raw materials used in the
Major Industrial Regions of India industry and its finished product, the categories
There are eight major industrial regions in India. of Indian Industry can be divided into:
1. Mumbai-Pune Industrial Region •• Agro Based Industry
2. Hugli Industrial Region ¾¾ Cotton Textile
3. Bangalore-Tamil Nadu Industrial ¾¾ Jute Textile
¾¾ Sugar
Region ¾¾ Silk
4. Gujarat Industrial Region •• Metallurgical Industry
5. Chota Nagpur Industrial Region ¾¾ Iron and Steel Industry
6. Vishakhapatnam-Guntur Industrial ¾¾ Aluminum smelting Industry
Region •• Engineering Industry
7. Gurgaon-Delhi-Meerut Industrial •• Fertilizer Industry
Region •• Aircraft Industry
8. Kolfam-Thiruvananthapuram •• Glass Industry
•• Cement Industry
Industrial Region
•• Chemical Industry
Fertilizer and Cement industries are the largest consumers of gypsum produced in the country.
 228

MINERALS IN INDIA
Minerals are the natural resources which are materials, cement materials, clay, chromite,
used in many industries as raw materials. Iron lime, dolomite, and gold, but deficient in
ore, manganese, bauxite, copper, etc. are such copper, lead, mercury, zinc, tin, nickel,
minerals. petroleum products, rock phosphate,
Minerals are of two types: metallic and non- sulphur, and tungsten.
metallic. Iron ore and copper are metallic Mineral resources like potassium are totally
minerals while limestone and dolomite are absent and have to be imported. Minerals
non-metallic minerals. like crude petroleum (which accounts
Metallic minerals are further sub-divided into
for about 80% of the total value of Indian
ferrous and non-ferrous minerals. Those
metallic minerals which have iron content imports), diamonds (uncut), sulphur, and rock
belong to ferrous group. The metallic minerals phosphorus are imported.
belonging to non-ferrous group do not have The state with the highest mineral output is
iron content. Jharkhand. India is rich in ferrrous metals
India is rich in iron, mica, manganese, but its reserves of non-ferrous metals are
bauxite; self sufficient in antimony, building poor.
Mineral Resources
Aluminium - Kerala.
Antimony - Antimony deposits are found in Punjab and Karnataka.
Asbestos - Karnataka and Rajasthan.
Barytes (Barium - Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Manbhum and Singhbhum districts of
Sulphate) Jharkhand.
Bauxite - Ranchi and Palamau districts of Jharkhand, Belgaum, Jharia and Thana
districts of Maharashtra, Balaghat, Jabalpur, Mandya and Bilaspur
districts of Chhattisgarh.
Beryllium Sands - Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kashmir and Bihar.
Cement - Katni (M.P.), Lakheri (Rajasthan), Jabalpur (M.P.), Guntur (Andhra
Pradesh), Jhinikapani (Singhbhum district of Jharkhand), Surajpur
(Haryana).
China Clay - Rajmahal Hills, Singhbhum (district of Jharkhand), Kerala.
Chromite - Singhbhum and Bhagalpur (Jharkhand), Ratnagiri, Salem (Tamil Nadu),
Karnataka, Keonjhar (Odisha), Ladakh (Kashmir).
Coal - Raniganj (West Bengal), Jharia, Bokaro (Jharkhand), Giridih, Karanpur,
Panch Valley and Chanda (M.P.), Singareni (Andhra Pradesh) and Mukum
(Assam).
Cobalt - Rajasthan and Kerala.
Copper - Jharkhand (Singhbhum and Barajamda), Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan (Khetri).
Diamond - Diamond mines are found in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, Raipur
district of Chhattisgarh.
Feldspar - Burdwan (West Bengal), Rewa (M.P.), Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Alwar
and Ajmer.
Gold - Kolar gold-fields (Karnataka).
Graphite - Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Odisha and Kerala.
Gypsum - Bikaner and Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Gujarat
and Himachal Pradesh.
Cuttack and Keonjhar district have the largest amount of chromite reserves.
 229
Iron Ore - Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Chhattisgarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj (Odisha).
Lac - West Bengal.
Lead - Zawar in Udaipur and at the Banjavi mines in Jaipur.
Lignite - Neyveli in South Arcot district (Tamil Nadu).
Limestone - Singareni and Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Panchmahals (Gujarat),
Balaghat, Bhandara, Chhindwara, Nagpur, Indore, Vishakhapatnam,
Sandur (Tamil Nadu).
Manganese - Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Marble - Jaipur (Rajasthan).
Mica Koderma in Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand, Munger (Bihar), Nellore in
Andhra Pradesh.
Monazite Sands - Found in abundance in Travancore Coast (Kerala).
Nitre - Bihar, U.P., Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
Petroleum Digboi, Badarpur, Musimpur and Patharia fields of Assam.
Pitchblende - Gaya (Bihar).
Red Stone - Jodhpur (Rajasthan).
Salt - Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan), and is also obtained from ocean water in
Rann of Kutch, on the north-western and south-eastern littoral (sea-
shore) of India.
Saltpetre - Punjab, U.P. and Bihar.
Silmanite - Khasi Hills (Assam), Rewa (M.P).
Silver - Goldfields (Karnataka), Singhbhum and Manbhum (Jharkhand), Tamil
Nadu and Rajasthan.
Tungsten - Bihar, Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Marwar.
Uranium - Bihar
Zinc - Zawar mines in Udaipur (Rajasthan).
Zircon - Beach sands of Kerala and Cape Comorin.

CENSUS 2011
The 15th Indian National census was According to the provisional reports
conducted in two phases, houselisting and released on March 31, 2011, the Indian
population enumeration. Information for population increased to 1.21 billion with a
National Population Register was also decadal growth of 17.64%. Adult literacy
rate increased to 70.04% with a decadal
collected in the first phase, which will be
growth of 9.21%.
used to issue a 12-digit unique identification Information on castes was included in the
number to all registered Indians by Unique census following demands from several
Identification Authority of India. ruling coalition and opposition parties.
Census Data
Population Statistics
Total Population 1,21,01,93,422 (persons)
Males 62,37,24,248
Females 58,64,69,174
Ratio 940 Females/1000 Males

The chief producer of kyanite in India is the Indian Copper Corporation Ltd.
 230
Decadal Growth (2001-2011) 18,14,55,986 (17.64%)
Density of Population 382 per sq. km.
Literacy (in percent) Total: 74.04, Males: 82.14, Females: 65.46

Highest/Lowest Population
State with Highest Population Uttar Pradesh 166,197,921
State with Lowest Population Sikkim 540,851
UT with Highest Population Delhi 13,850,507
UT with Lowest Population Lakshadweep 60,650
District with Highest Population Medinipur (West Bengal) 9,610,788
District with Lowest Population Yanam (Pondicherry) 31,394
Population Density Persons/Sq. Km.
India 325
State with highest Population Density West Bengal 903
State with lowest Poxpulation Density Arunachal Pradesh 13
UT with Highest Population Density Delhi 9,340
UT with Lowest Population Density Andaman & Nicobar Islands 43
District with Highest Population Density North East (Delhi) 29,468
District with Lowest Population Density Lahul & Spiti (Himachal Pradesh) 2
Sex Ratio (Females per Thousand Males)
India 940
Rural 946
Urban 900
State with Highest Female Sex Ratio Kerala 1,058
State with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Haryana 861
UT with Highest Female Sex Ratio Pondicherry 1,001
UT with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Daman & Diu 710
District with Highest Female Sex Ratio Mahe (Pondicherry) 1,147
District with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Daman (Daman & Diu) 591
Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Population
Population Percentage
Scheduled Castes 166,635,700 16.2%
Scheduled Tribes 84,326,240 8.2%
Scheduled Castes
State with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes Punjab (28.9%)
State with lowest proportion of Scheduled Castes Mizoram (0.03%)
UT with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes Chandigarh (17.5%)
UT with lowest proportion of Scheduled Castes D&N Haveli (1.9%)
District with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes Koch-Bihar (50.1%)
District with lowest proportion of Scheduled Castes Mizoram (0.01%)

Meghalaya is the leading producer of sillimanite.

 231
Scheduled Tribes
State with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Mizoram (94.5%)
State with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Goa (0.04%)
UT with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Lakshadweep (94.5%)
UT with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes A & N Islands (8.3%)
District with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Sarchhip, Mizoram (98.1%)
District with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Hathras, Uttar Pradesh (0.01%)
Religion Based Data
Religions Composition Population * (%)
Hindus 827,578,868 80.5
Muslims 138,188,240 13.4
Christians 24,080,016 2.3
Sikhs 19,215,730 1.9
Buddhists 7,955,207 0.8
Jains 4,225,053 0.4
Other Religions & Persuasions 6,639,626 0.6
Religion not stated 727,588 0.1
Total * 1,028,610,328 100
Rural Urban Distribution

Rural-Urban Distribution Population (%)

Rural 742,490,639 72.18%
Urban 286,119,689 27.82%
State with highest proportion of Urban Population Goa 49.8
State with lowest proportion of Urban Population Himachal Pradesh 9.8
UT with highest proportion of Urban Population Delhi 93.2
UT with lowest proportion of Urban Population Dadra & Nagar Haveli 22.9
Quick facts Mizoram and the Andaman and Nicobar
•• India’s population has jumped to 1.21 Islands, but in the remaining States/
billion, an increase of more than 181 UTs, the ratio showed a decline. The
million during 2001-11, according total number of children in the age
to provisional data of Census 2011 group of 0–6 is now 158.8 million, less
released. by five million since 2001.
•• Though the population is almost equal •• The literacy rate has gone up from
to the combined population of the U.S, 64.83% in 2001 to 74.04%, an increase
Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh of 9.21% points.
•• Kerala, with 93.91%, continues to
and Japan (1,214.3 million). occupy the top position while Mizoram’s
•• The percentage decadal growth rates Serchhip district (98.76%) and Aizawl
of the six most populous states have (98.50%) recorded the highest literacy
declined during 2001-11 compared with rates among districts. Madhya Pradesh’s
1991-2001. Alirapur district has the lowest literacy
•• The overall sex ratio nationwide has rate of 37.22% as also the naxalite-
increased by seven percentage points affected Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district,
to 940 against 933 in Census 2001. where the literacy rate is 41.58 per cent.
Sex ratio is defined as the number of Lakshadweep followed Kerala with a
females per 1,000 males. literacy level of 92.28%, while Bihar
•• An increasing trend in the child sex remained at the bottom of the ladder at
ratio was seen in Punjab, Haryana, 63.82%, followed by Arunachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, at 66.95%.
The beach sands of Kerala are the most important source of sillimanite.