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Geography of India

India is the seventh largest country in the world in terms of area. It lies on the Indian Plate, which is the northern portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. The Indian subcontinent is surrounded by three different water bodies and is easily recognisable on the world map.

Geographical Features

The country covers an area of about 3.28 million sq. km. The mainland of India extends between 8°4' and 37°6' N latitude and 68°7' and 97°25' E longitude. The Tropic of Cancer 23°30' N divides India into almost two halves. The total length of the coastline is 7,517 kilo meters. The Indian peninsula tapers southwards resulting in the division of the Indian Ocean into two water bodies - the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. In India, there is a great diversity of landforms such as lofty mountains, deep valleys, extensive plains, Plateau and coastal ghats, the desert and a number of islands.

Physiographic Regions

On the basis of its relief features, tectonic history and stratigraphy, India can be divided into several physical units.

1. The Great Mountains of the North:
   
   India comprises the Himalayas in the North and North-eastern region, separating the country from the Tibetan plateau. The Himalayan region consists of three parallel ranges-
   
   Himadri or Inner Himalaya or Greater Himalaya - are the most continuous range, contains the loftiest peaks, are perennially covered with snow and are a source of famous glaciers like the Siachen Glacier, the Gangotri and Yamunotri, etc
   
   Himachal or lesser Himalaya - are home to great valleys like Kashmir Valley, Kangra Valley, Kullu Valley. The region is also known for hill stations like. Kullu,-Manali, Kufri, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nanital, etc.
   
   Shivaliks or Outer Himalaya - extend through Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan and are known for the 'Dun' valleys and Terai region. Dehra, Kothri, Chaukham, Patli and Kota.are the major duns found in the region.
   
   These can be further divided into different ranges:
   1. Pir Panjal Range: This is the largest range of the lower Himalayas and runs from the East-Southeast to west-northwest. The Pir Panjal pass lies to the west of Srinagar and comprises Banihal Pass, Sinthal Pass, Rohtang La, Munawar Pass and Haji Pir Pass.
   2. Ladakh Range: This range extends from the northern side of Leh to the Tibetan border. It comprises Digar La Pass and Khardung La Pass. Considered a segment of the Karakoram mountain range, the Ladakh range has an extreme climate. Leh, which is the main town of the region, is regarded as a trade centre for fine pashmina wool.
   3. Zanskar Range: This range starts from south-eastern boundaries of Kashmir and extends to the eastern limit of Baltistan. Singge La Pass, Runrang La Pass, Fotu (Fatu) La Pass, Marbal Pass and Zoji La Pass are some of the passes of this range.
   4. Dhauladhar Range: This range rises from the plains of India to the north of Mandi and Kangra. Hanuman ji Ka Tiba or the 'White Mountain' is the highest peak.
   5. East Karakoram Range: This range separates India from Central Asia and is also one of the larger ranges of Asia. It is home to the second highest peak of the world, K2.
2. Indo-Gangetic Plain
   
   The Indo-Gangetic Plain is also known as Indus-Ganga and the North Indian River Plain. It lies between the great northern mountain and peninsular plateau and is formed by three major rivers - the Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra and their tributaries. It covers a large area of about 7, 00,000 sq. km in Northern and Eastern India. The plain is divided into three sections;
   a. The Punjab Plains - major portion this is in Pakistan; formed by Indus and its tributaries- Beas, Chenab, Jhelum, Ravi, and Sutlej.
   
   b. Ganges Plains - Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal lie in the Ganga plains. This is formed by the Ganga and its tributaries. It is the largest part of the Northern Plains.
   
   c. Bhramaputra Plains- lie mainly in Assam built by Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
   
   The Northern plains can be divided into regions viz.-
   
   
   1. The Bhabhar Belt: It is a narrow belt that lies in the foothills of Himalayas and comprises of pebbles and rocks brought down by the streams. Rivers flow at very fast speed in this region.
   2. The Terai Belt: It is located next to the Bhabhar region and is made up of newer alluvium, rich for cultivation, has thick forests.
   3. The Bangar Belt: It forms the higher part of the plains and is made of older alluvium soil which is less fertile. This region of the Gangetic plains is covered by Laterite soil, rich in iron and aluminium deposits.
   4. The Khadar Belt It lies on the lowland areas beyond the Bangar belt and is made up of newer highly fertile alluvium brought down by the rivers. This region is flood prone.