Physical features

Theory of Tectonic Plates

(1) According to the “Theory of Plate Tectonics” the crust (upper part) of the Earth has been
formed out of seven major and some minor plates.

(2) The movement of the plates resulted in the building up of stresses within the plates leading
to folding, faulting and volcanic activity.

(3) Plate movements are classified into 3 types. i.e.,

(a) Some plates come towards each other and form convergent boundary.

(b) Some plates move away from each other and form divergent boundary.

(c) At times, they may also move horizontally past each other and form transform boundary.

(4) The movements of these plates have changed the position and size of the continents over
millions of years.

(5) Such movements have also influenced the evolution of the present landform features of

India.

(6) The oldest landmass (the Peninsular part) was a part of Gondwana land in ancient times.

(7) Gondwana land included India, Australian, South Africa and South America as one single
landmass.

(8) Convectional currents split the crust of the Earth into a number of pieces, thus leading to the
drifting of the Indo-Australian plate towards North after being separated from Gondwana land.

(9) The northward drift resulted in the collision of the plate with the much larger Eurasian plate.

(10) Due to the collision, the sedimentary rocks which were accumulated in the geocyncline, got
folded the form of the mountain systems of Western Asia and the Himalayas.

The Northern Plains

(1) The Himalayan uplift of the Tethys sea and the subsidence of the northern flank of the
peninsular plateau resulted in the formation of a large basin.
(2) Gradually, the basin got filled with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing from the
mountains in the north and the peninsular plateau in the south.

(3) A flat land of extensive alluvial deposits led to the formation of the northern plains.

Major Physiographic Divisions

(1) The Himalayan Mountains(2) The Northern Plains(3) The Peninsular Plateau

(4) The Indian Desert(5) The Coastal Plains (6) The Islands

The Himalayas are geologically young and structurally fold mountains. They stretch across the
northern borders of India.

They are the longest range in India, covering an arc of about 2,400 km.

These mountain ranges run in a West-East direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra.

The Himalayas consist of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent.

The northernmost range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri’. It is a
continuous range with an average height of 6,000 metres. It contains all the prominent
Himalayan peaks.

The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite.

Himachal or lesser Himalayas lie to the South of the Himadri.

The altitude in the lesser Himalayas varies between 3,700 and 4,500 metres and the average
width is 50 km.

The Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most important range in these Hills. The Dhaula
Dhar and the Mahabharata ranges are also prominent ones here.

This range consists of the famous Valley of Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu Valley in Himachal
Pradesh.

Shiwaliks

The outermost range of the Himalayas is called Shiwaliks.

(1) They extend over a width of 10-50 km and have an altitude varying between 900 and 1100
metres.

(2) The longitudinal valleys lying between the lesser Himalayas and the Shiwaliks are known as

Duns. DehraDun, Kotli Dun, etc.

(3) This range is composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by the rivers.

(4) The Himalayas have also been divided on the basis of regions from West to East. These
regions have been demarcated by river valleys.

(5) Punjab Himalayas – lie between Indus and Satluj rivers.

(6) Kumaon Himalayas – lie between Satluj and Kali rivers.

(7) Nepal Himalayas – lie between Kali and Tista rivers.

(8) Assam Himalayas – lie between Tista and Dihang rivers.

(9) There are some regional names also of the Himalayas.

(10) Beyond the Dihang gorge the Himalayas bend sharply to the South and spread along the
eastern boundary of India.They are known as Purvachal or the Eastern hills and mountains.

(11) These hills running through the north-eastern states are mostly composed of sedimentary
rocks covered with dense forests.

(12) The Purvachal comprises of the Patkai hills Naga hills, Manipur hills and Mizo hills.

The Northern Plain

(1) The Northern plains has been formed by the interplay of 3 major river systems namely the
Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.

(2) This plain is formed of alluvial soil deposited in a vast basin over millions of years.

(3) It spreads in an area of 7 lakh sq km.

(4) The plain is 2400 km long and 240-320 km broad.

(5) It is densely populated with a rich soil, adequate water supply and favourable climate. It is
agriculturally a very productive part of India.

(6) The Northern plain is broadly divided into 3 sections. These are the Punjab plains, Ganga
plains and Brahmaputra plains.

The Punjab Plains

(1) The Western part of the Northern plains is referred to as the Punjab plains.
(2) Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, a large part of this plain lies in Pakistan.

(3) The Indus and its tributaries, the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj
originate in the Himalayas. This section of the plain is dominated by the Doabs.

The Ganga Plains

(1) The Ganga plains extends between the Ghaggar and Teesta rivers.

(2) It is spread over the states of Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, partly Jharkhand and the West
Bengal.

The Brahmaputra Plains

(1) To the east of the Ganga plains lies the Brahmaputra plains.

(ii) This lies mostly in Asam.

Division of the Northern Plains on the Basis of Relief Features

The Northern plains also have diverse relief features. These are

a) Bhabar
The rivers, after coming down from the mountains, deposit pebbles in a narrow area which is
lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. It is known as Bhabar. All the streams disappear in
the Bhabar belt.

(b) Terai Belt

(1) The streams and the rivers re-emerge and create a wet swampy and marshy region known
as the Terai.

(2) The Terai region is a thickly forested region full of wildlife.

(c) Bhangar

(1) The largest part of the Northern plains is formed of older alluvium. The Bhangar lies above
the flood plains of the rivers and present a terrace like feature.

(2) This soil contains calcareous deposits locally known as Kankar.

(d) Khadar
1) The newer and younger deposits of the flood plains are called Khadar.

(2) They are renewed almost every year so they are fertile and thus ideal for intensive agriculture.

The Peninsular Plateau

(i) The Peninsular plateau is a table land composed of old crystalline igneous and metamorphic
rocks.

(ii) It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of Gondwana land thus making it a part of the
oldest landmass.

(iii) This plateau consists of two broad divisions, namely the central highlands and the Deccan
plateau.

The Central Highlands

(1) 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.

(2) The Vindhyan range bounds the central highlands on the South and the Aravalis on the North
-West.

(3) The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, Sind, Ken and Betwa is from
South-West to North East.

(4) The central highlands are wider in the West but narrower in the East.

(5) The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.

(6) The Chhotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension, and is drained by the
Damodar river.

(7) The Deccan plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the Narmada river

(8) The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the North while the Mahadev, the Kaimur and
Maikal range form its Eastern extensions.

(9) An extension of the plateau is also visible in the North-East locally known as Meghalaya
Karbi-Anglong plateau and North Cachar hills.

(10) Three prominent hill ranges in Meghalaya from the west to east are the Garo, the Khasi and
the Jaintia hills.

The Western Ghats

(1) The Western Ghats lie parallel to the Western coast.

(2) They are continuous and can only be crossed through passes.

(3) The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats.

4) Their average elevation is 900-1600 metres as against 600 metres of the Eastern Ghats.

(5) The height of the Western Ghats progressively increases from North to south.

(6) The highest peaks include the Annai Mudi (2,695 metres and the Doda Betta (2,637 metres).
The Western Ghats cause orographic rain by facing the rain bearing moist winds.

The Eastern Ghats

(1) The Eastern Ghats stretch from the Mahanadi Valley to the Nilgiris in the South.

(2) The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous, irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay
of Bengal.

(3) Mahendragiri (1501 metres) is the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats.

(4) They have the hill stations of Udagamandalam (popularly known as Ooty) and Kodaikanal,
both in Tamil Nadu.

(5) The Eastern Ghats mark the Eastern edge of the Deccan plateau.

(6) The average height of the Eastern Ghats is 600 metres.

The Indian Desert

(1) The Indian desert lies towards the eastern margins of the Aravali hills.

(2) It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes.

(3) This region receives very low rainfall, below 150 mm per year.

(4) It has arid climate with low vegetation cover.

(5) Streams appear during the rainy season.

(6) Soon after, they disappear into the sand as they do not have enough water to reach the sea.

(7) Luni is the only large river in this region.

(8) Barchans (crescent shaped dunes) cover large areas but longitudinal dunes become more
prominent near the India-Pakistan border.

The Coastal Plains

(1) The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretches of narrow coastal strips, running along the
Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east.

(2) The western coast sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is a narrow
plain. It consists of three sectors.

(3) The northern part of the coast is called Konkan (Mumbai – Goa). The central stretch is called
the Kannad plain while the southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast.

(4) 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.

(5) Large rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri have formed extensive
deltas on this coast.

(6) Lake Chilka is an important feature along the Eastern coast.

The Islands

(1) India has two groups of islands.

(2) The Lakshadweep Islands group is lying close to the Malabar coast of Kerala.

(3) This group of islands is composed of small coral islands.

(4) Earlier they were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Anainative. In 1973, they were named as
Lakshadweep.

(5) They coverts a small area of 32 sq km.

(6) Kavaratti Island is the administrative headquarters of lakshadweep.

(7) This island group has great diversity of flora and fauna.Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has
a bird sanctuary.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

(1) The elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south
are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

(2) They are bigger in size and more numerous and scattered, compared to Lakshadweep.

(3) The entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories. The Andaman in the North
and Nicobar in the South.

4) It is believed that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains.

(5) These islands are of great strategic importance for the country.
(6) There is great diversity of flora and fauna on this island group.

(7) The islands lie close to the equator and experience equatorial climate and have thick forest
cover.

Question answers

What are the three types of plate movements on the earth?

Answer:The three types of plate movements are the following.

(a) Converging Boundary: When the plates come towards each other, they form convergent
boundaries. ‘ The plates collide, crumble or even slide under the other. It may also be known as
folding

(b) Divergent Boundary: These are formed when the plates move away from each other, they
form divergent boundary. They are also called faulting movements. For example, the North
American Plate diverge from the Eurasian Plate.

(c) Transform Boundary: When some plates move past each other form transform boundary, i
e.g. San Andreas fault. The western half of California is moving north because it is part of the
Pacific Plate and Eastern half of California is moving south because it is part of North America.

Give a brief description of the Himalayan mountains.

Or State any three features of Himalayan mountains. [CBSE 2013]

Answer:The three features of Himalayan mountains are:

(a) Himalayas are geologically young as well as structurally fold mountains stretching along the
northern borders of India.

(b) They run from west to east direction i.e. from River Indus to River Brahmaputra.

(c) They form an arc over a length of 2400 km. They are higher in the east than in the west. They
are the loftiest rugged mountain range in the world.

3.List some major Mountain Peaks of the Himalayas.

Answer:The Greater Himalayas or Himadri has the tallest peaks of the world. Many peaks are
more than 8000 metres above sea level and remain snow bound throughout the year. Some of
them are as follows:

(a) Mount Everest or Sagarmatha is 8848 m high located in Nepal is the world’s highest peak.

(b) Kanchenjunga (8598 m) is the second highest peak in the Himalayas. It is in Sikkim in India

(c) Nanga Parbat (8126 m) lies in Kashmir and Nanda Devi (7817 m) in Uttarakhand are the
other two peaks.

(d) Namcha Barwa (7756 m), an important peak on the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet.
(any three)

4.Mention divisions of Northern Plains marked by rivers.

Answer:The Northern Plains of India are fertile alluvial plains. The division of Northern plains
marked by

river are:(a) Indus Plains: Indus plain formed by River Indus and its tributaries e.g. Jhelum,
Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Satluj.

(b) Ganga Plains: The plain formed by River Ganga and its tributaries such as Yamuna,
Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi etc. It extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It covers the states
of Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

(c) Brahmaputra Plains: The plains lies in the east mainly in Assam. These are very narrow
plains drained by Brahmaputra and its tributaries.

5.Differentiate between bhabhar and terai.

6.Write the importance of peninsular plateau.

Answer:a) The peninsular plateau which is made up of old crystalline igneous and metamorphic
rocks, is a rich source of mineral wealth.

(b) The Deccan Trap provides the black soil, which is most suitable for cultivation of cotton
crops.

(c) It has a number of industries especially in the Chotanagpur plateau area e.g. Jameshedpur
and Bokaro steel plants etc.

7.Write a short note on the Deccan Ttap.

Answer:(a) The black soil area of the peninsular plateau is known as Deccan Trap.

(b) This is of volcanic origin, hence the rocks are of igneous nature. Over a period of time, these
rocks have broken down to form black soils.

(c) It covers parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

8.Mention the three distinct features of Aravali hills.

Answer:The three distinct features of Aravali hills are:

(a) It lies on the western and northwestern margins of the peninsular plateau.

(b) These hills appeared as broken hills as they got highly eroded.

(c) In a southwest to northeast direction, Aravali hills extended from Gujarat to Delhi.

LONG ANSWERS

1.Describe the three parallel ranges of the Himalayas.

Answer:The three parallel ranges of the Himalayas are:

(a) Himadri (Greater or Inner Himalayas): It is the most continuous range of the Himalayas. It
has loftiest peaks with an average height of 6000 metres. For example, Mount Everest 8848
metres, Kanchenjunga 8598 metres. The folds of this part are asymmetrical in nature. It is
perennially snow bound and gives rise to a number of perennial rivers e.g. Ganga rises from
Gangotri glacier.

(b) Himachal (Lesser Himalayas): These ranges lie south of Himadri and forms the most rugged
ranges. These ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed and altered rocks. The
average height of the lesser Himalayas is between 3700 and 4500 metres. The important
ranges are the Pir Panjal, the Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat. This range consists of the
famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and the Kullu Valley. This range is also famous for its hills
stations like Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet, Shimla. This range is also famous for its fruit
orchards.
(c) Shiwaliks (Outer Himalayas): These ranges extend over a width of 10-50 km and height
between 900 and 1100 metres. These ranges are made up of unconsolidated mud and rocks
brought down by the Himalayan rivers. These ranges are more prone to landslides and
earthquakes. They are more prominent in the western part of India. The longitudinal valleys lying
between lesser Himalayas and the Shiwaliks are called ‘Duns’ like Dehra dun, Kotli Dun and Path

Dun etc.

2.Mention the significance of Himalayas.

Answer:The significance of Himalayas are as follows:

(a) The Himalayas act as a climatic divide. They do not allow the cold winds from Central Asia
to come into India nor do they allow the monsoons to escape into Central Asia.

(b) They are storehouse of forest wealth and wildlife.

(c) They give rise to perennial rivers e.g. River Ganga.

(d) They have a number of places of tourist attraction i.e. hill stations (Shimla, Nainital, Srinagar
etc).

(e) They are also famous for the river valleys, e.g. Kashmir valley drained by Jhelum river and
fruit orchards.

(f) They also are well known for the glaciers like Siachen, the highest battlefield.

3.Classify the Northern plains on the basis of the variations in the relief features.

Answer:The Northern Plains are alluvial plains formed by deposition of sediments brought down
by rivers from the mountains. On the basis of the variation in relief of the northern plains it can
be divided into four regions.

(a) Bhabar: The rivers, after descending down from the mountains, deposit pebbles in a narrow
belt of 8-16 km lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. This is known as bhabar. The
streams disappear in this belt.

(b) Terai: Below the Bhabar belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy
and marshy region called terai. It was a thickly forested area rich in wildlife. But now the area is
cleared for cultivation.

(c) Bhangar: It is the largest part of the northern plains made up of older alluvium. This region lie
above the flood plains of the rivers and present a terrace-like feature. The soil is not fertile here,
it contains calcareous deposits called kankar.

(d) Khadar: The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains found in the lower river valley and at
the mouth of the river. These are very fertile and get renewed every year by annual floods. They
are suitable for intensive cultivation.

4.Mention the significance of Northern Plains of India.

Answer:The significance of Northern Plains are:

(a) The Northern Plains of India are drained by Rivers Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra along with
their tributaries. Thus, these plains are very fertile and are rich source of food grains in India so
known as granaries of the world.

(b) The plains are densely populated. A number of religious places are also there, e.g., Varanasi,
Rishikesh, Haridwar etc.

(c) These is presence of a number of perennial rivers, e.g. Ganga, Yamuna etc. provide water for
irrigation.

(d) They have a dense network of transport such as railways and roadways.

(e) They provide the base for early civilisations.

5.How do the physical divisions of India complement each other?

Answer:Each physiographic region is unique in itself, but inspite of their differences they are
interdependent on each other. They complement one another, in the following sense:

(a) The Northern mountains are a rich source of water and forest resources.

(b) The Northern Plains with fertile soil are the granaries for the whole country.

(c) The Peninsular plateau is the storehouse of mineral wealth, so it is a base of manufacturing
industries.

(d) The coastal plains provide sites for fishing and port activities.

(e) The island groups have a unique diversity in flora and faura.

Conclusion: None of these regions can exist without the other. Therefore, there is a
geographical unity between these different regions. In other words there is a kind of unity in
diversity that exists in India.