Geography – Physical Features of India

Std 9

Questions and Answers

1)Which are the three main ranges of the Himalayas?

The Himalayas have three ranges which run almost parallel to each other.
These ranges are—

 the Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Range

 the Middle Himalayas or the Himachal Range and
 the Inner or Great Himalayas or the Himadri.

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2) What do you mean by the Great Himalayas? What are its two main
characteristics?

The northern most range of the Himalayas is known as the Great or Inner
Himalayas or the Himadri.
(a) It is a continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average
height of 6000 metres. All prominent Himalayan peaks are found here.
(b) Its folds are asymmetrical in nature and its core is composed of granite
rock. It is perennially snow bound, and several glaciers descend from this
range.

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3)Why are the Himalayas called young fold mountains?

The Himalayas are the most recent landforms in the earth’s history and
represents a diverse topography with high peaks, deep valleys and fast
flowing rivers.

The sediments beneath the ocean folded due to the movement of the
tectonic plates and these mountains were formed. Therefore, they are
known as young fold mountains.

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4)How was the Great Northern Plain of India formed?

The northern plain was formed by the deposition of alluvium in a vast

 Geography – Physical Features of India
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basin lying at the foothills of the Himalayas over millions of years. Three
major rivers – the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their
tributaries were involved in the depositional work.

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5)Why is the soil in the Northern Plain fertile?

The soil of this plain has been formed by the sediments brought down by
the rivers from the Himalayas.

Such plains are called alluvial plains and they are very fertile. The
northern plain is one of the largest and most fertile alluvial plains of world.

It is formed by the interplay of three major rivers and their tributaries –

the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their tributaries.

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6)“The northern plains have diverse relief features”. Explain.

According to the variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be

divided into four regions.

1. Bhabar: 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.
2. Terai South of the bhabar belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge
and create a wet, swampy and marshy region known as terai.
3. Bhangar: The largest part of the northern plain is formed of older
alluvium. It lies above the floodplains of the rivers and presents a
terrace like feature. This part is known as bhangar. The soil in this
region contains calcareous deposits, locally known as kankar.
4. Khadar: The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains are called
khadar.

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7)Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya range? Write a
brief note on this plateau.

The Malwa Plateau lies between the Aravali hills and the Vindhya range.
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Std 9
The Aravali hills lie to the west of the plateau and the Vindhya range lies
to its south. 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 Malwa plateau lies in Madhya Pradesh. It is composed of extensive

lava flows. The plateau is largely broken in form of ravines near the
Chambal Valley in its east.

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8)Write a short note on ‘coral polyps’.

Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic organisms, which live in colonies.

They flourish in shallow, mud-free and warm waters. They secrete hard
rock like substance. The coral secretion and their skeletons from coral
deposits in the form of reefs.

The Lakshadweep Islands lying close to the Malabar Coast of Kerala are an
example of small coral islands.

9)Write a short note on the Coastal Plains.

a) 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.

b) The Eastern coastal plain: is wide and level.

The northern part is referred to as the Northern Circar and the southern
part is called the Coromandel Coast
Large rivers like the Mahanadi, the Godavari have formed extensive
deltas
The Lake Chilika which lies on the eastern Coast is the largest saltwater
lake in India.

10)Describe the sections of the Northern Plains.

The Northern Plain is divided into three sections. The three river systems
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that form the three sections in the Northern plains are - the Indus, the
Ganga and the Brahmaputra.

The western part known as the Punjab Plains is formed by the Indus River
system which now lies in Pakistan. The Indus and its tributaries – the
Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj originate in the
Himalayas. This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs.

The Ganga Plain extends between the Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It
spreads over the states of Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, parts of
Jharkhand and West Bengal.

The Brahmaputra Plain lies in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

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11)Write a short note on the Deccan Plateau.

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 hills, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern
extensions.

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.

12) What are the features of the Himalayan mountains? Explain

The Himalayan mountains cover a distance of about 2,400 kilometres.

They consist of three parallel ranges-the Himadri, the Himachal and the
Shiwaliks from north to south.

The Himadri or the Great Himalayas is the highest of all with an average
height of more than 6,000 metres above sea level. It consists of some of
the world’s highest peaks, such as Mt. Everest in Nepal, Kanchanjunga,
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Nanga Parbat, Nanda Devi, Dhaulagiri, Makalu and Annapurna.
Kanchenjunga in Sikkim is the highest peak of the Himalayas in India.

To the south of the Himadri is the Himachal, also called the Middle or
Lesser Himalayas. This range is mainly composed of highly compressed
and altered rocks. The altitude varies between 3,600 and 4,500 metres.
Many important hill stations such as Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Mussourie,
Nainital and Darjeeling are situated in the Himachal range.

The Shiwalik range which is the southern-most range is discontinuous. It

extends over a width of 10-50 km and has an altitude varying between
900 and 1100 metres. There are several broad longitudinal valleys called
duns. Dehradun is situated in one such valley.

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13)What is the significance of the Northern Plains?

This plain is made up of the alluvial soil brought down by the rivers. This
soil is very soft and fertile. Major crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane,
pulses, oil seeds, etc. are grown here. This plain is the ‘food bowl’ of India.

This plain gets sufficient rainfall. There are many rivers, streams and
lakes. It also has a rich vegetation.

The northern plains are generally flat, so wells, tube wells and canals can
be dug for irrigation. Due to adequate water supply, fertile soil and proper
irrigation, it is the largest producer of foodgrains in India.

This is one of the most densely populated plains of the world. The states
of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, lie in this plain.

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14)What is the significance of Himalayas?

(a) The Himalayas stand like a mighty mountain wall that stretch over the
northern boundaries of India. They separate the Indian subcontinent from
the rest of Asia.
(b) Glaciers in the Himalayas are the source of numerous perennial rivers.
These rivers provide water for irrigation, navigation and generation of
hydel power.
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(c) The Himalayas act as a climatic barrier. They protect the Northern
Plains from freezing winds blowing from Siberia. They also stop and
deflect the rain-bearing winds blowing from the Southwest.
(d) The forests in the lower Himalayas provide a habitat for wildlife.

(e) The Himalayas also have many beautiful hill stations like Shimla,
Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling, which attract tourists.

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15)How do the different physiographic regions add to India’s natural

resources?

The different physiographic units have unique features that contribute to

India’s natural wealth.
(a) The mountains are the major source of water and forest resources.
(b) The Northern Plains are the granaries of the country. Their fertile
alluvial soil and adequate water supply makes it very rich in agricultural
production.
(c) The plateau is a storehouse of minerals, which has played a crucial role
in the industrialization of the country.
(d) The coastal region and island groups provide are conducive for fishing.
Ports encourage trade and contribute to India’s economy.

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16)Which part of the Himalayas is known as the Purvachal? Write a short

note on the Purvachal.

The eastern part of the Himalayas running along the eastern boundary of
India are known as Purvachal. They are in the northeastern states of India.

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 sedimentary rocks. Covered with dense forests, they run as parallel
ranges and valleys.
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The Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills
and the Mizo hills.

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17)Mention any four features of Peninsular Plateau.

i) It is a tableland of volcanic origin and is composed of Igneous and

Metamorphic rocks.
ii) It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana Land.
iii) It has broad, shallow valleys and rounded hills.
iv) The Plateau consists of two broad divisions - Central Highlands and
Deccan Plateau.
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18) What are the features of Western Ghats?

i) The Western Ghats are located on the west coast of India and run
parallel to the western coast.
ii) They are continuous and can only be crossed through passes namely
Thal, Bhor and Pal Ghats.
iii) The highest peak of the Western Ghats is Anai Mudi.
iv) They are the source of rivers like Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri.
v)They bring orographic rainfall to the western coast by forcing the rain
bearing winds to rise along the western slope.
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19)Name any four features of Lakshadweep Islands.

1) The Lakshadweep Islands are group of islands which are composed of

small coral islands.
2) Earlier, Lakshadweep Islands were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and
Amindive. In 1973, these were named the Lakshadweep islands.
3) Lakshadweep Islands covers a small area of 32 Sq Km and Kavaratti
Island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.
4) The Pitli Island is uninhabited and has a bird sanctuary.
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20) Compare the main features of the eastern coastal plain and the
western coastal plain.

The coastal plains of India are located along the Arabian Sea coast in the
west and along the Bay of Bengal in the east. Thus, there are two coastal
plains of India:
(i) The Eastern coastal plain
(ii) The Western coastal plain
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The Eastern Coastal Plain is wide and level. The western coastal plain is
narrow and is sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian
Sea.

The Eastern Coastal Plain has two broad divisions. In the northern part, it
is referred to as the Northern Circar while the southern part is known as
the Coromandel Coast.

The Western Coastal Plain, on the other hand has three divisions - Konkan
Coast, Kannad Coast and Malabar Coast.

The Eastern Coastal plain is fertile as the deltas of a number of rivers such
as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri are found here.
The Western Coastal Plain is not so fertile as most rivers flow from west to
east.

The availability of fertile land and many rivers in the Eastern Coastal Plain
attracts a huge population. The Western Coastal Plain is not as densely
populated as the Eastern Coastal Plain.

Lakes, lagoons are common in the Eastern Coastal Plain, like the Lake
Chilika. There are no major lagoons and lakes in the Western Coastal Plain.

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