THE INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL – CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL

GRADE 8 – SOCIAL SCIENCE – GEOGRAPHY HANDOUT

2021-22

NAME _______________________________________________ Sec _______

UNIT 3 - INDIA: LOCATION AND PHYSICAL FEATURES

INTRODUCTION
India is officially known as the Republic of India. It is a country located in Southeast Asia. It is the seventh
largest and the second most populous country of the world. India forms a subcontinent together with Nepal,
Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. As India occupies a major part of this subcontinent, it is called the
Indian subcontinent. The term "Indian subcontinent" is used interchangeably with the term "South Asia".
India is a country with unique physical features and cultural identities. The physical features of India include
the varied geographical aspects, different climatic conditions, soil and natural vegetation. For example, the
Himalayas are responsible for the geographical and climatic unity of India. It is a land of great diversity which
has a long history and wide geography.

LOCATION AND EXTENT

India is located in both the eastern and northern hemispheres. India has an area of 3.28 million sq km. It
stretches between 8°4' N and 37°6' N latitudes and 68°7' E and 97°25' E longitudes. The north-south extent of
the Indian mainland is about 3200 km and the east-west extent is approximately 2900 km. India is bordered by
three water bodies—the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The mainland coastline of India is
about 6100 km long. The coastline of the island groups of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal is about 1414 km long. The snow-clad Himalayas form the
northernmost extent of India. Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) is the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland.
Tropic of Cancer passes through the center of India.
India is spread across 29° of longitudes. This contributes to the great difference in the local time of the various
places in India. The time difference between the easternmost point of Arunachal Pradesh and the
westernmost point of Gujarat is almost two hours.

INDIA’S NEIGHBOURS
There are seven countries that share land boundaries with India. They are Pakistan and Afghanistan in the
north-west, Nepal, Bhutan and China in the north-east, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east. Sri Lanka and
Maldives are our neighbours from across the sea.
The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separates India and Sri Lanka. Palk Strait is a narrow stretch of water in the
Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the only ocean in the world which is named after a country. The Indian
peninsula is located in the south. It divides the Indian Ocean into Arabian Sea (western side) and the Bay of
Bengal (eastern side).
Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are parts of India. Indira Point in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands is the southernmost point of India
 India: Extent

POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

India is organised into 28 states and 8 union territories for administrative purpose. The country was divided
into its current political divisions based on many factors
such as geography, population, culture and language.
New Delhi is the capital of the India. Delhi is a city and a
union territory of India consisting New Delhi, the Capital
(Delhi and New Delhi cannot be used interchangeably;
New Delhi – Capital of India is entirely within the city of
Delhi). Delhi is officially known as National Capital
Territory of Delhi (NCT). In 1985, for the purpose of
development of the region by controlling the land use
and providing infrastructure, a new region called
National Capital Region (NCR) was created consisting of
the entire NCT of Delhi and several districts surrounding
it from the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and
Rajasthan.

➢ The states and the union territories are the administrative units of our country. The states are further
divided into districts and tehsils (taluks or talukas)
➢ In terms of area, Rajasthan is the largest state while Goa is the smallest state.
➢ Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were formed in 2000. They were carved out of Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, respectively. In 2014, Andhra Pradesh was reorganised as Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh.
➢ Uttar Pradesh has the highest population. It also has the largest number of districts.
➢ Nine states located along the coast are Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. Two union territories are also located along the coast. They are Dadra
and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Puduchery.
➢ India shares the sea boundary with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia and Myanmar.
PHYSICAL DIVISIONS
India has very distinct physical features that divide the country into six main divisions:
1. The Northern Mountains
2. The Northern Plains
3. The Great Indian Desert
4. The Peninsular Plateau
5. The Coastal Plains
6. The Islands
1. The Northern Mountains
This consists of the Karakoram and the Himalayan ranges.
Karakoram Range: The Karakoram Range is a huge mountain range spanning the borders of India, Pakistan
and China with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. In India, it forms
the northernmost range of mountains and passes through Ladakh. The Karakoram Range has some of the
highest mountains in the world. K2, also called Mt Godwin Austen, is the world’s second highest peak and is
located in this mountain range (in Pakistan). The Siachen and the Baltoro are important glaciers of this range.
Himalayan Range: The Himalayas are the most spectacular mountains spreading across five countries: Bhutan,
China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The name 'Himalaya’ is very appropriate as it means the 'abode of snow' and
it is located on the south of the Karakoram range. It extends from the Indus Valley in the west to the
Brahmaputra in the east, stretching for about 2,500 kms. Its width varies from 150 km to 400 km. The
Himalayas are young fold mountains with high peaks, deep gorges and vast glaciers - making it as a complex
structure. They are also continuously rising, causing frequent earthquakes and landslides in the region. These
are the highest mountain range in the world.
Within India, the Himalayas are divided into three parallel ranges – the Greater Himalayas, the Middle
Himalayas and the Outer Himalayas.
❖ Greater Himalayas or Himadri: The Greater
Himalayas are also known as the Inner
Himalayas, the Great Himalayas or Himadri.
The average elevation of the mountains is
6,000 m above the mean sea level. Some of
the highest peaks in the world belong to the
Greater Himalayas. Mount Everest (8,848 m) is
located on the China-Nepal border.
Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), which is highest point
in India, is located on the border of Nepal and
Sikkim. Other high mountains located in India
are Nanda Devi (7,817 m) and Kamet (7,755
m). The Greater Himalayas lie in the zone of
perpetual snow and thus have most of the
glaciers. Many rivers originate from these
glaciers. The Ganga and the Yamuna, which
originate from the Gangotri and Yamunotri
glaciers respectively, are two such rivers.
❖ Middle Himalayas or Himachal: The Middle Himalayas are also called the Lower or Lesser Himalayas. The
average elevation of this range is 4500 m above the mean sea level. The Middle Himalayas have
numerous deep gorges, traversed by streams that are fed by the glaciers. Shimla, Mussoorie, Ranikhet,
Nainital and Darjeeling are some of the hill stations located in the Lesser Himalayas.
❖ Outer Himalayas or Shiwalik: The Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik is the southernmost range of the
Himalayas. The average elevation is 1200 metres above the mean sea level. The Outer Himalayas end in
West Bengal. Interspersed in the Sivaliks are broad and flat valleys known as duns. These valleys are
heavily populated and vast cultivations are common. Dehradun and Uttarakhand are good examples of
such valleys. The Northern Plains or the Indo- Gangetic Plains are located to the south of Shiwaliks. Much
of the sediment of the Northern Plains is because of the heavy erosion that occurs in the Shiwaliks.
❖ Associated Ranges and Hills: A number of ranges and hills run parallel to the Himalayas. The Zanskar and
Ladakh ranges are located in Jammu and Kashmir. They extend to the northeast of the Greater Himalayas.
 The Pir Panjal Range, also in Jammu and Kashmir, extends to the southwest of the Great Himalayas. The
easterly extensions of the Himalayas, beyond the Brahmaputra valley, are collectively known as
Purvachal. Patkai, Naga, Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and Mizo Hills are a part of the Purvachal.

2. The Northern Plains

The Northern Plains lie to the south of the Himalayas. These are also called the Indo-Gangetic Plains. This is
the most extensive and fertile region of the Indian subcontinent. It is fertile because it is made of fine soil
called alluvium which is deposited by the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus rivers. The plains stretch for 2400 km
(approx.) from Punjab in the west to Assam in the east. The width varies from 150 to 400 km. These plains are
the most densely populated regions of India.
Three main river basins are located in the Northern Plains. They are — the Indus Basin, the Ganga Basin, and
the Brahmaputra Basin.
❖ Indus Basin: The Indus Basin is located in the region of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and
Punjab. This basin is drained by River Indus
and its tributaries. There are five major
tributaries of River Indus, namely Sutluj,
Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum. River Indus
originates from Mt Kailash, near Lake
Mansarovar. It drains into the Arabian Sea.
Only a small portion of this river lies in India,
while the major part of the river is in
Pakistan.
❖ Ganga Basin: The Ganga Basin occupies the
major stretch of the Northern Plains. River
Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier in
the Himalayas. It has many tributaries.
Yamuna is the main tributary of Ganga. The other important tributaries are Ghaghra, Gandak, Gomti,
Kosi, Chambal, Betwa, Son and Damodar. Ganga and Yamuna meet at Allahabad. The confluence of these
rivers is known as Sangam. The major distributary of the Ganga is River Hugli.
❖ Brahmaputra Basin: The Brahmaputra Basin drains the eastern part of the Northern Plains. The
Brahmaputra river rises very close to River Indus near Lake Manasarovar (from Angsi Glacier) and flows
eastwards parallel to the Himalayas in Tibet, where it is called Tsangpo. It flows through Tibet and China
and enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and passes through Assam. It meets Ganga in Bangladesh
where it is named as Meghna or Jamuna. It drains into the Bay of Bengal. The tributaries of the
Brahmaputra are Subansiri, Bharali, Manas, Dhansiri and Teesta. The Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta is called
Sunderban. It is the world's largest delta. Most of the Sunderban lies in Bangladesh.
River System Main Rivers and Tributaries Source of the Drains into
Tributaries Main River
The Indus river Indus Sutluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Mt Kailash (China) Arabian Sea
basin Jhelum
The Ganga river Ganga Yamuna, Gomti, Gandak, Gangotri Glacier Bay of Bengal
basin Ghaghara, Kosi, Chambal, Betwa, (India)
Son and Damodar
The Brahmaputra Subansiri, Bharali, Manas, Angsi Glacier Bay of Bengal
Brahmaputra
river basin Dhansiri and Teesta (Tibet – China)
3. The Great Indian Desert
The Great Indian Desert is located in the western part of India. It is also known as the Thar Desert. It lies west
to the Aravalli hills and extends from western Rajasthan to Pakistan. The Thar Desert receives low rainfall.
Thus, water is scarce in the region and there are no big
rivers. The Luni is the only significant river that exists in
this region. The Indira Gandhi canal, which draws water
from the Sutlej, is the only main source of water.
Consequently, it has very little vegetation. Saltwater
lakes like the Sambhar Lake are found in this region. It is
a low-lying zone of undulating and shifting sand hills,
separated by sandy plains and low barren hills. The sand
dunes in this region shift from one place to another
continuously and take up different shapes and sizes.
However, older dunes are relatively more stable. Sand dunes
4. Peninsular Plateau
A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area. It is an extensive area of
flat upland usually bounded by an escarpment on all sides but sometimes enclosed by mountains. Plateaus
occur on every continent and take up a third of the Earths land. They are one of the four major landforms,
along with mountains, plains, and hills.
The Peninsular Plateau is also known as the Indian Plateau. It lies to the south of the Northern Plains and
believed to be the oldest landmass of India. This area is triangular in shape and highly uneven. It is bounded by
escarpments – the Aravalli range in the north-west, the Vindhya and Satpura ranges in the north and the
Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats towards the south.
The average height of the plateau ranges from 600 m to 900 m. It is higher in the south and the height
decreases northwards. These plateaus are made up of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Numerous hill ranges
and valleys are located in this area. River Narmada divides it into two distinct parts:
❖ Central Highlands
❖ Deccan Plateau
Central Highlands: The Central Highlands lie in the
north. They are bounded by the Aravalli range in
the north-west and the Vindhyas in the south.
Malwa, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand and Chhota
Nagpur Plateaus are part of the Central Highlands
and are made of hard igneous rocks. The main
rivers of this region are Chambal, Betwa, Son, Ken
and Damodar.
Deccan Plateau: The Deccan Plateau lies in the
south. It is bounded by the Satpura ranges,
Mahadeo hills, Maikala hills and Kaimur hills in the
north. The Western Ghats or Sahyadris border the
Deccan Plateau in the west, while the Eastern
Ghats form the eastern boundaries. Both the
ghats meet at the Nilgiri hills in the south. The
Nilgiri hills are also known as the Blue Mountains.
Narmada, Tapi, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna and Kaveri are important rivers of this area. Narmada and Tapi
flow into the Arabian Sea. Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri flow into the Bay of Bengal. They form
fertile deltas at their mouth. However, the Deccan rivers are not perennial making them unsuitable for
irrigation throughout the year.
In the Deccan region, an area has been formed by the lava that had come out of the fissures on the Earth
millions of years ago. It is called the Deccan Trap. Black soil that is found here is excellent for cultivation of
cotton. The Deccan Trap is the most important cotton growing region in India. It covers some parts of
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The Deccan plateau is rich in mineral deposits. Coal and iron ore
are found in plenty. Many mines are located in this area.

5. The Coastal Plains

Along the eastern and western coasts of India, we find Coastal Plains on either side of the Deccan Plateau.
They run for about 6100 km from Gujarat to West Bengal. The Western and the Eastern Coastal Plains meet at
Cape Comorin (Kanniyakumari), southernmost tip of the Indian mainland.

❖ Western Coastal Plains: The Western Coastal Plains extend from Kutch in the north to Kanyakumari in
the south. They are narrow plains and lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The
northern part of these plains is called the Konkan Coast and the southern part is called the Malabar
Coast. This region is extremely beautiful. The coconut trees along the lagoons form a beautiful region
called the backwaters. The backwaters of Kerala are famous all over the world.
❖ Eastern Coastal Plains: The Eastern Plains extend from the Subarnarekha river along the West Bengal-
Odisha border to Kanyakumari. These plains are broader and lie between the Eastern Ghats and the
Bay of Bengal. This is because of the formation of deltas by the four east-flowing rivers —Mahanadi,
Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. The northern part of these plains is called the Northern Circars. The
southern part is called the Coromandel Coast.
6. The Islands
There are two remarkable group of islands in India – the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal
and the Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of 500 plus islands. They stretch for a distance of about 600 km.
These are mountainous islands, some of them are volcanoes. The Barren Island here is the only active volcano
in India. The Lakshadweep is in the Arabian Sea. It is located off the coast of Kerala. It is spread in an area of
about 32 sq km. It has a group of small coral islands. Minicoy is the largest island in the Lakshadweep group of
islands. Both the Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are very important for India's defense, trade
and tourism.

GLOSSARY
1. Gorge - a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running
through it
2. Perennial - a river which has constant stream throughout the year
3. Delta - a triangular region near the place where a river peninsula falls into the sea
4. Alluvium - fine soil brought by rivers and deposited in the river basins
5. Duns - the broad valleys of the Outer Himalayas
6. Lagoon - a shallow area of saltwater that is separated from the sea by a reef or an area of rock or sand
7. Tributary - a small river or stream which joins a main river from either side

REFERENCE
1. Vinita Kumar (2019), World of Geography: Social Science (Grade 8), Cordova: New Delhi.
2. Sukanya Chakraborty (2018), Excursions Geography (Grade 8), Collins: Noida.
3. National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/plateau/ Last accessed
10/09/2020

EXTENDED READING
1. Know more about the physical features of India https://www.slideshare.net/BhaktiGaunkar/physical-
features-of-india-118173314
2. Know more about the Thar Dessert https://www.beautifulworld.com/asia/india/thar-desert/