Major physiographic divisions The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions (Figure 2.1): Figure 2.1: Relief
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THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS The Himalayas The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains stretch over the northern borders of India. These mountain ranges run
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THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS Himachal or Lesser Himalaya The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged mountain system and is known as Himachal or lesser Himal
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THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS The Shiwaliks The outermost range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwaliks. They extend over a width of 10-50 Km and have an altitude varying bet
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THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS Regions from East to West Besides the longitudinal divisions, the Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. These divisio
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THE NORTHERN PLAIN The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, namely — the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.
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DIVISION OF THE NORTHERN PLAIN The Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections. The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the Punjab Plains. Formed by the Indus and its tri
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RELIEF FEATURES OF NORTHERN PLAIN The northern plains are generally described as flat land with no variations in its relief. It is not true. These vast plains also have diverse relief features. Acc
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THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU The Peninsular plateau is a tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks. It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land and
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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 known as the Central Highlands. The Vindhyan range i
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THE DECCAN PLATEAU The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north, while the Mahadev, the Ka
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THE Western and Eastern Ghats The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau respectively. The Western Ghats lie parallel t
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DISTINCT FEATURES One of the distinct features of the Peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as Deccan Trap. This is of volcanic origin, hence, the rocks are igneous. Actually, t
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THE INDIAN DESERT The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills. It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes. This region receives very low rainfall below 150
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THE COASTAL PLAINS The Peninsular plateau is flanked by a stretch of narrow coastal strips, running along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The western coast, sandwiche
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LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS You have already seen that India has a vast mainland. Besides this, the country has two groups of islands. Can you identify these island groups? Figure 2.9: An Islan
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ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS Now you see the elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south. These are Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are bigger in size and
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HIGHLIGHTS A detailed account of the different physiographic units highlights the unique features of each region. It would, however, be clear that each region complements the other and ma
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