Chapter 2 Physical Features of India

CHAPTER 2
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF
INDIA
Major Physiographic Divisions
The physical features of India are grouped under the
following 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
Let’s discuss each of them in detail:
The Himalayan Mountains

Himalayan mountains are stretched over the northern
borders of India. These mountain ranges run in a west-
east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra. The
Himalaya consists of 3 parallel ranges in its longitudinal
extent.
1. The northern-most range is known as the Great or
Inner Himalayas or the Himadri. It is the most
continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with
an average height of 6,000 metres.
2. The folds of the Great Himalayas are asymmetrical in
nature. The core of this part of Himalayas is
composed of granite.
3. The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the
most rugged mountain system and is known
as Himachal or lesser Himalaya.
4. Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most
important range.
5. The outermost range of the Himalayas is called
the Shiwaliks. These ranges are composed of
unconsolidated sediments.
6. The longitudinal valley lying between lesser
Himalaya and the Shiwaliks are known as Duns.
DehraDun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some of the
well-known Duns.
The Himalayas have also been divided on the basis of
regions from west to east.
1. The part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Satluj
has been traditionally known as Punjab Himalaya but
it is also known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal
Himalaya from west to east, respectively.
2. The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and
Kali rivers is known as Kumaon Himalayas.
3. The Kali and Teesta rivers divide the Nepal
Himalayas and the part lying between Teesta and
Dihang rivers is known as Assam Himalayas.
4. The Brahmaputra marks the eastern-most boundary
of the Himalayas.
5. Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend
sharply to the south and spread along the eastern
boundary of India, which is known as the Purvachal
or the Eastern hills and mountains. The
Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills,
the Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.
INDUS AND SATLUJ – TRADITIONALLY – PUNJAB
HIMALAYAS AND REGIONALLY – KASHIMR OR HIMACHAL
HIMALAYAS
SATLUJ AND KALI – KUMAON HIMALAYAS
KALI AND TEESTA – NEPAL HIMALAYAS
TEESTA AND DIHANG – ASSAM HIMALAYAS
The Northern Plain

The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of
the 3 major river systems – the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. It spreads over
an area of 7 lakh sq. km.
The Northern Plain is broadly divided into 3 sections as
mentioned below:
1. The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to
as the Punjab Plains. This plain is formed by the
Indus and its tributaries – the Jhelum, the Chenab,
the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj.
2. 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.
3. Brahmaputra plain lies in the state of Assam.
According to the variations in elevation points, the
Northern plains can be divided into 4 regions.
1. The rivers, after descending from the mountains,
deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km
in width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks,
which is known as bhabar. All the streams disappear
in this bhabar belt.
2. The streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet,
swampy and marshy region known as terai.
3. The largest part of the northern plain is formed of
older alluvium. It lies above the floodplains of the
rivers and presents a terrace like feature which is
known as bhangar.
4. The soil in the bhangar region contains calcareous
deposits and is known as kankar. The newer,
younger deposits of the floodplains are
called khadar.
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. One of the distinct features of the Peninsular
plateau is the black soil area known as Deccan Trap.
This plateau consists of 2 divisions:
1. 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 eastward extensions of
this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand
and Baghelkhand.
2. The Deccan Plateau: It is a triangular landmass
that lies to the south of the river Narmada. An
extension of the Plateau is also visible in the
northeast, which is known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-
Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills.
The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the
western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau
respectively.
Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats lie parallel The Eastern Ghats stretch from
to the western coast. the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris
in the South.
They are continuous and They are discontinuous and
can be crossed through irregular. They can be dissected
passes only. by rivers draining into the Bay of
Bengal.
They are higher than the Their average elevation is 600
Eastern Ghats. Their metres.
average elevation is 900–
1600 metres.
Anamudi is the highest Mahendragiri (1,501 metres) is
peak in the Western Ghats. the highest peak in the Eastern
Ghats.
The Indian Desert

The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the
Aravali Hills.
 It is a sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
 This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm
per year.
 It has a dry climate with low vegetation cover.
The Coastal Plains

A coastal plain is a flat, low-lying piece of land next to the
ocean. To the east and west of the peninsular plateau, 2
narrow strips of plain lands are found, which are
respectively called Eastern Coastal Plain and Western
Coastal Plain.
Eastern Coastal Plain
The Eastern Coastal Plains is a wide stretch of the
landmass lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of
Bengal. 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.
Western Coastal Plain
The western coast is sandwiched between the Western
Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is a narrow plain and
consists of 3 sections as mentioned below:
 The northern part of the coast is called
the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa)
 The central stretch is called the Kannad Plain
 The southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar
coast
The Islands
An island is a piece of sub-continental land that is
surrounded by water. Lakshadweep Islands group is
composed of small coral isalnds which were earlier known
as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive.
The entire group of islands is divided into 2 broad
categories:
1. The Andaman in the north
2. The Nicobar in the south
These islands lie close to the equator and experience
equatorial climate and have thick forest cover.
The diverse physical features of India have immense
future possibilities of development because of the
following reasons.
 The mountains are the major sources of water and
forest wealth.
 The northern plains are the granaries of the country.
They provide the base for early civilisations.
 The plateau is a storehouse of minerals, which has
played a crucial role in the industrialisation of India.
 The coastal region and island groups provide sites for
fishing and port activities.

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Chapter 2 Physical Features of India

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CHAPTER 2

The Himalayan Mountains

The Northern Plain

The Peninsular Plateau

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

The Indian Desert

The Coastal Plains

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