D3-INDIA-PHYSICAL FEATURES- QUICK GLANCE

INDIA

INTRODUCTION:

Our India is in Asia. Of the world continents, Asia is the biggest. When compared to the size of Asia, the geographical area of India is small. Yet the diversities that are seen in Asia in terms of landscapes, climate, natural vegetation, soil types and such natural phenomena and the cultural phenomena are all found in India. Hence, we consider India as a subcontinent. India occupies only 2.5 per cent of the world’s land area but holds 16 per cent of the world’s population. It is a proud fact that one in every six persons of the world is an Indian. Because of the natural and cultural diversities, India has become significant as a land of subcontinent diversities.

India is a Peninsula of Asia. The Himalayan Mountains in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south have been separated, to form a big landmass. India is called a sub-continent because of varied relief features, climate, natural vegetation and diversities among the people. From ancient times India has reflected unity amidst diversity and has been famous for art, literature, dance, agriculture and industries. There are diversities of religions, languages, races and traditions among the people. These diversities in India have enriched its culture.

LOCATION AND EXTENT
India occupies 2.4 percent of the total area of the world and is the seventh largest country. It is located fully in the northern and eastern hemispheres and spread over 80 N and 370 N latitudes and 680 E and 970 E longitudes. The total area of India is 32,87,263 sq. km. It extends over 2,933 km. from east to west and 3,214 km. from north to south. The total length of its coast, excluding its islands is 6,100 km. and including islands, such as Andaman islands, it is 7,516.5 km. The Tropic of Cancer (23½0 N. latitude) passes through the middle of the country and divides India into almost two equal halves. 82½0 East longitude, which passes near Allahabad, is the central meridian of India. The Indian Standard Time is based on this longitude. The land boundary of India has a length of 15200 km. China, Nepal and Bhutan in the north, Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh in the east, Pakistan in the north-west and Sri Lanka across Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar to its south are the neighbouring countries of India. The Arabian Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Indian Ocean in the south are the water bodies bordering India. Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are the island groups of India.

India is a Sovereign Democratic Republic. For smooth administration, it is divided into 28 states and 6 union territories, in addition to Delhi, which is a national capital with special status. Rajasthan is the largest state with an area of 3,42,239 sq. km. and Goa is the smallest state with an area of 3,702 sq. km.

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA: India has a variety of landforms.These landforms were formed in different stages of the earth’s geological history. There are large landforms such as those of the world's biggest mountains, plateaus and the plains. They are the Himalayas in the north, the Deccan Plateau in the south and in between them the Indo-Gangetic Plains. The land features of India were all formed in different time periods. Therefore, they have different rock structures. The three major rocks known as the igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are all seen in the country.

India can be divided into four physical divisions. They are:

1) The Northern Mountains
2) The North Indian Plain
3) The Peninsular Plateau
4) The Coastal regions and Islands

1. THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS: The Himalayan mountains form the northern mountain region of India. They are the highest mountain ranges in the world. They have the highest peaks, deep valleys, glaciers etc. These mountain ranges start from Pamir Knot in the west and extend up to Nagaland in the east. They extend over 2,500 km. They have been formed during different stages of continental drift of the Gondwana landmass. There are three parallel ranges in the Himalayas. They are (a) The Greater Himalayas or Himadri, (b) The Lesser Himalayas or Himachal and (c) The Outer Himalayas or Siwaliks.

a) Greater Himalayas or Himadri: This is the highest range of the Himalayan Mountains. The average height of this range is 6,000 mts. Some peaks are more than 8,000 mts. This range extends from Nanga Parbat in the west to Namche Barwa in the east. The highest peaks of the Himalayan mountains are in this range. Mt. Everest (8848 mts.) is the highest peak in the world. It lies between Tibet and Nepal. K2 or Mt. Godwin Austin (8,611mts.) in the Karakoram range is the highest peak in India and it is the second highest peak in the world. The other high peaks in this range are Kanchenjunga (8,598 mts.), Dhaulagiri, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, Nanda Devi and Gowri Shankar. This mountain range has many glaciers. The most important is the Gangotri
glacier which is the source of river Ganges. The passes in this mountain range are at a height of above 4,570 mts. The important passes are Shipki-la, which connects Gartok in Tibet with Simla in Himachal Pradesh across Sutlej river and Jelep-la which connects Llasa, the capital of Tibet with Kalimpong in West Bengal. They provide good transport facility and also attract tourists.

b) Lesser Himalayas or Himachal: It is about 3,600 mts. to 4,500 mts. high. It has parallel ranges and some of them are covered with snow and there are forests in the northern part of these ranges. Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mahabharat and Mussoorie ranges are the important ranges. They contain many mountain valleys and hill stations. Kashmir valley, Kangra valley, Kulu valley and Lahul valley are important valleys. They are noted for scenic beauty and attract many tourists. Shimla, Ranikhet, Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling are the important hill stations of these ranges.

c) Outer Himalayas or Siwaliks: They are the foothills of the Himalayas. These ranges are formed by the deposition of materials brought down by the rivers, which rise in the Himalayas and flow through these ranges. The average height of these ranges is about 1,300 mts. In these ranges there are many narrow plains, called doons, eg. Dehradoon.

The Himalayas play a very important role in the life of the Indians. (1) They stop the Monsoon winds and cause rainfall, (2) They are the birth place of many rivers, (3) They have plenty of mineral resources, (4) The rivers that flow on their slopes are helpful for irrigation and generation of hydro-electricity, (5) They attract tourists, (6) Their valleys are noted for the cultivation of fruits like apples and crops like tea and saffron and (7) They also stop the cold winds that blow from Central Asia (8) Many medical plants and herbs grow in these mountains.

2. NORTH INDIAN PLAIN: The North Indian plain is also called the Gangetic plain. The total area of this plain is about 6,52,000 sq. km. This plain is situated between the Himalayan Mountains in the north and the Peninsular plateau in the south and is formed by the alluvium brought down by the rivers. The plain is very fertile and agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Many perennial rivers flow across the plain. Since the land is almost flat, it is very easy to construct irrigation canals and have inland navigation. It has excellent roads and railways, which are helpful for the establishment of many industries. 40% of the total population of India lives here and it is called “The heart of India”.

3. PENINSULAR PLATEAU: It is the largest of India’s physical divisions. It is the oldest and is formed of hard rocks. The Narmada rift valley divides the peninsular plateau into two parts. They are the Malwa plateau and the Deccan plateau. The Malwa plateau is bounded by the Aravalli hills in the north-west and the Vindhya Mountains in the south. The total area of both these plateaus is 7,05,000 sq. km. and the shape is triangular. The Malwa plateau slopes towards the Gangetic Plain. The highest peak on the Aravallis is Mt. Guru Shikhar. Mt. Abu is the famous hill station on the Aravallis. The Deccan plateau is surrounded by the Satpura hills, the Mahadeo hills, the Maikala range, the Amarkantak hills and the Rajmahal hills in the north and the Western Ghats in the west and the Eastern Ghats in the east. The Western Ghats are
called Sahyadris in Maharashtra and Karnataka and further south they are called Nilgiris in Kerala and Annamalai range, Cardamom and Palani hills in Tamilnadu. Anaimudi in Annamalai range (2,695 mts.) is the highest peak in South India. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats meet in the Nilgiri hills. The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats and they are continuous. They are closer to the sea. The eastern Ghats are not very high and are not continuous. They are separated by river valleys. There are many hill stations in the Western Ghats. The important hill stations are Mahabaleshwara and Matheran. Ooty (Ootacamund) in the Nilgiri hills and Pachmari in the Mahadeo hills are also famous hill stations in the Peninsular plateau. The Peninsular plateau has economic importance because of its rich mineral resources and many rivers, which have waterfalls. They help in the generation of hydroelectric power. The plateau is also suitable for the cultivation of cotton and the dense forests are the home of many wild animals.

4. COASTAL PLAINS AND ISLANDS: Excluding the islands, the mainland of India has 6,100 kms length of coastline. It extends from Kachchh in Gujarat in the west to the Gangetic delta in the east. The coast of India is divided into western coast and eastern coastal plains. The western coastal plain lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea and from the Gulf of Kachchh in the north upto Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari) in the south, with a length of about 1,500 km. It is divided into Malabar coast, Karnataka coast(Canara), Konkan coast, Gujarat coast and Kachchh and Kathiawad peninsulas. The coast is straight and affected by the South-West Monsoon winds over a period of six months. So, there are only a few good harbours Mumbai, Marmagoa, Cochin, Mangalore, Karwar, Nhava-Sheva and Kandla are the important ports on the West Coast. The eastern coast extends from Kanyakumari to the Gangetic delta and between
the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It consists of the deltas of rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. It is a broad and flat land. There are some salt water lakes or lagoons. Chilka Lake of Orissa and Pulicat Lake of Tamilnadu are the best examples. The Eastern Coast is divided into Coromandel coast in the south and Utkal coast in the north. The coastal regions of India are noted for agriculture, trade, industrial centres, tourist centres, fishing and salt making. They provide important hinterlands for the ports. These coastal plains play a very important role in the economic development of India. ISLANDS OF INDIA: There are 247 islands in India, out of which there are 204 islands in the Bay of Bengal and 43 islands in the Arabian Sea. There are a few coral islands in the Gulf of Mannar also. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal consist of hard volcanic rocks. The middle Andaman and Great Nicobar Islands are the largest islands of India. Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are formed by corals. The southern - most point of India is in the Greater Nicobar Island. It is called Indira Point (formerly it was called Pigmalion Point).

RIVERS AND LAKES OF INDIAIndia is a land of varied relief. Accordingly, there are several river systems in India. The rivers play a very important role in the economic development of India. They help to generate hydro-electricity, help in irrigation and inland navigation. The river systems of India can be divided into two groups, North Indian rivers and South Indian rivers. North Indian Rivers mostly rise in the Himalayan Mountains and are snowfed and rainfed. They are perennial in character. There are three river systems in North India. They are Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra. River Indus rises near Mount Kailash in Tibet and flows through narrow gorges towards the north-west, in Jammu-Kashmir and Punjab, then enters into Pakistan and reaches the Arabian Sea near Karachi. The important tributaries of river Indus are
Jhelum, Chenab, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej. River Ganges rises in the Gangotri glacier. It has many tributaries. The important tributaries are Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak Chambal Son and Kosi. River Yamuna joins the Ganges near Allahahad. River Chambal rises in Malwa plateau and joins
River Yamuna. River Son rises in Maikala range and reaches the Ganges near Patna. Along with river Brahmaputra, river Ganges flows into the Bay of Bengal. River Brahmaputra rises in Chemayungdung glacier in Tibet and flows towards the east as “Tsang-po” (meaning the purifier). It enters India through narrow gorges in the north-eastern part of the Himalayas, flows towards the south and joins river Ganges and forms a common delta. It is the largest delta in the world. Its area is 51,306 sq.km. South Indian rivers have water and flow only during the rainy season and become dry during summer. They are seasonal rivers and dams are constructed across them to store water. Since they flow on the slopes of the ghats, they have many waterfalls, which are of great help for the generation of hydro-electricity. The rivers are divided into eastflowing and west-flowing rivers. Deccan plateau slopes towards the east, so most of the rivers which rise in the Western Ghats flow into the Bay of Bengal and form deltas. River Mahanadi rises in Siwaha range. River Godavari rises at Triambak near Nasik and has many tributaries. It is the longest river of peninsular plateau. River Krishna rises near Mahabaleshwara. It has many tributaries. River Bheema and River Thungabhadra are the important tributaries. Rivers Krishna and Godavari form one delta it is very fertile. River Cauvery rises at Talakaveri in Coorg district, flows towards the east and joins the Bay of Bengal. It also forms a delta. The Hemavathi, Simsha, Kapini, Bhavani etc., are the important tributaries
of river Cauvery. The two important west-flowing rivers of Peninsular plateau are river Narmada and Tapti (Tapi). They flow through rift valleys. River Narmada rises on Amarkantak plateau, flows west-wards through a narrow gorge called Marble Gorge and joins the Arabian Sea. River Tapti rises near Multai, flows west-wards through a deep rift valley and reaches the Arabian Sea. The other west-flowing rivers are short and swift. Important among them are rivers Kali, Sharavathi and Netravathi. They flow in Karnataka. There are a few natural lakes in India. The important lakes of India are Chilka and Pulicat. Both of them are salt-water lakes. In Kerala, there are a few backwaters. The most important fresh water lake of Kashmir is ‘Dal’ lake near Srinagar. ‘Nal’ lake near Ahmedabad is a noted bird sanctuary. “Magada Masur” lake near Dharwad in Karnataka is also worth mentioning.

EXERCISE
I Answer the following questions in a sentence each:
1) To which latitudes and longitudes does India extend?
2) Which are the three ranges of the northern mountains?
3) Which are the island groups of India?
4) Where do the Western and Eastern Ghats meet?

II Answer the following:
1) Why is India called a sub-continent?
2) How are the Northern plains formed?
3) How are the outer Himalayas or Shivalik formed?
4) Why are the mountain passes important?
5) Explain the importance of the Himalayan mountains.
6) Why is the North Indian Plain called "The heart of India"?

III Study the first pair and complete the second:
1) Kerala : Nilgiris :: Maharashtra and Karnataka : .......................
2) Mt Gurushikar : Aravallis :: Ooty : ......................
3) River Ganges : Gangotri glacier :: River Brahmaputra : .....................
4) Tamilnadu : Lake Pulicat :: Orissa : ..............

IV Mention the differences between:
1) The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.
2) The Western Coast and the Eastern Coast.
3) The North Indian rivers and the South Indian rivers.