Class 9 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers - Contemporary India - I

Q1: “The land of India displays great physical variations”.Justify the Statement. 
Ans: 

• The Himalayas or Northern Mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth.
• The Northern Plains provide the base for early civilization and have fertile land for intensive Agriculture.
• The Plateau consists of various minerals,thus, played a crucial role in Industrialization.
• The Coastal Plains provide sites for fishing and port activities.

Q2: Describe the Formation of the Northern Plains?
Ans: 

• The Himalayas uplift out of the Tethys Sea and the subsidence of the Northern part resulted in the formation of large Basin.
• In Hundreds of Years, This Northern part gradually got filled with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing from northern mountains and Peninsular Plateau.
• A flat land with extensive alluvial deposits led to the formation of Northern Plains of India.

Q3: Mention any four features of Peninsular Plateau.
Ans: 

• It is the Tableland composed of Igneous and Metamorphic rocks.
• It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana Land.
• It has broad,shallow and rounded Hills.
• The Plateau is of Volcanic Origin.
• The Plateau consists of two divisions- Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau.

Q4: What are the features of Western Ghats?
Ans:

• They are located on the west coast of India.
• They are less wide and are unbroken.
• The Highest peak is Anai Mudi.
• They are the source of the rivers like Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri.
• They are Continuous and can be crossed only through Passes.

Q5: Explain the formation of Himalayas.
Ans:

• India was a part of the Gondwanaland,crores of ago.The convection currents of the mantle fractured the Gondwanaland into a number of pieces.
• The Indo-Australian Plate gets separated from the Gondwanaland and afterwards slowly drifted towards the North.
• The Indo-Australian Plate got combined with much larger Eurasian plate.
• Under the impact of collision, the sedimentary rocks of the Tethys Sea were folded to form the Himalayas.

Q6: Name any three features of Central Highlands?
Ans: 
Features of Central Highlands:

• The Vindhyan Range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the South and Aravalis on the northwest.
• The Central Highlands are narrower in the East but wider in the West.
• The Chota Nagpur Plateau marks the eastward extension , drained by the Damodar River.

Q7: Name any three features of Coastal Plains.
Ans: 
Features of Coastal Plains:

• The Western coast, between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is a Narrow Plain. It consists of three sections.
• Northern part of coast = Konkan,Central part = Kannad, Southern part of this coast = Malabar.
• The Lake Chilika is the largest salt water lake in India and an important feature along the eastern Coast.

Q8: Name any four features of Lakshadweep Islands.
Ans: 
Features of the Lakshadweep Islands:

• The Lakshadweep Islands are group of islands and composed of small coral islands.
• Earlier, Lakshadweep Islands were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep islands.
• Lakshadweep Islands- small Area of 32 Sq Km. 
• The Pitli Island is uninhabited and has a bird Sanctuary.

Q9: Classify plate movements into three types.
Ans:
According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, the upper part of the earth has been formed out of seven major and some minor plates. The movements of these plates can be classified into three types:

• Some plates come towards each other and form convergent boundary.
• Some plates move away from each other and from divergent boundary.
• At times, some plates may also move horizontally past each other and form transform boundary.

Q10: Describe how the northern plains of India were formed.
Ans:

• The Himalayan uplift out of the Tethys sea and subsidence of the northern flank of the peninsular plateau resulted in the formation of a large basin.
• In due course of time this depression, gradually got filled with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing from the mountains in the north and the peninsular plateau in the south.
• A flat land of extensive alluvial deposits led to the formation of the northern plains of India.

Q11: Describe physical variations that the land of India displays.
Ans:

• Our country has practically all major physical features of the earth. i.e mountains, plains, plateaus, deserts and islands. The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent landforms. The whole mountain system of Himalayas represents a very youthful topography with high peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers.
• The northern plains are formed of alluvial deposits. The peninsular plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently rising hills and wide valleys. The Great Indian Desert is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes. The coastal plains run along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The country has also two groups of islands—the Lakshsdweep Islands group and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Q12: Give some prominent features of the Himalayan mountains.
Ans:
The Himalayas are geologically young and structurally fold mountains stretching over the northern borders of India. Some of their prominent features are given below:

• They extend about 2500 km between Indus and Brahmaputra gorges from west to east in an arc shaped manner.
• 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 valley lie between these ranges.

Q13: What are the features of the Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri?
Ans:
The northern most range of the Himalayas is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri. Some of the features of this range are:

• It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres. It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks.
• The folds of Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in nature. The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite.
• It is perennially snow bound, and a great number of glaciers descend from the range.

Q14: What is known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya? Mention some of the features of this mountain system.
Ans:
The mountain range lying to the south of the Himadri is known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya. Some of the features of this mountain system are:

• The ranges of this mountain system 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.
• The Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most important range. The Dhula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are other prominent ranges.
• This range consists of the famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh. This region is famous for its hill stations.

Q15: Mention some of the features of the Shivalik Hills.
Ans:
The Shivalik Hills is a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. Some of the features of this range are:

• This range is about 2,400 km long enclosing an area that starts almost from the Indus and ends close to the Brahmaputra, with a gap of about 90 km between the Teesta and Raidak rivers in Assam. The width of the Shivalik Hills varies from 10 to 50 km and their average elevation is 1,500 to 2,000 m.
• 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 Shivalik are known as Duns. Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some of the well-known Duns.

Q16:Into which three sections is the northern plain divided? Describe them briefly.
Ans: The northern plain is divided into three sections:

• The Punjab plains
• The Ganga plains
• The Brahmaputra plains
• The Punjab Plains: the western part of the northern plain is called the Punjab Plains. This plain is formed by the Indus and its tributaries such as the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Beas, the Ravi and the Satluj. The larger part of this plain lies in Pakistan. The section of the plain is dominated by the doabs.
• The Ganga Plains: extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It is spread over the states of North India—Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, partly Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• The Brahmaputra Plains: forms the eastern part of the northern plain and lies in Assam.

Q17: Which group of islands is located in the Arabian Sea? Give features of these islands.
Ans:
The Lakshadweep Islands group is located in the Arabian Sea. Some features of these islands are:

• The Lakshadweep islands are a group of 36 islands. They ware formerly known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivie islands. In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep.
• These islands group lies close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. It is composed of small coral islands.
• It covers small area of 32 sq km. Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.
• This islands group has great diversity of flora and fauna. The Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary.

Q18: How are coral reefs formed? Give examples.
Ans:
Coral are marine invertebrates which typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. They flourish in shallow, mud free and warm waters. They secrete hard rock like substance called calcium carbonate. The coral secretion and their skeletons form coral deposits in the form of reefs. These are mainly of three kinds:

• barrier reef
• fringing reef
• atolls

The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is a good example of the first kind of coral reefs. It is the largest living thing on earth, and even visible from outer space. Atolls are circular or horse shoe shaped coral reefs.

Q19: Write a brief note on the Deccan Trap.
Ans:

• The black soil area of the peninsular plateau is known as Deccan Trap.
• The Deccan Traps are a large igneous province located on the Deccan Plateau of west central India and one of the largest volcanic features on earth.
• They consists of multiple layers of solidified flood basalt that together are more than 2,000 m thick, cover an area of 500,000 km² and have a volume of 512,000 km³.

Q20: What is the peninsular plateau? Describe it highlighting its features.
Ans: The peninsular plateau is a tableland. It is composed of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is considered the oldest landmass as it was formed due to the drifting of the Gondwana land. The plateau consists of broad and shallow valleys and rounded hills.
The peninsular plateau can be divided into two regions:

(i) The Central Highlands
(ii) The Deccan Plateau
(i) The Central Highlands:

• The part of the peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river covering a major area of the Malwa plateau is called the Central Highlands.
• The Vindhya range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and the Aravalis on the northwest. The further westward extension gradually merges with the sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan.
• The rivers draining this region are the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken. The flow of these rivers is from southwest to northeast which indicates the slopes.
• The Central Highlands are wider in the west but narrower in the east.
• The eastern end of the Central Highlands is called the Chotanagpur plateau. The river Damodar flows through this plateau.

(ii) The Deccan Plateau:

• The Deccan plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The Godavari river and its tributaries drain most of the northern portion of this plateau, rising in the Western Ghats and flowing east towards the Bay of Bengal.
• The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions.
• The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
• The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats form the western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats lie parallel to the western coast. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only.
• The most distinct feature of the peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as Deccan Trap. The soil is of volcanic origin.

Q21: Explain the main features of the Deccan plateau.
Ans:
The Deccan Plateau:

• The Deccan plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The Godavari river and its tributaries drain most of the northern portion of this plateau, rising in the Western Ghats and flowing east towards the Bay of Bengal.
• The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions.
• The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
• The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats form the western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats lie parallel to the western coast. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only.
• The most distinct feature of the peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as Deccan Trap. The soil is of volcanic origin.

Q22: Compare Western and Eastern Himalayas.
Ans:

• The Western Himalayas are higher than the Eastern Himalayas.
• The Eastern Himalayas receive much more precipitation than the Western Himalayas. More precipitation means more greenery in the eastern Himalayas.
• The Western Himalayas are over the states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The Eastern Himalayas on the other hand are spread over the states such as West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
•  The famous hill stations lying in the Western Himalayas are Shimla, Kullu Manali, Srinagar, etc. The famous hill stations in the Eastern Himalayas are Darjeeeling and Shillong.
• Earthquakes and landslides are more common in the Eastern Himalayas than in the Western Himalayas.
• The Indus and the Satluj are the two main rivers that pass through the Western Himalayas and drain into the Arabian Sea. The Brahmaputra is the only main river that passes through the Eastern Himalayas and falls into the Bay of Bengal.

Q23: Describe the division of the Himalayas on the basis of regions from west to east.
Ans:
The Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. These divisions have been demarcated by river valleys:

• Punjab Himalaya: 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.
• Kumaon Himalayas: The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon Himalayas.
• Nepal Himalayas: This part is demarcated by rivers such as the Kali and Tista.
• Assam Himalayas: The part lying between Tista and Dihang rivers is known as Assam Himalayas,
• Purvachal: 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.

Q24: Describe the longitudinal divisions of the Himalayas.
Ans:
The northern most range of the Himalayas is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri. Some of the features of this range are:

• It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres. It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks.
• The folds of Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in nature. The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite.
• It is perennially snow bound, and a great number of glaciers descend from the range.

The mountain range lying to the south of the Himadri is known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya. Some of the features of this mountain system are:

• The ranges of this mountain system 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.
• The Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most important range. The Dhula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are other prominent ranges.
• This range consists of the famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh. This region is famous for its hill stations.

The Shivalik Hills is a mountain range of the outer Himalayas. Some of the features of this range are:

• This range is about 2,400 km long enclosing an area that starts almost from the Indus and ends close to the Brahmaputra, with a gap of about 90 km between the Teesta and Raidak rivers in Assam. The width of the Shivalik Hills varies from 10 to 50 km and their average elevation is 1,500 to 2,000 m.
• 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 Shivalik are known as Duns. Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some of the well-known Duns.