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in

Unit - 1
India – Location,
Relief and
Drainage

Learning Objectives
� To understand the strategic importance of India’s absolute and relative location in
the world
� To know the distinct characteristics of major physiographic divisions of India
� To compare the regions of Great Indian plains
� To understand the drainage system of India
� To differentiate the Himalayan and peninsular rivers

Introduction India and the World

India is the seventh largest country in the The Indian land mass has a central location
world and second largest country in Asia. It is between, the East and the West Asia and the
separated by the Himalayas from the rest of the southward extension of the Asian continent.
continent. India accounts for about 2.4 % of the The trans Indian ocean routes which connect
total area of the world with an area of 32,87,263 the countries of Europe in the west and the
sq.km. many of the India states are larger than countries of East Asia provide a strategic central
several countries of the world. location to India. Thus it helps India to establish
close trade contact with West Asia, Africa and
India’s Land and Water Frontiers Europe from the western coast and with South
India shares its 15,200 km long land East, east Asia from the eastern coast.
frontier with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the
India: A Subcontinent
north-west, China, Nepal and Bhutan in the
north and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east. India along with the countries of Myanmar,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and
India’s longest border is with Bangladesh
Sri Lanka is called a subcontinent.
(4156 km)while the shortest border is with
Afghanistan.(106 km) This region possesses a distinct continental
characteristics in physiography, climate, natural
About 6,100 km long coastline of India
vegetation, minerals, human resources etc.
is washed on three sides of the country by the
Hence India is known as ‘subcontinent’.
Indian Ocean and its two arms namely the
Arabian sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal 1.1 Location and Extent
in the east. The total length of the coast line of
India including the islands is 7,516.6 km. India India extends from 8°4 'N to 37°6 'N latitudes
and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow and and 68°7 'E to 97°25 'E longitudes. Hence India
shallow sea called Palk Strait. is located in the North and Eastern hemisphere

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INDIA LOCATION IN THE WORLD N

W E
S
ARCTIC OCEAN

GREENLAND

A S I A
NORTH
AMERICA EUROPE

PACIFIC ATLANTIC PACIFIC

OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN
INDIA

AFRICA

SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN

AMERICA

AUSTRALIA

SOUTHERN OCEAN

Not to Scale
ANTARCTICA

The southern most point of the country Since Arunachal Pradesh is towards east,
is Pygmalion Point or Indira Point (6°45'N it will have sunrise about two hours earlier
latitude) located in the Andaman and Nicobar than the sunrise at Gujarat which is in the west.
Islands. The southern most point of main land In order to avoid these differences, Indian
of India is Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari). standard time is calculated. The local time of
The northern point is Indira Col. the central meridian of India is the standard
time of India. India’s central meridian
The north-south extent of India is 3,214 is 82°30’ E longitude. It passes through
km and it extends from Indira Col in Jammu Mirzapur and roughly bisects the country in
and Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in terms of longitude. The IST is 5.30 hrs ahead
the south. The east-west extension is 2933 km of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
and it stretches from Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) India has been politically divided
in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the into 28 states and 8 union territories for
east. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’ N) passes administrative convenience.
through the middle of the country dividing
it into two halves as northern temperate and Find out the following
„ West - East and North - South extened of
southern tropical lands.
India.
Indian Standard Time (IST) „ Area wise which is the smallest and the
The longitudinal difference between largest state?
„ The states which do not have an international
Gujarat in the west and Arunachal Pradesh in
border.
the east is about 30°.
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The Northern Mountains that function as a

Amaravati is the new great wall is grouped into three divisions.
capital of Andhra Pradesh.
1) The Trans-Himalayas
According to Andhra Pradesh
Reorganization Act, Hyderabad 2) Himalayas
will be the capital for both the 3) Eastern Himalayas or Purvanchal hills.
states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana till
2024 (For 10 years from the act passed). Aravalli range is one of the
oldest fold mountain range in
1.2  Major Physiographic the World.
Divisions of India
The majestic Himalayan
peaks in the north, the
beautiful beaches in the south,
the great Indian desert in the
west and the breathtaking
natural heritage in the east
make India a geographically
vibrant, colourful and truly incredible country.
There is a varied nature of physiographic
divisions in India. Though the country has many 1. The Trans-Himalayas
landforms based on the major differences, it is
It lies to the north of the great Himalayan
divided into the following five physiographic
range. It lies in Jammu and Kashmir and
divisions:
Tibetian plateau. As its areal extent is more in
1. The Northern Mountains Tibet, it is also known as Tibetean Himalayas.
2. The Northern Plains The Trans-Himalayas are about 40 km wide in
3. The Peninsular plateau its eastern and western extremities and about
4. The Coastal Plains 225 km wide in its central part. They contain
5. The Islands the Tethys sediments. The rocks of this region
The Northern Mountains contain fossils bearing marine sediments
The Northern Mountains consist of the which are underlain by ‘Tertiary granite’. It
youngest and the loftiest mountain chains in the has partly metamorphosed sediments and
world. It was formed only few millions years ago constitutes the core of the Himalayan axis.
and formed by the folding of the earth crust due The prominent ranges of Trans Himalayas are
to tectonic activity. It stretches for a distance of Zaskar, Ladakh, Kailash, and Karakoram.
2,500 km from the Indus gorge in the west to 2. The Himalayas
Brahmaputra gorge in the east. The width of
the Northern Mountains varies from 500 km in It constitutes the core part of northern
Kashmir to 200 km in Arunachal Pradesh. The mountains. It is an young fold mountain. It
Pamir Knot, popularly known as the “Roof of was formed by the movement of Eurasia land
the World” is the connecting link between the mass in the north and Gondwana land mass
Himalayas and the high ranges of Central Asia. in the south. The Tethys sea found between
From the Pamir, Himalayas extend eastward in these two land masses was uplifted by the
the form of an arc shape. The term “Himalaya” compression and the resultant landform was
is derived from Sanskrit. It means “The Abode the Himalayas.It consists of many ranges. The
of Snow”. main divisions of the Himalayas are the

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AFGHANISTAN

INDIA
Ladakh
Leh
States and Union Territories
Jammu & Kashmir
CHINA N
Jammu
W E
PAKISTAN
S

DIU DAMAN

LEGEND
Country Capital
State Capital
Inter naonal Border line
Thiruvanantha
State Border line
puram

Not to Scale

(i) The Greater Himalayas/The Himadri Himalayas are about 25 km wide. Its average
(ii) The Lesser Himalayas /The Himachal height is about 6,000 m. The Greater Himalayas
(iii) The Outer Himalayas/The Siwaliks receive lesser rainfall as compared to the Lesser
(i) The Greater Himalayas or the Himalayas and the Siwaliks. Physical weathering
is less effective over the Greater Himalayas as
Himadri compared to the other ranges. Almost all the
The Greater Himalayas rise abruptly like a lofty peaks of Himalayas are located in this
wall north of the Lesser Himalayas. The Greater range. The notable ones are Mt. Everest (8,848
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t
r Kno
ami
sh P
Ku
Hi
nd
u
INDIA - PHYSICAL DIVISIONS N
W E
S

Shimla
NGE

Kai
Mussourie hR

las
AN RA

an
Garwal ge
Ranikhet
SULAIM

Almora iver
Nainital Tsangpo R

Purvanchal

Darjeeling
Guru
shikhar Mount Abu

Dhupgarh

Paradip
Konka
n coa

Vishagapanam
am
patan
hili
st

Mac

Arma Konda

Palani Hills

Not to Scale

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m) and Kanchenjunga (8,598 m). Mt.Everest is brought by the Himalayan rivers. The altitude
located in Nepal and Kanchenjunga is located varying between 900-1100 metres average
between Nepal and Sikkim. This range is the elevation of this range is 1000 m. The width of
most continuous of all ranges. It is region of Siwaliks varies from 10 km in the east to 50 km
permanent snow cover. So, it has many glaciers. in the west. It is the most discontinuous range.
Gangothri, Yamunothri and Siachen are some The longitudinal valleys found between the
of them. Siwaliks and the Lesser Himalayas are called
Duns in the west and Duars in the east. These
• Himalaya is the home of are the ideal sites for the development of
several high peaks. settlements in this region.
• However, it holds the record
of having the maximum number 3. Purvanchal Hills
of highest peaks among any mountain These are the eastern off-shoot of
range in world. Himalayas. It extended in the north-eastern
• Out of 14 highest peaks in this world, states of India. Most of these hills are located
Himalayas holds 9. along the border of India and Myanmar while
others are inside India. Dafla Hills, Abor Hills,
(ii) The Lesser Himalayas or The Mishmi Hills, Patkai Bum Hills, Naga Hills,
Himachal Manipur Hills, Mizo Hills, Tripura Hills, Mikir
It is the middle range of Himalayas. Height Hills, Garo Hills, Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills
of this range varies from 3, 700 to 4,500 m. Its are the hills which are collectively known as
width varies upto 80 km. The major rocks of this purvanchal Hills.
range are slate, limestone and quartzite. This
Importance of Himalayas
region is subjected to extensive erosion due to
heavy rainfall, deforestation and urbanization. • 
Himalayas blocks southwest monsoon
Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar and Mahabharat are winds and causes heavy rainfall to north
the mountain ranges found in this part. Major India.
hill stations of the Himalayas are located in this
• 
It forms a natural barrier to the sub-
range. Shimla, Mussourie, Nainital, Almora,
continent.
Ranikhet and Darjeeling are the familiar ones.
• It is the source for many perennial rivers
like Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra etc.
• The major passes in the Himalaya are
Karakoram pass (Jammu and Kashmir), • The Northern Mountains are described as
Zojila pass, Shipkila pass (Himachal the paradise of tourists due to its natural
Pradesh), Bomdila pass (Arunachal beauty.
Pradesh), Nathula pass and Jhelepla pass • 
Many hill stations and pilgrim centres
(Sikkim). like Amarnath, Kedarnath, Badrinath,
• The Khyber pass which connects Vaishno Devi temple, Buddhist, Jain and
Pakistan and Afganisthan, and Bolan Sikh centres are situated here.
pass in Pakistan are theimportant passes • It provides raw material for many forest
of the Indian subcontinent based industries.
• It prevents the cold winds blowing from
(iii) T
 he Outer Himalayas/The the central Asia and protects India from
Siwaliks severe cold.
The Siwaliks extend from Jammu and • 
Himalayas are renowned for the rich
Kashmir to Assam. It is partly made by the debris biodiversity.
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The Great Northern Plains d) The Khadar Plains

This fertile plain lies to the south of the The new alluvium tracts along the courses
northern mountains. This plain is one of the of the rivers are known as the ‘Khadar’ or ‘Bet’
most extensive stretches of the alluvium in lands. The Khadar tracts are enriched by fresh
the world and is deposited by the rivers Indus, deposits of silt every year during rainy seasons.
Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The The Khadar land consists of sand, silt, clay and
length of the plain is about 2,400 km and the mud. It is highly fertile soil.
width varies from 240 to 320 km. Its width
increases from east to west. It covers an area of e) Delta
over 7 lakh sq.km. Triangle shaped fertile land at the mouth
The Great Plains of India is remarkably a of Ganga and Brahmaputhra rivers is called as
homogeneous surface with an imperceptible the Sundarban delta. It is the biggest and fastest
slope. They are formed mostly by the depositional growing delta. It is an area of deposition as the
process of the Himalayan and Vindhyan rivers. river flows in this tract sluggishly. The deltaic
These rivers deposit enormous quantity of plain consists mainly of old mud, new mud
sediments deposited along the foothills and and marsh. In the delta region, the uplands are
flood plains. The important characteristics called ‘Chars’ while the marshy areas are called
featuress of sediment deposition in the plains ‘Bils’.
areas as follows. On the basis of deposition of sediments by
a) The Bhabar Plain various rivers and topographical characteristics,
the Northern Plains of India is divided into the
This plain is made up of gravels and
following four major regions:
unassorted sediments deposited by the
Himalayan rivers. The porosity of this plain is 1) R ajasthan Plains: It is located to
so high that most of the small streams flow over the west of Aravalli range. It covers
this region disappear. Its width varies from an area of about 1,75,000 sq.km.
8 to 15 km. It is wider in the western plains Rajasthan plain is formed by the deposition
(Jammu Division) than in the east (Assam). of the river Luni and the long vanished river
This plain is not suitable for cultivation, only big Saraswathi. There are several salt lakes in
trees with large roots thrive in this region. Rajasthan. The Sambhar salt lake (Pushkar
Lake) near Jaipur is the prominent one.
b) The Tarai Tract
The Thar desert, also known as the Great
It is a zone of excessive dampness, thick
Indian desert is a large arid region in the
forests and rich wild life. This tract lies to the
south of Bhabar plains. The width of this belt north western part of the Indian subcontinent
is 15-30 km. The Tarai is wider in the eastern parts that covers an area of 2,00,000 km2 and
of the Great Plains, especially in Brahmaputra forms a natural boundary between India and
Valley due to heavy rainfall. In many states, the Pakistan. It is the world 7th largest desert.
Tarai forests have been cleared for cultivation. The desert lies in the western part of the
c) The Bhangar Plains aravalli range and covers 2/3 of Rajastan
state. There are two major divisions in the
The Bhangar represent the upland alluvial
tracts of the Great Plains of India, formed by the Thar desert. They are known as the Actual
older alluviums. The Bhangar land lies above desert region (Marusthali) and the semi
the flood limits of the rivers. This soil is dark in desert region (Bhangar). Many different
colour, rich in humus content, well drained and types of sand dunes and salt lakes (Dhands)
useful for agriculture. are seen here.
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2) Punjab - Haryana Plains: It lies to the north- is located in Anaimalai. The general slope of
east of the Great Indian Desert. This plain is this plateau is towards east. The Great Plateau
found over an area of about 1.75 lakh sq.km. is a part of the Gondwana (very ancient one)
The Punjab - Haryana plains are formed by land mass. Due to the old age, the rivers in this
the deposition of the rivers Sutlej, Beas and region attained their base level and developed
Ravi. This plain acts as water - divide (doab). broad and shallow valleys.
The two major watershed it divides are The river Narmada divides the plateau
Yamuna – Sutlej and Ganga – Yamuna. region of India broadly into two parts. The
3) Ganga Plains: It extends from the Yamuna region lying to the north of the Narmada is
River in the west to Bangladesh in the east. called the Central Highlands and the region
The total area covered by this plain is about lying to the south of Narmada is called the
3.75 sq.km. River Ganga and its tributaries Deccan Plateau. All the major rivers (Mahanadi,
such as Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri etc.) lying to the
Chambal, Betwa etc. constitute this plain south of the Vindhyas flow eastwards and fall
by their sediments and make a great plain into the Bay of Bengal. Narmada and Tapti
in India. It is the largest plain of India. The are the two rivers situated to the south of the
general slope of the entire plain (upper, Vindhyas flow westward. Their movement
middle and lower Ganga plains) is towards towards west is due to the presence of
east and south-east. a rift valley in the region.
4) Brahmaputra Plains: It is located mainly a) Central Highlands
in the state of Assam. It is a low - level plain
The Central Highlands extend between the
located in the eastern part of the Great Plains
river Narmada and the Northern Great Plains.
of India and is formed by the deposits of
The Aravallis form the west and northwestern
river Brahmaputra. It covers an area of about
edge of the Central Highlands. These hills extend
56,275 sq.km. These plains create alluvial
from Gujarat, through Rajasthan to Delhi in the
fans and marshy tracts.
northwesterly direction for a distance of about
The Peninsular Plateaus 700 km. The height of these hills is about 1,500 m
in southwest while near Delhi the height is
The plateau region lies to the south of
hardly 400 m. Gurushikhar with 1,722 m is the
the Great Northern Plains. This is the largest
highest peak of this range.
physiographic division of our country.
It covers an area of about 16 lakh sq.km (about The Western part of the Central Highland
half of the total area of the country). It is an old is known as the Malwa Plateau. It lies to the
rocky plateau region. The topography consists of southeast of Aravallis and to the north of
a series of plateaus and hill ranges interspersed Vindhyachal Range. The rivers Chambal, Betwa
with river valleys. and Ken drain the Malwa Plateau before they
join the river Yamuna. The part of the Central
Aravalli hills mark the north-western
Highlands which extends to the east of Malwa
boundary of the plateau region. Its northern
Plateau is known as Bundelkhand and its
and north-eastern boundaries are marked by
further extension is known as Bagelkhand. The
the Bundelkhand upland, Kaimur and Rajmahal
eastern part of the Central High lands which
hills. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats
lies in the north-eastern part of the Indian
mark the western and eastern boundaries
Plateau is known as Chhota-Nagpur Plateau.
respectively. The altitude of a large portion of
It covers much of Jharkhand, adjacent parts of
the plateau is more than 600 m from mean sea
Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
level. The peak of Anaimudi is the highest
This region is very rich in mineral resources
point in the plateau. Its height is 2,695 m and
particularly iron ore and coal.
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b) Deccan Plateau 1. The Western Coastal Plain

This physiographic division is the largest It lies between the Western Ghats and the
part of the plateau region of India. The shape Arabian Sea. It extends from Rann of kutch
of this plateau is roughly triangular. One of in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and
the sides of this triangle is marked by the line its width varies from 10 to 80 km. It is mainly
joining Kanyakumari with Rajmahal Hills and characterised by sandy beaches, coastal sand
this line passes through the Eastern Ghats. The dunes, mud flats, lagoons, estuary, laterite
second arm is marked by the Satpura Range, platforms and residual hills. The northern part
Mahadeo Hills, Maikal Range and the Rajmahal of the West Coastal Plain is known as Konkan
Hills. The third arm is marked by the Western Plain. The middle part of this plain is known
Ghats. The area of this Plateau is about 7 lakh as Kanara. The southern part of the plain is
square km and the height ranges from 500 to known as Malabar coast which is about 550
1000 m above sea level. km long and 20-100 km wide. This part of the
coast is characterized by sand dunes. Along the
1. The Western Ghats coast, there are numerous shallow lagoons and
The Western Ghats forms the western backwaters called Kayals and Teris. Vembanad
edge of the Peninsular Plateau. It runs parallel is a famous back water lake found in this region.
to the Arabian Sea coast. The northern part of 2. The Eastern Coastal Plain
this range is called as Sahyadris. The height of
the Sahyadris increases from north to south. It lies between the Eastern Ghats and the
Anaimudi is a sort of tri-junction of the Bay of Bengal and, stretches along the states
Anaimalai Range, the Cardamom Hills and the of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh
Palani Hills. Kodaikanal is a beautiful hill resort and Tamil Nadu. These plains are formed by
situated on the Palani Hills. the alluvial fillings of the littoral zone by the
east flowing rivers of India. The coastal plain
2. The Eastern Ghats consists mainly of the recent alluvial deposits.
Eastern Ghats run from southwest to This coastal plain has a regular shoreline with
northeast form the eastern edge of this Plateau. well-defined beaches. The coastal plain between
This range is also called as Poorvadri. The Mahanadi and Krishna river is known as the
Eastern Ghats join the Western Ghats at the Northern Circars and the southern part lies
between Krishna and Kaveri rivers is called
Nilgiri hills, bordering Karnataka and Tamil
Coromandal coast. Among the back water lakes
Nadu. The Eastern Ghats are not continuous
of this coast, lake Chilka (Odisha) is the largest
like the Western Ghats. The rivers of Mahanadi,
lake in India located to the southwest of the
Godavari, Krishna, Pennar and Kaveri have
Mahanadi delta, the Kolleru Lake which lies
dissected this range at many places.
between the deltas of Godavari and Krishna and
The Coastal Plains the Pulicat Lake lies in the border of Andhra
The Peninsula Plateau of India is flanked Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the well known
by narrow coastal plains of varied width lakes in the east coastal plain.
from north to south. They were formed by The Islands
the depositional action of the rivers and the
erosional and depositional actions of the sea- India has two major island groups namely
waves. The Indian coastal plains are divided Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. The
into the following two divisions: former group consists of 572 islands and are
located in Bay of Bengal, and the later one has
1) The Western Coastal Plains
27 islands and are located in Arabian Sea. The
2) The Eastern Coastal Plains. islands of Andaman and Nicobar are largely
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tectonic and volcanic origin. India’s only active drainage basin. The drainage pattern of an area
volcano is found on Barren Island in Andaman is the result of the geological structure of the
and Nicobar group of Islands. respective areas. The drainage system of India
is broadly divided into two major groups on
a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
the basis of their location. They are Himalayan
These islands are located in an elevated rivers and the Peninsular rivers.
portion of the submarine mountains. Since
Rivers
these islands lie close to the equator, the climate
remains hot and wet throughout the year and
Himalayan Peninsular
has dense forests. The area of the island group is Rivers Rivers
about 8,249 sq.km. The entire group of islands
is divided into two. They are Andaman in the ¾ Indus ¾ Mahanadi ¾ Cauvery
north and the Nicobar in the south. These ¾ Ganga ¾ Godavari ¾ Narmada
island groups are of great strategic importance ¾ Brahmaputra ¾ Krishna ¾ Tapti

for the country. Port Blair is the administrative

capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Himalayan Rivers
The Ten Degree Channel separates Andaman
These rivers are found in north India and
from Nicobar group. The southernmost tip, the originate from Himalayas. So, they are also called
Indira Point is a part of Nicobar Island. as Himalayan rivers. These are perennial rivers.
b) Lakshadweep Islands
a) The Indus River System
This is a small group of coral islands located The Indus River is one of the largest rivers of
off the west coast of India. It covers an area of
the world. It originates from the northern slope
32 sq. km. Kavaratti is its administrative capital.
of the Kailash range in Tibet near Manasarovar
Lakshadweep islands are separated from the
Lake at an elevation of about 5,150 m. Its length
Maldive Islands by the Eight Degree Channel.
The uninhabited “Pitt Island” of this group has is about 2,880 km (Only 709 km is in India).
a bird sanctuary. Earlier, it had three divisions The river has a total drainage area extending
namely Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi. It 11,65,500 sq km in which 321,289 sq km areas
was named as Lakshadweep in 1973. are drained in India. The river flows through
the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges and creates deep
c) Offshore Islands gorges. The river runs through Jammu and
Besides the two group of islands, India has Kashmir, turns south near Chillar and enters
a number of islands along the Western Coast, Pakistan. Its major tributaries are Jhelum,
Eastern Coast, in the delta region of Ganga and Chenab (Largest tributary of Indus), Ravi, Beas
in the Gulf of Mannar. Many of these islands and Sutlej. It enters into with the Arabian Sea.
are uninhabited and are administered by the
adjacent states. b) The Ganga River System
The Ganga River system is the largest
1.3  Drainage System of drainage system of India. It extends over an area
India of 8,61,404 sq km. The Ganga plain is the most
A drainage system is an integrated system densely populated place in India and many
of tributaries and a trunk stream which collects towns are developed on the banks of this river.
and drains surface water into the sea, lake or The river Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from
some other body of water. The total area drained the Gangotri Glacier in Uttar Khasi District of
by a river and its tributaries is known as a Uttarkhand state, at an elevation of 7,010 m.
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Ind N
us India W E
Wular Rivers & Lakes
Lake S
l um b Beas
us

e
Jh na
Ind

e
ChRavi
lej
Sut
Ya

Sambar salt Gh utra

m

l agh ap
Ga

Lake ba Brahm
un

Luni m Ga
ara
ng

a
a

Kosi
Ch nd
a

nak
So
Sa
ba
Hugli
M thi

rn
i
ah

ar
a
barm

Narmada Ma ek Sundarban
ha ha
Sa Tap na
thi
Pen
ga nga
Chilka
Lake
Go
da
va

Krishn
ir

a Kolleru
a
dr

Lake
a
bh
ga

Pennaru
n
Tu

Pulicat Lake

Kavery LEGEND
Vembanad River
Lake Vaigai
Lake

Not to Scale

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The length of the river Ganga is about 2,525 are solely fed by rain. These rivers flow in valleys
km. Its major tributaries from the north are with steep gradients. Based on the direction of
Gomti, Gandak, Kosi and Ghaghra and from flow, the peninsular rivers are divided into the
south, Yamuna (largest tributary of Ganga),
1. West flowing rivers
Son, Chambal etc. The river Ganga is known as
the River Padma in Bangladesh. The combined 2. East flowing rivers
river of Ganga and Brahmaputra creates the East Flowing Rivers
World’s largest delta known as Sundarbans in
Bangladesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. a) Mahanadi
The river Mahanadi originates near
Sihawa in Raipur district of Chattisgarh and
flows through Odisha. Its length is 851 km.
Seonath, Telen, Sandur and Ib are its major
tributaries. The main stream of Mahanadi gets
divided into several distributaries such as Paika,
Ganga River - Haridwar Birupa, Chitartala, Genguti and Nun. All these
c) The Brahmaputra River System distributaries form the Delta of Mahanadi
which is one of the largest deltas in India. The
The river Brahmaputra originates from Mahanadi empties its water in Bay of Bengal.
the Chemayungdung Glacier of the Kailash
range to the east of Lake Manasarovar in Tibet b) Godavari
at an elevation of about 5,150 m. The total area Godavari is the longest river (1,465
is about 5,80,000 sq km but the drainage area km) with an area of 3.13 lakh km2 among the
found in India is 1,94,413 sq km This river is Peninsular rivers. It is also called Vridha Ganga.
known as Tsangpo (Purifier) in Tibet. The It originates in Nasik district of Maharashtra,
length of this river is about 2,900 km (900 km
a portion of Western Ghats. It flows through
in India). It enters into India through a gorge in
the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh namely Dihang. It has many
before joining Bay of Bengal. Purna, Penganga,
tributaries. Tista, Manas, Barak, Subansiri are
some of them. This river is called as Jamuna in Pranitha, Indravati, Tal and Salami are its major
Bangladesh. After it joins with the river Ganga tributaries. The river near Rajahmundry gets
in Bangladesh, the river is called as Meghna. divided into two Channels called Vasistha and
Gautami and forms one of the largest deltas in
Characteristics of Himalayan India. Kolleru, a fresh water lake is located in
Rivers the deltaic region of the Godavari.
1. Long and wide
c) Krishna
2. Perennial in nature
3. Unsuitable for hydro power generation The river Krishna originates from a spring
4. Middle and lower courses are navigable at a place called Mahabaleshwar in the Western
Ghats of Maharashtra. Its length is 1,400 km
Peninsular Rivers and an area of 2.58 lakh sq km. It is the second
The rivers in south India are called the longest Peninsular river Bhima, Peddavagu,
Peninsular rivers. Most of these rivers originate Musi, Koyna and Thungabhadra are the major
from the Western Ghats. These are seasonal tributaries of this river. It also flows through
rivers (non–perennial). They have a large Andhra Pradesh and joins in Bay of Bengal, at
seasonal fluctuation in volume of water as they Hamasaladeevi.
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d) Kaveri b) Tapti
The river Kaveri originates at Talakaveri, The Tapti is one of the major rivers of
Kudagu hills of Karnataka. Its length is 805 km. Peninsular India with the length of about 724
The river kaveri is called Dhakshin Ganga or km. It covers an area of 65,145 sq km. Tapti
Ganga of south. In Karnataka the river bifurcates river rises near Multai tank in the Betul district
twice, forming islands of Srirangapatnam and of Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of about 752
Sivasamudram. While entering Tamil Nadu, m. It is one of only the three rivers in Peninsular
the Kaveri continues through a series of twisted India that run from east to west - the others
wild gorges until it reaches Hogenakkal Falls being the Narmada and the Mahi. The major
and flows through a straight, narrow gorge near tributaries are Vaki, Gomai, Arunavati, Aner,
Salem. The Kaveri breaks at Srirangam Island Nesu, Buray, Panjhra and Bori. It outfalls into
with two channels, river Coleroon and Kaveri. the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Cambay.
At last, it empties into the Bay of Bengal at
Poompuhar. In which river the Gerosappa (jog) fall
is found?
West Flowing Rivers
a) Narmada Characteristics of South Indian
This river rises in Amarkantak Plateau in Rivers
Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of about 1057 m
1. Originate from Western Ghats
and flows for a distance of about 1,312 km.
It covers and area of 98,796 sq km and forms 2. Short and narrow
27 km long estuary before outfalling into the 3. Non perennial in nature
Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest among the west flowing rivers 4. Suitable for hydro power generation
of Peninsular India. Its principal tributaries are 5. Not useful for navigation
Burhner, Halon, Heran, Banjar, Dudhi, Shakkar,
Tawa, Barna and Kolar.

SUMMARY
„ India has been physiographically divided into five divisions. They are Northern
Mountains, Northern Great Plains, The Plateau region, Coastal Plains and Islands.
„ Northern Mountains are classified into three divisions as Trans-Himalayas, Himalayas
and Eastern Himalayas.
„ Northern Great Plains are divided into four as Rajasthan Plains, Punjab-Haryana Plains,
Gangetic Plains and Brahmaputra Plains.
„ The Plateau region of India has two divisions namely the Central Highlands and the
Deccan Plateau.
„ Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are the two major island groups of India.
„ The Drainage System of India is classified into the north Indian (Himalayan) and
Peninsular rivers.
„ Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmathi rivers confluence with the Arabian Sea.
„ Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery are the major east flowing rivers and drain
into Bay of Bengal.

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6. _____________ Plains are formed by the

EXERCISE older alluviums.
a. Bhabar
I Choose the correct b. Tarai
answer c. Bhangar
1. The north-south extent of
d. Khadar
India is
7. Pulicat Lake is located between the
a. 2,500 km
states of
b. 2,933 km a. West Bengal and Odisha
c. 3,214 km b. Karnataka and Kerala
d. 2,814 km c. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
2. _________ River is known as ‘Sorrow of d. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
Bihar’.
II Match the following
a. Narmada
1. Tsangpo — Tributary of
b. Godavari River
Ganga
c. Kosi
2. Yamuna — Highest peak in
d. Damodar India
3. A landmass bounded by sea on three sides 3. New alluvium — River
is referred to as _________. Brahmaputra in
a. Coast Tibet

b. Island 4. Mt. Godwin

Austen (K2) — Southern part
c. Peninsula of East Coastal
d. Strait Plain
5. Coromandel
4. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar
Coast — Khadhar
separates India from _______
a. Goa III Give Reasons

b. West Bengal 1. Himalayas are called young fold moutains

c. Sri Lanka 2. North Indian Rivers are perennial
d. Maldives 3. South Indian rivers are east flowing.
5. The highest peak in South India is IV Distinguish between the following
a. Ooty
1. Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers.
b. Kodaikanal
2. Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
c. Anaimudi 3. Western Coastal Plains and Eastern Coastal
d. Jindhagada Plains.
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V Answer in brief 3. Assume that you are travelling from West

Bengal to Gujarat along the beautiful
1. Name the neighbouring countries of India. coasts of India. Find out the states which
2. Give the importance of IST. you would pass through?
3. Write a short note on Deccan Plateau. 4. Find out the states through which the
river Ganga flows.
4. State the west flowing rivers of India.
5. Prepare a table showing the major rivers
5. Write a brief note on the island group of
in India and findout it’s tributaries,
Lakshadweep
origin, length and area.
VI Answer in a paragraph
REFERENCE BOOKS
1. Explain the divisions of Northern
Mountains and its importance to India.
1. Husain, M. (2015). Geography of India
2. Give an account on the major peninsular (6th Edition). McGraw Hill Education,
rivers of India. New Delhi.
3. Give a detailed account on the basin of
2. Siddhartha, K. and Mukherjee, S. (2013).
the Ganga.
Geography through Maps (11th Edition).
VII Map exercises Kisalaya Publications Pvt. Ltd., New
Delhi.
 ark the following in the outline map of
M
India 3. Singh, G. (1976). A Geography of India.
Atma Ram & Sons Publications, New
1. Major mountain ranges – Karakoram,
Delhi.
Ladakh, Zaskar, Aravalli, Western Ghats,
Eastern Ghats. 4. Singh, S. and Saroha, J. (2014).
2. Major rivers – Indus, Ganga, Geography of India (1st Edition). Access
Brahmaputra, Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi, Publishing India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Godavari, Krishna & Kaveri.
3. Major plateaus – Malwa, Chotanagpur, INTERNET RESOURCES
Deccan.
VIII Activities 1. http://www.nplindia.in/

1. Observe the Peninsular Plateau map 2. http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/

of India and mark the major plateau
3. http://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/iess102.pdf
divisions of India
2. Prepare a table showing the major 4. http://www.scert.kerala.gov.in/images/
West flowing and East flowing rivers of text_books/chapter%204.pdf
peninsular India.

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