AIL:SOCIAL SCIENCE

CHAPTER-2 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA

ACTIVITY:PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS OF INDIA

Name:Roan Devasi Sebastian

Class:IX C
Roll No:17
Group Number:4
Physical features of India can be
divided into following six divisions:

1.The Himalayan mountains

2. The Northern Plains
3. The Indian Desert
4.The Peninsular Plateau
5. The Coastal Plains
6. The Islands.
 THE HIMALAYALAN MOUNTAINS
• The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains that reach
beyond India's northern boundaries, are geologically young and structurally
fold mountains.
• From the Indus to the Brahmaputra, these mountain ranges stretch west to
east.
• The Himalayas are the world's highest and one of the most difficult mountain
ranges.
• It is made up of three parallel ranges: Himadri (Greater Himalayas), Himachal
(Lower Himalayas), and Shiwaliks(Outer Himalaya).
• Himadri (Greater Himalayas): With an average height of 6100 metres, it has
some of the highest peaks and passes, including Jalep La in Sikkim's Chumbi
Valley and Shipki La in the Sutlej Valley.
• Himachal Lower Himalaya) has an average elevation of 3700-4500 metres.
Dhauladhar, Pir Panjal, Nag Tibba, and Musoorie are the most important
ranges.
• Shimla, Ranikhet, Almora, Nainital, and Darjeeling Valley lowlands, as well
as 'Doon or Doar,' are important hill resorts abutting the outer Himalayas.
• Shiwaliks: It is of recent origin, with an average elevation of 900-1200 m and a
hogback aspect to the south.
• Karakoram, Ladakh, and Zaskar are some of the zone's most important ranges.
Outside of the arctic area, this is the biggest snowfield.
 THE NORTHERN PLAINS
❑ The northern plain is shaped by the confluence of three main river systems:
the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra, as well as their tributaries.
• Alluvial soil makes up this plain. This rich plain was produced by millions of
years of alluvium deposition in a large basin in the foothills of the Himalaya.
• From east to west, the plains stretch for around 3,200 kilometres.
• The plains' typical breadth varies between 150 and 300
kilometres. Alluvium deposits can be found at depths ranging from 1,000 to
2,000 metres.
o These may be separated into three primary zones from north to south:
the Bhabar, the Tarai, and the alluvial plains.
• As a result, streams and rivers flowing from the mountains dump heavy
materials such as rocks and boulders in this zone, and at times, they
disappear entirely.
• Marshy tracts resurface south of Bhabar, and this region is known as Terai.
• The uplands generated by older alluvium are represented by Bhangar Plains.
• Kankar is a dark-colored alluvium that is often high in calcium.
• It is an agriculturally productive portion of India, with a rich soil cover,
enough water supply, and a favourable climate.
 THE INDIAN DESERT
• The Aravali Hills' western edges are home to the Indian desert. It's a sand-
dunes-covered undulating sandy plain.
• The average annual rainfall in this area is less than 150 mm. It has a dry
climate with little vegetation. During the wet season, streams appear.
• It has a dry climate with little vegetation. Because of these distinguishing
characteristics, it is also known as Marusthali.
• This area was thought to be under water during the Mesozoic era.
• This is supported by evidence found in the Akal Wood Fossil Park and in
marine sediments.
• The Luni River, which flows across the desert's southern reaches, is
significant. It is a water deficit zone due to little precipitation and significant
evaporation.
• Some streams cease after a short distance of flow and form a typical
occurrence of inland drainage by joining a lake or playa.
• The major source of salt is brackish water, which may be found in lakes and
playas.
 THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU
• The Indian Plateau is generally triangular in form, with its base parallel to the Ganga
Valley and its apex pointing to the country's southernmost points.
• It is a hard ancient mass of igneous and metamorphic rocks that is part of
the Gondwanaland tectonic plate.
• The Peninsular plateau is a tableland made up of crystalline, igneous,
and metamorphic rocks from the past.
• It was produced by the breakup and drifting of the Gondwana continent, making it
the oldest landmass on the planet.
• The plateau is characterised by vast and shallow valleys, as well as rounded hills.
The Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau are the two major sections of this
plateau.
• The Western Ghats in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the east, and the
Satpura, Maikal range, and Mahadeo hills in the north define the Peninsular Plateau.
• The Sahyadri in Maharashtra, the Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and the
Anaimalai hills and Cardamom hills in Kerala are all local names for the Western
Ghats.
• Tors, block mountains, rift valleys, spurs, bare rocky formations, series of hummocky
hills, and wall-like quartzite dykes are some of the region's key physiographic
characteristics, which provide natural water storage sites.
• This Peninsular plateau has been uplifted and submerged several times, with crustal
faulting and cracks in between.
• The plateau's northern section features a complicated terrain with ravines and gorges.
 THE COASTAL PLAINS
• The Peninsular plateau is bordered on the west by the Arabian
Sea and on the east by the Bay of Bengal by a length of small
coastal strips.
• The western shore is a small plain situated between
the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
• It is divided into three pieces. The northern half of the coast is
known as the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa), while the centre length
is known as the Kannad Plain and the southern stretch as the
Malabar coast.
• The plains that run parallel to the Bay of Bengal are broad and
flat. The Northern Circar in the north is known as the Northern
Circar, whereas the Coromandel Coast in the south is known as
the Coromandel Coast.
• The eastern coastal plain is wider than the western coastal
plain and is an example of an emerging coast.
• The rivers flowing eastward into the Bay of Bengal have
created well-developed deltas.
• The Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Kaveri all
have deltas. It has a smaller number of ports and harbours due
to its newness.
 THE ISLANDS
• In India, there are two large island groups: one in the Bay of Bengal and one in
the Arabian Sea.
• There are about 572 islands/islets in the Bay of Bengal island groupings.
• The Andaman Islands in the north and the Nicobar Islands in the south make up
the complete group of islands.
• They are separated by the Ten Degree Channel, which is a body of water. These
islands are thought to represent raised portions of undersea mountains.
• Some smaller islands, on the other hand, are volcanic in nature. The Nicobar
Islands also contain Barren Island, India's only active volcano.
• There are some coral deposits along the shore, as well as magnificent beaches.
These islands feature tropical vegetation and get Convectional rainfall.
• Lakshadweep and Minicoy are two of the Arabian Sea's islands.
• These islands are located between 280 and 480 kilometres off the coast of Kerala.
• The entire collection of islands is made up of coral deposits. There are 36 islands in
all, 11 of which are inhabited.
• Minicoy is the biggest island, with 453 square kilometres.
• The Ten Degree Channel divides the entire collection of islands, with the Amini
Island to the north and the Cannanore Island to the south.
• On the eastern shore, the islands of this archipelago contain storm beaches made
up of unconsolidated pebbles, shingles, cobbles, and boulders.