Physical Features Of India

By- Sanchit Kanwar

Class- IX-B

Roll No.- 25

Introduction

India is a vast country with varied landforms. Our country has practically all major physical features of the Earth i. e. Mountains, Plains, Deserts, Plateaus and Islands. India is a large landmass formed during different geological periods which has influenced her relief its present form. The movement of the plates results in building up of stresses within the plates and the continental rocks above, leading to folding, faulting and volcanic activity.

CLASSIFICATION OF PLATE MOVEMENTS

Plate movements are classified into three types. They are; Convergent Boundary While some plates come towards each other and form convergent boundary. Divergent Boundary some plates move away from each other and form divergent boundary. Transform Boundary In the event of two plates coming together they may either collide and crumble, or one may slide under the other. At times, they may also move horizontally past each other and form transform boundary.

Plate Boundaries

PLATE BOUNDARIES

The oldest landmass, (the Peninsula part), was a part of the Gondwana land. The Gondwana land included India, Australia, South Africa and South America as one single land mass. The convectional currents split the crust into a number of pieces, thus leading to the drifting of the Indo-Australian plate after being separated from the Gondwana land, towards north. The northward drift resulted in the collision of the plate with the much larger Eurasian Plate. Due to this collision, the sedimentary rocks which were accumulated in the geosyncline known as the Tethys were folded to form the mountain system of western Asia and Himalaya.

PLATE BOUNDARIES (Cont…)

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. The land of India displays great physical variation. Geologically, the Peninsular Plateau constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on the earth’s surface. The northern plains are formed of alluvial deposits. The Peninsulas Plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently rising hills and wide valleys.

Major Physiographic Divisions

Major Physiographic Divisions

The Physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions

i. The Himalayan Mountains.

ii. The Northern Plains

iii. The Peninsular Plateau

iv. The Indian Desert

v. The Coastal Plains

vi. The Islands

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

The Himalayan Mountains ranges contain several high peaks. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. The Himalayan Mountains stretch in a long curve from Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Arunanchal Pradesh in the east. Their length is about 2000 kilometres and width between 230 and 400 kilometers. The Himalayas act as a natural barrier to the North. These mountain ranges run in a west-east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra. The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie between these ranges. The northern most range is known as the Greater or Inner Himalayas or the ‘Himadri’.

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS (Cont…)

The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged mountain system and is known as Himachal or Lesser Himalaya. The ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed and altered rocks. The outermost range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwaliks. They extend over a width of 10-50 km and have an altitude varying between 900 and 1100 metres. These ranges are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers from the main Himalayan ranges located farther north. The longitudinal valley lying between lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks are known as Duns. The Brahmaputra marks the eastern most boundary of the Himalayas.

Some Highest Peaks of the Himalayas

Mountains•Mount Everest•Karakoram •Kanchenjunga•Nanga Parbat•Annapurna•Manaslu•Dhaulagiri Mountain•Lhotse

Mount EverestMount Everest is the highest peak in the world. It rises to a height of 8,850m (29,035) above sea level. It is one of the mountains in the Himalayan range. Covering the frontiers of Tibet and Nepal, north of India. The mountain is named after Sir George Everest, who was a British surveyor-general of India. It is known by different names in different regions like Sagarmatha in Nepal and Quomolongma in Tibet. The latitude of Mount Everest is 27 59 17 N and Longitude is 86 55 31 E. In Sanskrit Himalayas mean, "abode of snow". The mountain is totally covered with snow. The height of the mountain varies depending on the amount of snowfall on its peak.

Karakoram

K2 is also known as Austin Godwin, named after an English photographer who explored the region. Locally it is known as "Chogo Ri", meaning "The Great Mountain". It is the second highest mountain peak in the world with a height of 8,611m or 28,250ft.

RiversName Origin From Fall into Length (km)

Ganges Combined Sources Bay of Bengal 2525

SatlujMansarovar Rakas

LakesChenab 1050

IndusNear Mansarovar

LakeArabian Sea 2880

RaviKullu Hills near

Rohtang PassChenab 720

Beas Near Rohtang Pass Satluj 470

Jhelum Verinag in Kashmir Chenab 725

Yamuna Yamunotri Ganga 1375

Chambal M.P. Yamuna 1050

Ghagra Matsatung Glacier Ganga 1080

Kosi Near Gosain Dham Park Ganga 730

Betwa Vindhyanchal Yamuna 480

Son Amarkantak Ganga 780

Brahmaputra Near Mansarovar Lake Bay of Bengal 2900

Narmada Amarkantak Gulf of Khambat 1057

Tapti Betul Distt. Of MP Gulf of Khambat 724

Mahanadi Raipur Distt. In Chattisgarh Bay of Bengal 858

Luni Aravallis Rann of kuchchh 450

Ghaggar Himalayas Near Fatehabad 494

Sabarmati Aravallis Gulf of Khambat 416

Krishna Western ghats Bay of Bengal 1327

Godavari Nasik distt. In Maharashtra Bay of Bengal 1465

Cauvery Brahmagir Range of Western Ghats Bay of Bengal 805

Tungabhadra Western Ghats Krishna River 640

THE NORTHERN PLAINS

THE NORTHERN PLAINS

The Northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, namely- the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. This plain is formed of alluvial soil. The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalaya over millions of years, formed this fertile plain. It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km. The plain being about 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad, is a densely populated physiographic division. The rivers in their lower course split into numerous channels due to the deposition of silt. These channels are known as distributaries.

THE NORTHERN PLAINS (cont…)

The Northern plain is broadly divided into three. The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the Punjab Plains. Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, the larger part of this plain lies in Pakistan. The Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It is spread over the states of North India, Haryana, Delhi, U. P., Bihar, partly Jharkhand and West Bengal to its East, particularly in Assam lies the Brahmaputra plain.

Plains•Malwa (Punjab)•Eastern coastal plains•Utkal Plains•Indo-Gangetic Plain•Punjab Plain•Western Coastal Plains•Terai

Indo-Gangetic PlainThe northern Plains also known as the Indo - Gangetic Plain and The North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, parts of southern Nepal and virtually all of Bangladesh. The region is named after the Indus and the Ganges, the twin river systems that drain it.The plain's population density is very high due to the fertile soil for farming. The Indo-Gangetic plain is bound on the north by the abruptly rising Himalayas, which feed its numerous rivers and are the source of the fertile alluvium deposited across the region by the two river systems. The southern edge of the plain is marked by the Vindhya- and Satpura Range, and the Chota Nagpur Plateau. On the west rises the Iranian Plateau.

Punjab PlainThe Punjab Plain is an alluvial plain in Pakistan and the north-west of India. The plain includes the Pakistani province of Punjab and Indian states of Punjab and Haryana and is around 35,000 square miles (91,000 km2) in area. The plain is extensively farmed for cereals and cotton.The plain is the western part of the Northern Plain in Pakistan formed by the Indus River and its tributaries.

TeraiThe Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion. In northern India, the Terai spreads eastward from the Yamuna River across Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttaranchal,  Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Corresponding parts of West Bengal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Assam east to the Brahmaputra River are called Dooars.The lowland plains of the Terai lie at an altitude of between 67 and 300 m (220 and 980 ft). North of the Terai rises the Bhabhar, a narrow but continuous belt of forest about 8–12 km (5.0–7.5 mi) wide.

THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

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 thus, making it a part of the oldest landmass. The plateau has broad and shallow valleys and rounded hills. This plateau consists of two broad divisions, namely, the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau. The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and the Aravalis on the northwest. The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada.

THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the western and eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau respectively. Western Ghats lie parallel to the western coast. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only. The Western Ghats are higher than Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats stretch from the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the south. They are discontinuous and irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. 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. The Aravali Hills lie on the western and north-western margins of the peninsular plateau.

•Bhander Platea•Chota Nagpur Plateau •Deccan Plateau •Malwa •Mysore Plateau •Shillong Plateau•Tibetan Plateau

Plateaus

Chota Nagpur Plateau The Chota Nagpur Plateau (Hindi: छो�टा� ना�गपुर पुठा�र) is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the basin of the Mahanadi River lies to the south. The total area of the Chota Plateau is approximately 65,000 square kilometres (25,000 sq mi)

Deccan Plateau The Deccan Plateau  is a large plateau in India, making up most of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, and more than a kilometer high in the south, forming a raised triangle within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent's coastline. It is located between three mountain ranges: the Western Ghats form its western boundary, and the Eastern Ghats its eastern boundary. Each rises from their respective nearby coastal plains and nearly meet at the southern tip of India. It is separated from the Gangetic plain to the north by the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges, which form its northern boundary

THE INDIAN DESERT

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 mm per year. It has arid climate with low vegetation cover. Streams appear during rainy season.

THE COASTAL PLAINS

THE COASTAL PLAINS

The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strips, running along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The western coast, sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, is a narrow plain. It consists of three sections. The northern part of the coast is called the Konkan(Mumbai-Goa), the central stretch is called the Kannad Plain while the southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar Coast. The plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level. In the northern part, it is referred to as the Northern Circar, while the southern part is known as the Coromandel Coast. Large Rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Kaveri have formed extensive delta on this coast. Lake Chilika is an important feature along the eastern coast.

Eastern coastal plainsThe Eastern Coastal Plains refer to a wide stretch of landmass of India lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It stretches from Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the north.Deltas of many of India's rivers form a major portion of these plains. The Mahanadi, Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna rivers drain these plains. The region receives both the Northeast and Southwestmonsoon rains with its annual rainfall averaging between 1,000 mm (40 in) and 3,000 mm (120 in). The width of the plains varies between 100 to 130 km (62 to 80 miles) [1].It is locally known as Northern Circars between Mahanadi and Krishna rivers and Carnatic between Krishna and Kaveri rivers.

Western Coastal PlainsThe Western Coastal Plains is a thin strip of coastal plain 50 kilometres (31 mi) in width between the west coast of India and the Western Ghats hills which starts near the south of river Tapi. They are sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The plains begin at Gujarat in the north and end at Kerala in the south. It also includes the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. It consists of three sections. The Northern part of the coast is called the Konkan while the southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar Coast. On its northern side there are two gulfs: the gulf of Khambat and the gulf of Kachch .It is known as Konkan in north (goa - maharashtra) region.

THE ISLANDS

THE ISLANDS

The Lakshadweep Islands group lying close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. This group of islands is composed of small coral islands. Earlier they were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973 these were named as Lakshadweep. It covers small area of 32 sq. km. Kavaratti Island is the administrative head-quarters of Lakshadweep. This island group has great diversity of flora and fauna. The Pitti Island, which is uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary. The elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south.

THE ISLANDS

These are Andaman and Nicobar islands. They are bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered. The entire group of islands is divided in to two broad categories- The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south. It is believed that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains. These island groups are of great strategic importance for the country. There is great diversity of flora and fauna in this group of islands too. These islands lie close to equator and experience equatorial climate and thick forest cover.

The

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