PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA

Prepared by:

Aggraj Sharma

MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS

The physical features of India can be grouped into the following divisions:

1. The Himalayan Mountains2. The Northern Plains3. The Peninsular Plateau4. The Indian Desert5. The Coastal Plains6. The Islands

THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

Found in the northern borders of India. Run in West-East direction from the Indus to

the Brahmaputra. Cover about 2,400 Km with width varying

from 400 Km to 150 Km. Consists of three parallel ranges:1. The Great or Inner Himalayas or the

‘Himadri’.2. The Lesser Himalayas or the ‘Himachal’.3. The ‘Shiwaliks’.

THE GREATER HIMALAYAS

Average height of peaks is 6,000m. All prominent peaks lie here. The core of this par is composed of Granite. It is snow bound. Glaciers descend from this range. They were formed geologically as a result of

the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia.

THE LESSER HIMALAYAS

Altitude varies from 3,700 to 4,500m. Average width is 50 Km. Mainly composed of highly compressed and

altered rocks. The Pir Panjal Range, Dhaula Dar and the

Mahabharat ranges are prominent ones. The valley of Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu

valley in Himachal Pradesh lie here.

THE SHIWALIKS

Altitude varies between 900 to 1,100m. Width varies from 10-50 Km. Composed of unconsolidated sediments.

THE NORTHERN PLAINS

The Northern Plains has been formed by the interplay of three major river systems, namely:

1. The Indus,2. The Ganga,3. The Brahmaputra; and their tributaries. Fertile plains formed by the deposition of

alluvium. Agriculturally a very productive part of India. The area covered by this plain is 7 lakh

kilometers. The plain is about 2400 km long and 240 to

320 km broad.

THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

The peninsular plateau is a tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks.

This plateau consists of two broad divisions, namely:

1. The Central Highlands2. The Deccan Plateau

THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS

The part of 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 rivers in this region are the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken.

The slope of this region is from Southwest to Northeast.

THE DECCAN PLATEAU

The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass lying to the South of the Narmada river.

The Satpura range is in the North while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions.

The plateau is higher in the West and slopes gently eastwards.

Other hill ranges are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia hills.

THE WESTERN GHATS & THE EASTERN GHATS

The Western Ghats and The Eastern Ghats mark the Western and the Eastern edges of the plateau respectively.

The Western Ghats are continuous and can be passed through passes only (the Thal, Bhor and Pal Ghats).

The average height if the Western Ghats is 900-1600m whereas that of the Eastern Ghats is 600m.

The Western Ghats cause orographic rains.

The highest peaks of Western Ghats include the Anai Mudi (2,695 metres) and the Doda Betta (2,637 metres).

Mahendragiri (1,501 metres) is the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats.

The black soil area of the peninsular plateau is known as Deccan Trap.

This is of volcanic origin and hence rocks are igneous.

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 150mm per year.

THE COASTAL PLAINS

The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strip, running along the Arabian Sea on the West and the Bay of Bengal on the East.

The northern part of the Western Coastal Plains is called the Konkan (Mumbai-Goa), the central stretch is called the Kannad Plain while the southern stretch is known as the Malabar Coast.

The northern part of the Eastern Coastal Plains is called the Northern Circar while the southern part is called Coromandel Coast.

THE ISLANDS

India consists of two island groups, The Lakshadweep Islands on the West near the Malabar Coast and The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the East in the Bay of Bengal.

The Lakshadweep islands are composed of small coral islands.

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