2. PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA
The land of India displays great physical variation.
The Peninsular Plateau constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on
the earth’s surface.
The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent
landforms.
4. PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA
MAJOR 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
6. The Himalayan Mountains
The Himalayas are young and structurally fold mountains.
They run in a west-east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra.
The loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the
Its length is about 2,400 Km and width varies from 400 Km in
150 Km in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Himalayas consist of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal
10. The Great Himalayas
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.
It contains all prominent Himalayan peaks and the folds are
asymmetrical in nature.
The core is composed of granite, it is perennially snow
bound and a number of glaciers descend from this range.
11. Himachal or lesser Himalaya
It is the most rugged mountain system
The altitude varies between 3,700 and 4,500 metresand the
average width is of 50 Km.
The Pir Panjal range, the Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat
ranges are the prominent ranges.
The ranges are highly compressed and altered rocks.
Famous valleys located here are Kashmir, the Kangra and
KulluValley.
They are well-known for its hill stations.
12. The Shiwaliks
The Shiwaliks extend over a width of 10-50 Km and an
altitude varying between 900 and 1100 metres.
These are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought
down by rivers.
They are covered with thick gravel and alluvium.
The longitudinal valley lying between lesser Himalaya and
the Shiwaliks are known as Duns.
Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some of the well-
known Duns.
13. Latitudinal Division of the Himalayas
These divisions (west to east) are demarcated by river
valleys.
The part of Himalayas lying between
Indus and Satluj -- Punjab Himalaya
Satluj and Kali rivers-- Kumaon Himalayas
Kali and Teesta rivers-- the Nepal Himalayas.
Teesta and Dihang rivers -- Assam Himalayas
14. The Purvachals
The Brahmaputra marks the eastern-most boundary
Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to
the south and are known as the Purvachal or the Eastern
hills and mountains.
These hills are mostly composed of strong sandstones,
which are sedimentary rocks and are covered with dense
forests.
The Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills,
the Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.
16. The Northern Plain
• Formed by the interplay of the three major river systems — the Indus,
the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.
• Formed of alluvial soil - The deposition of alluvium over millions
of years, formed this fertile plain.
• The northern plains have an area of 7 lakh sq. km, about 2400 km long
and 240 to 320 km broad.
• It is a densely populated physiographic division due to rich soil cover
combined with adequate water supply and favourable climate.
17. The Northern Plains
In the lower course, the velocity of the river decreases which formation of
riverine islands.
Majuli in Brahmaputra is the largest inhabited riverine island.
Due to silt deposition many distributaries are there.
It is broadly divided into three sec tions, The Punjab Plains ,the Ganga
Plains, the Brahmaputra Plains.
The Punjab plains are formed by the Indus and its tributaries namely the
Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj.
This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs.
‘Doab’ is made up of two words ‘do’ meaning two and ‘ab’ meaning water.
19. The Northern Plains
These vast plains also have diverse relief features.
Bhabar: deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km, all the
streams disappear in this bhabar belt.
Terai: the streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy and
marshy region. It is a region of thick forest and wildlife, Dudhwa National
Park is located here.
Bhangar: Formed of older alluvium, lies above the floodplains of the
rivers and presents a terracelike feature. It contains calcareous deposits,
locally known as kankar.
Khadar: Formed of newer and younger deposits of the floodplains. It is
renewed almost every year and so are fertile.
21. The Peninsular Plateau
It is a tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
It was formed due to the drifting of the Gondwana land.
Two broad divisions are the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
The Central Highland- north of the Narmada river, covering a major area
of the Malwa plateau.
The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Satpura range in the south, the
Aravalis on the northwest, westward extension gradually merges with the
desert of Rajasthan.
22. The Peninsular Plateau
The Sind, the Betwa and the Ken are the rivers draining from southwest
to northeast,
The eastward extensions are known by Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.
The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension,
drained by the Damodar river.
24. The Peninsular Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the
river Narmada.
The Satpura range in the north, the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the
Maikal range in the east.
Northeast- the Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau and in the north
Cachar Hills.
Three prominent hill ranges are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills.
25. Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
Western Ghats
It marked the western boundary -
from Gujarat to Kerela.
They are regular stretch of
highland.
More in height i.e. from 900-
1600m.
More rainfall- orographic rainfall.
Highest peaks are Anai Mudi,
followed by Doda Betta
Eastern Ghats
It marked the eastern boundary
from Orissa to Kerela.
They are dissected by rivers and
irregular
less than western ghats ranging
from 600-900m.
Rainfall is less -the monsoon winds
move parallel to the eastern ghats
Highest peak of eastern ghats is
Mahendragiri
26. Peninsular Plateau
The distinct feature is the black soil area known as
Decean Trap.
This is of volcanic origin, hence, the rocks are igneous.
These rocks have denuded over time and are responsible
for the formation of black soil
Famous hill stations are Udagamandalam, popularly
known as Ooty and the Kodaikanal.
27. The Indian Desert
• It lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.
• It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
• This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year.
• It has arid climate with low vegetation cover.
• Streams appear during the rainy season.
• Luni is the only large river
• Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover larger areas
30. The Coastal Plains
Western Coastal Plains
lying towards west between
western ghats and Arabian sea
belt of plains is narrow in width
less fertile - no major rivers
Receive more rainfall
divided into Konkan Coast,Kannad
Coast and Malabar Coast
Eastern Coastal Plains
lying towards the east between
eastern ghats and Bay of Bengal
comparatively wider
very fertile due to many rivers
Receive comparatively less rainfall
divided into Northern Circars and
Coromandal Coast
31. The Islands
Lakshadweep Islands
lying close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. It composed of small coral isalnds.
Earlier they were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive.
In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep.
It covers small area of 32 sq km.
Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters
The Pitti island has a bird sanctuary.
32. Corals
Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic organisms,
They live in colonies, They secrete calcium carbonate.
The coral secretion and their skeletons from coral
deposits in the form of reefs:
E.g. barrier reef. fringing reef and atolls.
33.
34. Andaman and Nicobar islands
Bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered.
Divided into two broad categories – The Andaman in the north and
the Nicobar in the south.
These islands are the elevated portion of submarine mountains.
Great diversity of flora and fauna are there and equatorial climate
and has thick forest cover.
India’s only active volcano is found on Barren island.
36. Physiographic Divisions
The mountains - major sources of water and forest wealth.
The northern plains - the granaries of the country.
The plateau - storehouse of minerals
The coastal region and island groups - sites for fishing and port activities
the diverse physical features of the land have immense future
possibilities of development
37. Chapter -2: Physical Features of India
Mountain Ranges: The Karakoram, The Zasker,
The Shivalik, The Aravali, The Vindhya, The Satpura,
Western & Eastern Ghats
Mountain Peaks – K2, Kanchan Junga, Anai Mudi
Plateau - Deccan Plateau, Chotta Nagpur
Plateau, Malwa Plateau
Coastal Plains - Konkan,Kannad, Malabar,
Coromandal & Northern Circar (Location and
Labelling)
Map Work
