India

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SouthoftheplainsliestheDeccanPlateau,avast,triangulartablelandoccupyingmostofpeninsular

India.Generallyrocky,theDeccanisanunevenplateaudividedintonaturalregionsbylowmountain
rangesanddeepvalleys.Elevationsrangefromabout305to915m(1,000to3,000ft),although

outcroppingsashighas1,524m(5,000ft)occur.TheDeccanisborderedbythemountainsystems
knownastheEasternGhatsandtheWesternGhats.

TheWesternGhats,asteepescarpmentoverlookingtheArabianSea,haveageneralelevationof

about915m(3,000ft).ThefertileMalabarCoastliesbetweentheWesternGhatsandtheArabian
Sea.TheEasternGhatsaverageabout460m(1,500ft)inheight.BetweenthemandtheBayof

Bengalisanarrowcoastalplain,theCoromandelCoast.Thetworangesmeetatthesouthernmost
pointoftheDeccan(nearBangalore)intheNilgiriHills.

Climate

Becauseofthepeninsularity,unusualtopography,andgeographicalpositionofIndia,climatic

conditionsarewidelydiversified,onbothaseasonalandregionalbasis.Thediversityrangesfrom

tropicaltotemperatezonalextremes;thetemperatureextremesareconfinedlargelytotheslopesof
theHimalaya.Exceptinthemoremountainousregions,mostoftherestofIndiahasauniformly

tropicalclimate.Seasonalvariations,resultingfromthesouth-westernandnorth-easternmonsoons,
profoundlyinfluencetemperature,humidity,andprecipitationthroughoutthesubcontinent.For

generalpurposes,theseasonsofIndiamaybeclassifiedasrainyanddry.Therainyseason,which

generallyextendsfromJunetoNovember,istheseasonofthesouth-westernmonsoon,amoisture-

ladenwindblowingofftheIndianOceanandtheArabianSea.BeginningearlyinJuneonthewestern
coastofthepeninsula,themonsoongraduallyaffectsalmosttheentirecountry.Duringthisseason,
rainfallcanbeveryheavyalongtheslopesoftheWesternGhatsitoftenreachesmorethan3,175

mm(125in).CherrapunjiintheKhasiHillsofnorth-easternIndiaranksasoneofthewettestplaces

onEarththevillagereceivedarecord-breaking22,987mm(905in)ofrainin1861anditsaverage

yearlyrainfallisabout10,920mm(430in).ThenearbyvillageofMawsynramholdstherecordofthe
worldshighestaverageannualrainfallwith11,873mm(467in)ayear.Meanannualprecipitation

alongthesouthernslopesoftheHimalayaisabout1,525mm(60in).Thesouth-westernmonsoon
failsattimes,causingdroughtsandoccasionallyfamine.However,therainsareamixedblessing.

Theyleadtotheproliferationofmalaria-carryingmosquitoes,whilethecontrastbetweenday- and
night-timetemperaturesencouragesrespiratorydisorders.Normally,thepowerofthemonsoon
diminishesinSeptember.

Thecoolseasonofthenorth-easternmonsoon,extendingfromearlyDecemberuntilaftertheendof
February,isusuallyaccompaniedbyextremelydryweatheralthoughseverestorms,attendedby

slightprecipitationonthenorthernplainsandheavysnowfallsintheHimalaya,sometimescrossthe
country.Thehotseason,beginningaboutthemiddleofMarchandextendinguntiltheonsetofthe

south-westernmonsoon,ismostoppressiveduringMay,whentemperaturesashighas51.7C(125
F)arenotuncommonincentralIndia.InthevicinityofKolkata,themeanannualtemperatureis
about26.1C(79F).Themeanannualtemperatureinthewest-centralcoastalregionofthe

peninsulaisabout27.8C(82F).AroundChennai(formerlyMadras)temperaturesrangebetween
about24.4and33.3C(76to92F),withanannualmeanofabout28.9C(84F).

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