Table of contents | |
Major Physiographic Divisions | |
1. The Himalayan Mountains | |
2. The Nothern Plain | |
3. The Peninsular Plateau | |
4. The Indian Desert | |
5. The Coastal Plains | |
6. The Islands | |
Difficult Words |
India's diverse landscape includes mountains, plateaus, deserts, plains, and islands. The Peninsular Plateau is one of the Earth's oldest landforms, while the Himalayas and Northern Plains are more recent. The Himalayas are geologically active with high peaks and fast-flowing rivers, while the Northern Plains are shaped by alluvial deposits. The Peninsular Plateau features ancient rocks, gentle hills, and wide valleys.
India's major physiographic divisions include distinct landforms such as mountains, plateaus, plains, deserts, and coastal regions, each contributing to the country's diverse geography.
Let's discuss each of them individually:
The Himalayas are young fold mountains located in northern India. They stretch in a west-east direction from the Indus River to the Brahmaputra River. The range forms an arc covering about 2,400 km. The width varies, being 400 km in Kashmir and narrowing to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
Himalayas on map
Three Parallel Ranges
The Himalayas consist of three parallel ranges:
Valleys and Duns: Valleys are located between the Lesser Himalayas and Shiwaliks, known as Duns, which are fertile regions.
Regional Division: The Himalayas are divided into several regions based on river valleys: Punjab, Kashmir, Himachal, Kumaon, Nepal, and Assam Himalayas.
Eastern Extension (Purvachal Hills)
The northern plain is formed by the interplay of the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra rivers. The plain is formed by the deposition of alluvium over millions of years. It is a fertile and densely populated part of India. The rivers in the lower course form riverine islands and distributaries.
Divisions of Northern Plains:
(i) Punjab Plains: The western part of the Northern Plain, is formed by the Indus and her 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 Himalayas. This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs.
(ii) Ganga Plain: Extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. it is spread over the states of north India, Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, party Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
(iii) Brahmaputra Plain: Lies in the east of Ganga plain, particularly in Assam.
Divisions of Northern Plains
The Peninsular plateau is a tableland composed of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land. The plateau has broad and shallow valleys and rounded hills. It consists of two divisions: the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
The Indian desert is located towards the western margins of the Aravall Hills. It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes. The region receives very low rainfall, below 150 mm per year.
The Peninsular plateau is flanked by narrow coastal strips on the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. The western coast consists of three sections: Konkan, Kannad Plain, and Malabar coast.
India has a vast mainland and two groups of islands. The Lakshadweep Islands group is located close to the Malabar coast of Kerala and is composed of small coral islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are larger and more scattered, located in the Bay of Bengal.
Fold Mountains: These are mountains that are formed primarily through the effects of folding on layers within the upper part of the Earth's crust. The Himalayas are an example of young fold mountains formed from the collision of tectonic plates.
Alluvial Deposits: Sediments deposited by rivers or floodwaters. In the context of the Northern Plains of India, these deposits create fertile land ideal for agriculture.
Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks: Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of molten magma. Metamorphic rocks have been transformed by heat, pressure, or other natural processes from another type of rock.
Tableland: A plateau or a flat-topped area that is elevated significantly above the surrounding area.
Gondwana Land: A supercontinent that existed from the Late Paleozoic into the Mesozoic era. It later broke up to form continents including Africa, South America, Australia, and India.
Bhabar and Terai: Bhabar refers to a narrow belt of land at the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganges River, characterized by pebbles and porous soil. Terai is the marshy land just south of the Bhabar belt, known for its rich biodiversity and fertile soil.
Deccan Trap: A large igneous province located on the Deccan Plateau of west-central India and one of the largest volcanic features on Earth. It consists of multiple layers of solidified flood basalt that are more than 2,000 meters thick over an area of 500,000 square kilometers.
Aravalli Range: One of the oldest mountain ranges in India, running northeast to southwest across Rajasthan in western India.
Duns: Valleys lying between the Lesser Himalayas and the Shiwaliks, filled with alluvial deposits.
Kankar: Calcareous or calcite nodules found in the alluvial or sedimentary soils in the dryer parts of India.
Deccan Plateau: A large plateau in India, making up most of the southern part of the country. It is made up of ancient crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
Coromandel Coast: The southeastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal, from Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) in the south to False Divi Point in the north in Andhra Pradesh.
Coral Islands: Islands formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. They typically occur in tropical and subtropical areas, such as the Lakshadweep Islands off the southwest coast of India.
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1. What are the major physiographic divisions of India? |
2. What are the key features of the Himalayan Mountains in India? |
3. How are the Northern Plains significant in India's geography? |
4. What distinguishes the Peninsular Plateau from other physiographic divisions in India? |
5. What role do the Coastal Plains play in India's economy? |
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