Question

Describe the importance of different physical feature of india

Answer 1

The video explains about the physical features of India which include the Northern mountain walls, the Great northern plains, the Peninsular plateau, the Coastal plains, the Islands and the Great Indian desert. You do not have to be a geography expert to clear UPSC Civil Services

Answer 2

The Physical Features of India

Geographically, India is one of the most advantaged countries of the world. All the physical features, like any other country, have something special to offer to the country. Now, different texts divide the Indian landmass differently. According to one of these broad classifications, India can be seen as comprising of 6 different physiographic regions, or more so 6 physical features of India

The Mountains in the NorthThe Northern PlainsThe Peninsular PlateauThe Great Indian DesertThe Coast; &The Islands

Let’s discuss briefly about each of these physical features of India.

The Mountains in the North

North Indian frontiers are marked by the huge mountains stretching for about 3600 km comprising the The Great Himalayas & The Karakoram ranges. As we move along this length, the width of this range varies between 150 & 400 kms. Northernmost point of India is the Pamir Knot, which lies on the Karakoram mountains. Along these mountains, India shares its boundaries with China & Pakistan. In a way, these mountains protect the country from foreign intruders by making it difficult for them to cross the borders. These mountains are heavily guarded, nevertheless. Himalayas consist of three parallel ranges – The Himadri, Himachal & Shivaliks.

The Himalayas enjoy a major share of the 3600 km stretch due north. They form roughly 2500 kms of it. They begin near the Indus in the North & extend till the Brahmaputra in the east. States of the country enjoying presence of these ranges are Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunanchal Pradesh, Sikkim & West Bengal. Mt. Kanchenjunga, the highest mountain peak of India, is a part of the great Himalayas.

The Karakoram mountains include world’s second highest mountain peak i.e Mount Godwin Austen or more popularly known as Mt. K2, which is the second highest peak of the world. Mt. K2 lies between Pakistan & China. One of the most integral peaks to Indian defence, the Siachen Glacier is also a part of the Karakoram range.

Both the Himalayas & Karakoram are snowcapped for most time of the year. More accessible parts of these mountains serve as a major tourist attraction as people, both Indians & foreigners, want for travel. Let’s move to the next in the physical features of India, the Northern Plains.

The Northern Plains

Apart from the mighty mountains in the north, India possesses one of the most fertile plains in the world. These Great Northern Plains consist of the Indus basin (Himalayan rivers), the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin and the tributaries of these mighty river systems. Indus basin, mainly lies within Pakistan, but a part of it is shared between Haryana & Punjab too. The Ganga Brahmaputra basin is larger of the two and covers a large number of states in northern India. The Himalayan rivers are perennial in nature, meaning they flow throughout the year.

According to the terrain characteristics, this plain can be divided into two parts

The upland plain which lies above the flood level and is made up of old alluvium soil.The lowland plain, which is liable to inundation during floods and thus acquires fresh doses of new alluvium soil./li>

Owing to the extreme planarity (horizontal), the plains are continuous between the two river basins. Due to the rich fertility, they form the best grounds for agriculture. The states which are a part of the plains are Uttar Pradesh, a section of Uttarakhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab & Bihar. These are also with the most fertile soils of the country.

The Peninsular Plateau

As we move southwards, there lies an old landmass of the Peninsular India which is formed of metamorphic rocks. This constitutes the Great Plateau of Peninsular India. The Malwa Plateau and the Deccan Plateau are two distinctive parts of the peninsular plateau.

The Malwa Plateau forms the northern part of peninsular plateau. It is bounded by Aravalli hills and the Vindhyas in the north-western and the south, both these low old mountains forming the sharp edges of this plateau. The third edge of this almost triangular Malwa Plateau, running from west to east, slopes downwards to the plain of Ganga and merges into it. The Narmada valley bounds the Malwa plateau from the south. The north-eastern part of the Malwa Plateau is known for its rich mineral repository.

The Deccan Plateau, which is roughly of a triangular shape as well, extends from the Satpura hills in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. Western edge of the Plateau is formed by the Sahyadri, the Nilgiri, the Annamalai and the Cardamom Hills, the Annamalai and the Cardamom Hills, commonly known as the Western Ghats. The highest peak of the Peninsular India is the Anaimudi peak in Kerala, with a height of 2700 metres (above the sea level). Ooty is a popular tourist destination .