Answer these questions briefly:
1. Name the major physical divisions of India.
Answers
India has diverse physical features, such as mountains, plateaus, plains, coasts and islands.
(1) The Himalayas. The Himalayas stand sentinels in the north. The Himalayas mountains are divided into three main parallel ranges. The northernmost is the Great Himalaya or Himadri. The world's highest peaks are located in this range. Middle Himalayas or Himachal lies to the south of Himadri. The Shiwalik is the southernmost range.
(2) The Northern Indian Plains. They lie to the south of the Himalayas. They are usually level and flat. These are fertile regions and are suitable for cultivation. Thick population is found here.
(3) The Great Indian Desert. It lies to the western part of the country. It is a sandy stretch of land. Rainfall is very poor, hence very little vegetation is found here.
(4) The Peninsular Plateau. It is triangular in shape. It lies to the south of northern plains. Its relief is highly uneven. Numerous hill ranges and valleys are found here. Aravali hills lie to the north-west side. The Vindhyas and the Satpuras are other important ranges. The Narmada and Tapi flow through these ranges. These west-flowing rivers fall into the Arabian Sea. On the west of the plateau lie the Western Ghats also known as Sahyadris. On the east lie the Eastern Ghats. This plateau is rich in minerals like coal and iron ore.
(5) Coastal plain. They lie to the West of the Western Ghats and East of Eastern Ghats. The rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri (all east flowing rivers) fall into Bay of Bengal. They have formed fertile deltas at their mouth.
(6) Islands. Two groups of islands are integral part of the country. Lakshadweep islands are located in the Arabian Sea while Andaman and Nicobar islands lie to the South-east of the Indian mainland in the Bay of Benga;