NAME- ESHAN SINGH

ROLL NO- 2201037

SEMESTER-1
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA
INTRODUCTION

India is a land of diversity in all manners. From culture, economy and

even the landscape of India has diverse elements, all on one landmass.
The wide range of physical features of India makes the country a
complete geographical study. In fact, India has every possible landscape
that the earth has. From cold mountains to arid deserts, vast plains, hot
and humid plateau and wide sea shores and tropical islands, the
physical features of India cover every terrain.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE THEME

India is not only culturally but also geographically diverse country. The country has
mountains, plains, and plateaus to islands and deserts, the physical features of India
are very vast and diverse. If we see the formations of the physical features of the
country we can also understand the ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics’. The theory states that
the movement of these plates resulted in folding and faulting in continental rocks and
volcanic activity. This occurred due to 3 types of plate movements:

 Divergent
 Convergent
 Transform

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
To describe the location of India in terms of latitude and longitude. To describe the
importance of the location of India in terms of neighbouring countries, continents, hemispheres.

ORIGIN OF INDIAN LANDSCAPE

Millions of years ago, the Peninsular Plateau region (the oldest
landmass) was a part of the Gondwana Land which covered India,
Australia, South Africa, and South America. Over hundreds of years of
shifting landmass and ocean currents broke this landmass into multiple
pieces.

One such piece- the Indo-Australian plate started shifting northwards,

where it collided with the Eurasian plate (now Europe). Consequently,
this collision caused the landmass to fold and become, what we know as
the Himalayas today. Thereafter, many such geological events led to
the formation of each of the varied physical features of India.

MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS

MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS The physical features of India can be grouped under the following
physiographic divisions (Figure 2.2): PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA (1) The Himalayan Mountains (2) The
Northern Plains (3) The Peninsular Plateau (4) The Indian Desert (5) The Coastal Plains (6) The Islands

The Himalayan Mountains

The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains stretch over the northern borders of
India. These mountain ranges run in a west-east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra. The
Himalayas represent the loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world. They form
an arc, which covers a distance of about 2,400 Km. Their width varies from 400 Km in Kashmir to 150 Km
in Arunachal Pradesh. The altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern half than those in the western
half. The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie
between these ranges. The northern-most range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the
Himadri. It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000
metres.

The folds of the Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in nature. The core of this part of Himalayas is
composed of granite. It is perennially snow bound, and a number of glaciers descend from this range.
Figure 2.1 : Himalayas 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 varies between 3,700 and 4,500 metres and the average
width is of 50 Km. While the Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most important range, the
Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are also prominent ones. This range consists of the famous
valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh. This region is well-known for its hill
stations. • The names of the glaciers and passes that lie in the Great Himalayas. • The name of the states
where the highest peaks are located. • Location of Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet from your atlas and
also name the state where they are located. The outer-most range of the Himalayas is called the
Shiwaliks.
These ranges are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers from the main
Himalayan ranges located farther north. These valleys are covered with thick gravel and alluvium. The
longitudinal valley lying between lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks are known as Duns. Dehra Dun, Kotli
Dun and Patli Dun are some of the well-known Duns. Besides the longitudinal divisions, the Himalayas
have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. These divisions have been demarcated by
river valleys. For example, the part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Satluj has been traditionally
known as Punjab Himalaya but it is also known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya from west
to east respectively. The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon
Himalayas. The Kali and Teesta rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas and the part lying between Teesta
and Dihang rivers is known as Assam Himalayas. There are regional names also in these broad
categories. Find out some regional names of the Himalayas The Brahmaputra marks the eastern-most
boundary of the Himalayas. Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south and
spread along the eastern boundary of India. They are known as the Purvachal or the Eastern hills and
mountains. These hills running through the north-eastern states are mostly composed of strong
sandstones, which are sedimentary rocks. Covered with dense forests, they mostly run as parallel ranges
and valleys. The Purvanchal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipuri hills.

THE NORTHERN HILLS

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 alluvial soil.
The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalaya over millions of years,
formed this fertile plain. It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km. The plain being about 2400 km long
and 240 to 320 km broad, is a densely populated physiographic division. With a rich soil cover combined
with adequate water supply and favourable climate it is agriculturally a productive part of India. Figure
2.5 : The Northern Plains The rivers coming from northern mountains are involved in depositional work.
In the lower course, due to gentle slope, the velocity of the river decreases, which results in the
formation of riverine islands. ‘Doab’ is made up of two words — ‘do’ meaning two and ‘ab’ meaning
water. Similarly ‘Punjab’, is also made up two words — ‘Punj’ meaning five and ‘ab’ meaning water. The
Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections. The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred
to as the Punjab Plains. Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, the larger part of this plain lies in
Pakistan. The Indus and its tributaries — the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj
originate in the Himalaya. The Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It is spread over
North India in Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, partly Jharkhand and West Bengal. In the East, particularly in
Assam lies the Brahmaputra plain. The northern plains are generally described as flat land with no
variations in its relief. It is not true. These vast plains also have diverse relief features. According to the
variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions. The rivers, after
descending from the mountains deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km in width lying
parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. It is known as bhabar. All the streams disappear in this bhabar
belt. South of this belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy and marshy region
known as terai. This was a thickly forested region full of wildlife. The forests have been cleared to create
agricultural land and to settle migrants from Pakistan after partition. Locate Dudhwa National Park in
this region. The largest part of the northern plain is formed of older alluvium. It lies above the
floodplains of the rivers and presents a terracelike feature. This part is known as bhangar. The soil in this
region contains calcareous deposits, locally known as kankar. The 2022-23 12 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I
newer, younger deposits of the floodplains are called khadar. They are renewed almost every year and
so are fertile, thus, ideal for intensive agriculture

. THE PENINSULAR PLATAEU

The Peninsular plateau is a tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks. It
was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land and thus, making it a part of the
oldest landmass. The plateau has broad and shallow valleys and rounded hills. This plateau consists of
two broad divisions, namely, the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau. The part of the Peninsular
plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa plateau, is known as
the Central Highlands. The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Satpura range on the south and the
Aravalis on the northwest. The further westward extension gradually merges with the sandy and rocky
desert of Rajasthan. The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa
and the Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating the slope. The Central Highlands are wider
in the west but narrower in the east. The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the
Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension,
drained by the Damodar river. The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the
river Narmada. The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north, while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills
and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions. Locate these hills and ranges in the Physical map of
India. The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards. An extension of the Plateau
is also visible in the northeast, locally known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau and North Cachar
Hills. It is separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau. Three prominent hill ranges from the west
to the east are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark
the western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau respectively. Western Ghats lie parallel to the
western coast. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only. Locate the Thal, Bhor and
Pal Ghats in the Physical map of India. The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats. Their
average elevation is 900– 1600 metres as against 600 metres of the Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats
stretch from the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the south. The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and
irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. The Western Ghats cause orographic
rain by facing the rain bearing moist winds to rise along the western slopes of the Ghats. One of the
distinct features of the Peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as Decean Trap. This is of volcanic
origin, hence, the rocks are igneous. Actually, these rocks have denuded over time and are responsible
for the formation of black soil. The Aravali Hills lie on the western and northwestern margins of the
Peninsular plateau. These are highly eroded hills and are found as broken hills. They extend from
Gujarat to Delhi in a southwest-northeast direction.

THE INDIAN DESERT

The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills. It is an undulating sandy plain
covered with sand dunes. This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year. It has arid
climate with low vegetation cover. Streams appear during the rainy season. Soon after they disappear
into the sand as they do not have enough water to reach the sea.

THYE COASTAL PLAINS

The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strips, running along the Arabian Sea on
the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The western coast, sandwiched between the Western Ghats
and the Arabian Sea, is a narrow plain. It consists of three sections. The northern part of the coast is
called the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa), the central stretch is called the Kannad Plain, while the southern
stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast. The plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level. 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 extensive delta on this coast. Lake Chilika is an important feature along the eastern coast.

THE ISLANDS

You have already seen that India has a vast mainland. Besides this, the country has two groups of
islands. Can you identify these island groups? Locate the Lakshadweep Islands group lying close to the
Malabar coast of Kerala. This group of islands is composed of small coral isalnds. Earlier they were
known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep. It covers small
area of 32 sq km. Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep. This island group
has great diversity of flora and fauna. The Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary. Now
you see the elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south. These
are Andaman and Nicobar islands. They are bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered. The
entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories – The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar
in the south. It is believed that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains. These
island groups are of great strategic importance for the country. There is great diversity of flora and
fauna in this group of islands too. A detailed account of the different physiographic units highlights the
unique features of each region. It would, however, be clear that each region complements the other and
makes the country richer in its natural resources. 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 the country. The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port
activities. Thus, the diverse physical features of the land have immense future possibilities of
development.

CONCLUSION

Plains are the granary (FOOD BASKET) of India which supports housing and fast
transportation. Plateaus are the store house of minerals which promotes mining and
industries. Coastal areas help connecting India with other countries of the world and is ultimate
source of sea food