GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER – 2 (PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA)

NOTES
TOPICS:
1. INTRODUCTION
2. MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISONS
The Himalayan Mountains
The Northern Plains
The Peninsular Plateau
The Indian Desert
The Coastal Plains
The Islands

1. INTRODUCTION:
 India is a vast country with varied land forms
 The country has plains, hilly regions, mountains, deserts, plateaus,
and islands
 The Peninsular Plateau is one of the ancient landmasses on the
earth's surface
 The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent landforms
 The Himalayan mountains form an unstable zone
 The Himalayas have 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
 The plateau has gently rising hills and wide valleys
 India displays great physical variation in its landforms
2. MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISONS:
THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS:

 The Himalayas are geologically young and structurally fold mountains

 They stretch over the northern borders of India
 The mountain ranges run in a west-east direction from the Indus to the
Brahmaputra
 The Himalayas cover about 2,400 Km and 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
 The northern-most range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or
the Himadri
 It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an
average height of 6,000 metres
 The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite
 The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged
mountain system and is known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya
 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 Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are also prominent
ones
 This range consists of the famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and
Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh
 The region is well-known for its hill stations
 The folds of the Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in nature
 It is perennially snow bound, and a number of glaciers descend from
this range
 The ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed and altered
rocks
 The Himalayas represent the loftiest and one of the most rugged
mountain barriers of the world
 A number of valleys lie between these ranges
 The outer-most range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwaliks
 The Shiwaliks extend over a width of 10-50 Km
 The altitude of the Shiwaliks varies between 900 and 1100 metres
 The Shiwaliks are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought
down by rivers from the main Himalayan ranges
 The valleys between the lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks are known
as Duns
 Some well-known Duns include Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, and Patli Dun
 The Himalayas have been divided into regions from west to east
based on river valleys
 The part of the Himalayas between Indus and Satluj is known as
Punjab Himalaya, also known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal
Himalaya
 The part between Satluj and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon
Himalayas
 The Kali and Teesta rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas
 The part between Teesta and Dihang rivers is known as Assam
Himalayas
 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
 The eastern boundary of India is known as the Purvachal or the
Eastern hills and mountains
 The Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur
hills, and the Mizo hills
 The hills in the north-eastern states are mostly composed of strong
sandstones
 The Purvachal hills are covered with dense forests
 The Purvachal hills mostly run as parallel ranges and valleys
 The Purvachal hills include the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur
hills, and the Mizo hills
THE NORTHEN PLAINS:
 The northern plain is formed by the interplay of three major river
systems: the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra
 The plain is formed of alluvial soil and spreads over an area of 7 lakh
sq. km
 It is densely populated and agriculturally productive
 The rivers from the northern mountains are involved in depositional
work
 In the lower course, the velocity of the river decreases, resulting in the
formation of riverine islands
 The Northern Plain is divided into three sections: the Punjab Plains,
formed by the Indus and its tributaries
 The larger part of the Punjab Plains lies in Pakistan
 The Western part of the Northern Plain is dominated by the doabs
 Majuli, in the Brahmaputra River, is the largest inhabited riverine
island in the world
 The rivers in their lower course split into numerous channels due to
the deposition of silt
 These channels are known as distributaries
 The fertile plain has a rich soil cover, adequate water supply, and a
favourable climate
 The deposition of alluvium over millions of years formed the fertile
plain
 The plain is about 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad
 The rivers coming from the northern mountains contribute to the
deposition of silt and formation of riverine islands
 Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers
 Spread over North India in Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, partly
Jharkhand and West Bengal
 Brahmaputra plain lies in the East, particularly in Assam
 Northern plains have diverse relief features
 Northern plains can be divided into four regions based on relief
features
 Rivers deposit pebbles in a narrow belt known as bhabar
 Bhabar belt is about 8 to 16 km in width and lies parallel to the slopes
of the Shiwaliks
 South of bhabar belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge to create a
wet, swampy and marshy region known as terai
 Terai was a thickly forested region full of wildlife
 Dudhwa National Park is in the terai region
 Largest part of the northern plain is formed of older alluvium, known
as bhangar
 Bhangar lies above the floodplains of the rivers and presents a
terrace-like feature
 Soil in this region contains calcareous deposits, known as kankar
 Newer, younger deposits of the floodplains are called khadar
 Khadar deposits are fertile and ideal for intensive agriculture

THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU:

 Peninsular plateau is made up of old rocks and was formed due to
breaking and drifting of Gondwana land
 Plateau has broad valleys and rounded hills
 Consists of Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau
 Central Highlands is north of Narmada River and includes Malwa
plateau
 Vindhyan range is bounded by Satpura range and Aravalis
 Westward extension merges with desert of Rajasthan
 Rivers draining the region flow from southwest to northeast
 Central Highlands are wider in the west and narrower in the east
 Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand are the eastward extensions
 Chotanagpur plateau is further eastward extension drained by
Damodar River
 Deccan Plateau lies to the south of Narmada River
 Satpura range is to the north of Deccan Plateau
 Mahadev, Kaimur hills, and Maikal range forms the eastern
extensions of Deccan Plateau
 Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards
 Extension of the Plateau is visible in the northeast, known as
Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau, and North Cachar Hills
 Separated by a fault from Chotanagpur Plateau
 Three prominent hill ranges are the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills
 Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats mark the edges of Deccan Plateau
 Western Ghats are parallel to the western coast and can be crossed
through passes like Thal, Bhor, and Pal Ghats
 Western Ghats are higher than Eastern Ghats
 Average elevation of Western Ghats is 900-1600 metres, while
Eastern Ghats is 600 metres
 Eastern Ghats stretch from Mahanadi Valley to Nigiris in the south
 Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and irregular
 Rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal dissect Eastern Ghats
 Western Ghats cause orographic rain by facing rain bearing moist
winds
 Western Ghats have different local names
 The height of Western Ghats increases from north to south
 Anai Mudi (2,695 metres) and Doda Betta (2,637 metres) are the
highest peaks in Western Ghats
 Mahendragiri (1,501 metres) is the highest peak in Eastern Ghats
 Shevroy Hills and Javadi Hills are located to the southeast of Eastern
Ghats
 Famous hill stations of Udagamandalam (Ooty) and Kodaikanal are in
the area
 Peninsular plateau has a distinct feature of black soil area known as
Decean Trap
 Decean Trap is of volcanic origin and the rocks are igneous
 Aravali Hills lie on the western and northwestern margins of the
Peninsular plateau
 Aravali Hills are highly eroded and found as broken hills
 Aravali Hills extend from Gujarat to Delhi in a southwest-northeast
direction
THE INDIAN DESERT:
 Indian desert is located towards the western margins of the Aravali
Hills
 It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes
 The region receives very low rainfall, below 150 mm per year
 It has an arid climate with low vegetation cover
 Streams appear during the rainy season but disappear into the sand
 Luni is the only large river in this region
 Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover larger areas
 Longitudinal dunes become more prominent near the Indo-Pakistan
boundary
 Jaisalmer is a place where you can see a group of barchans
 The desert is characterized by its low rainfall, arid climate, and sand
dunes

THE COSTAL PLAINS:

 Peninsular plateau flanked by narrow coastal strips on the Arabian
Sea and Bay of Bengal
 Western coast between Western Ghats and Arabian Sea is a narrow
plain
 Western coast consists of Konkan, Kannad Plain, and Malabar coast
 Plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level
 Northern part of Bay of Bengal referred to as Northern Circar,
southern part as Coromandel Coast
 Large rivers have formed extensive delta on the Bay of Bengal coast
 Chilika Lake is the largest salt water lake in India
 Chilika Lake is in the state of Odisha, south of the Mahanadi delta
 Arabian Sea coast has Konkan, Kannad Plain, and Malabar coast
 Bay of Bengal coast has Northern Circar and Coromandel Coast
THE ISLANDS:
 India has a vast mainland and two groups of islands
 The Lakshadweep Islands are close to the Malabar coast of Kerala
 The Lakshadweep Islands were previously known as Laccadive,
Minicoy, and Amindive
 The Lakshadweep Islands cover a small area of 32 sq km
 Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep
 The Pitti island in the Lakshadweep Islands is uninhabited and has a
bird sanctuary
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal
 The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are divided into two categories -
Andaman in the north and Nicobar in the south
 The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are believed to be an elevated
portion of submarine mountains
 The islands are of great strategic importance for India
 The islands have a diverse flora and fauna
 The islands experience an equatorial climate and have thick forest
cover
 The mountains in India are major sources of water and forest wealth
 The northern plains are the granaries of the country
 The plateau is a storehouse of minerals
 The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port
activities
 Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic organisms that secrete
calcium carbonate and form coral deposits
 Coral reefs are mainly of three kinds: barrier reef, fringing reef, and
atolls
 India's only active volcano is found on Barren Island in the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands
 diverse physical features of India have immense future possibilities of
development
 TOTAL SUMMARY IN PARAGRAPH ALLTOGETHER:
India's geographical diversity is remarkable, spanning plains,
mountains, plateaus, deserts, and islands, each telling a tale of its
rich geological past. The Himalayas, relatively young in geological
terms, stand as a majestic northern border, comprising three
parallel ranges: Himadri, Himachal, and Shiwaliks. Their towering
peaks, deep valleys, and swift rivers form an imposing natural
barrier. The Northern Plains, nourished by the Indus, Ganga, and
Brahmaputra rivers, are a cradle of fertility, densely populated
and agriculturally bountiful. The Peninsular Plateau, an ancient
landmass, consists of the Central Highlands and the Deccan
Plateau, characterized by expansive valleys and gently rolling
hills. This plateau, flanked by the Western and Eastern Ghats,
presents a tapestry of rugged terrain and coastal plains. To the
west of the Aravali Hills lies the Indian Desert, a region of
undulating sandy expanses and sparse vegetation. Along the
coasts, the plains bordering the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal
offer diverse landscapes, from narrow strips on the western coast
to vast expanses along the Bay of Bengal. The Lakshadweep and
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with their equatorial climate and
rich biodiversity, are invaluable strategic assets, while their coral
reefs and unique geological formations add to India's natural
heritage. Collectively, these geographical features underscore
India's position as a land of immense beauty, ecological
significance, and geological splendour, shaping its identity and
offering boundless opportunities for exploration and development.