you have already studied the physical feature of Europe. On the basis of your previous knowledge discribe the physical feature of India?
Answers
The physical features of India are grouped under the following physiographic divisions:
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 - Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri, Himachal or lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks. The Himalayas have also been divided based on regions from west to east - Kumaon Himalayas, Assam Himalayas, Purvachal or the Eastern hills and mountains.
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The Northern Plains
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:
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.
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The Peninsular Plateau
The Peninsular plateau is a tableland composed of 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:
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 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.
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The Indian Desert
The Indian desert or the Thar 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.
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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.
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.
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
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The Islands
An island is a piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water.
The major island groups of India are:
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands - 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 Lakshadweep Islands - Lakshadweep Islands group is composed of small coral islands which were earlier known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive.