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General Studies
Physiography

India, the second largest country in the world (population wise after China), and seventh largest (territory wise after Russia, China, Canada, USA, Brazil and Australia), lies north of the Equator, between 8'4'' to 37'6" North latitude and 68'7" to 97'25" East longitude. India has roughly quadrangular shape. The country's land is flanked by the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, along the southeast and along the southwest respectively. On the western border is situated Pakistan and in the east, Bangladesh and Burma. Along her northern boundary are Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and Sinkiang region of China. The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka. From North to South, India measures about 3214 km and from east to west, about 2933 km.The total land area is 32,68,090 sq. km. Its land frontier is 15,200 km and coastline, 6103 km. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea are parts of the Indian Territory.

Physiography
India may be divided into five major physiographic regions: 1. The great Himalayan range, 2. The Indo Gangetic Plain, 3. The Peninsular Plateau, 4. The Coastal Plains, 5. The Islands The Himalayan regions are interspersed with wide plateaus and valleys. Some of the world's highest peaks are in the Himalayas. This mountain region covers about one-sixth the area of India. This stretches from one end of India to the other in the northernmost part of the country and comprises almost parallel ranges between which are found large plateau and beautiful fertile valleys. They extend over a distance of around 2,400 Km. The Himalayas are intersected by numerous valleys like Kashmir valley, the Karewas, the Doon valley, the Kangra and Kulu valley etc. Geologically, the Himalayas originate from the northward movement of the Indian tectonic plate at 15 cm per year to impact the Eurasian continent, with first contact about 70 million years ago, and with movement continuing today. This caused the formation of the Himalayan arc peaks: the lighter rocks of the sea beds of that time were easily uplifted into mountains. Overall, the Himalayan mountain system is the world's highest, and is home to the world's highest peaks, the Eight-thousanders. There are 14 Himalayan peaks with elevation over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft). The five highest peaks in the Himalaya are: Everest, 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) K2, 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) Kangchenjunga, 8,586 metres (28,169 ft) Lhotse, 8,516 metres (27,940 ft) Makalu, 8,462 metres (27,762 ft)

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The main Himalayan range runs west to east, from the Indus river valley to the Brahmaputra river valley, forming an arc 2,400 km (1,500 mi) long, which varies in width from 400 km (250 mi) in the western Kashmir-Xinjiang region to 150 km (93 mi) in the eastern Tibet-Arunachal Pradesh region. The range consists of three coextensive sub-ranges, with the northernmost, and highest, known as the Great or Inner Himalayas. The Himalayas are among the youngest mountain ranges on the planet and consist mostly of uplifted sedimentary and metamorphic rock. According to the modern theory of plate tectonics, their formation is a result of a continental collision or orogeny along the convergent boundary between the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. This is referred to as a fold mountain. The collision began in the Upper Cretaceous period about 70 million years ago, when the northmoving Indo-Australian Plate, moving at about 15 cm per year, collided with the Eurasian Plate. About 50 million years ago, this fast moving Indo-Australian plate had completely closed the Tethys Ocean, the existence of which has been determined by sedimentary rocks settled on the ocean floor, and the volcanoes that fringed its edges. Since these sediments were light, they crumpled into mountain ranges rather than sinking to the floor. The Indo-Australian plate continues to be driven horizontally below the Tibetan plateau, which forces the plateau to move upwards. The Arakan Yoma highlands in Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal were also formed as a result of this collision. The Indo-Australian plate is still moving at 67 mm per year, and over the next 10 million years it will travel about 1,500 km into Asia. About 20 mm per year of the India-Asia convergence is absorbed by thrusting along the Himalaya southern front. This leads to the Himalayas rising by about 5 mm per year, making them geologically active. The movement of the Indian plate into the Asian plate also makes this region seismically active, leading to earthquakes from time to time.

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General Studies
Physiography

The 6,000 km plus journey of the India landmass (Indian Plate) before its collision with Asia (Eurasian Plate) about 40 to 50 million years ago. The northern Plains also known as The North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, parts of southern Nepal and virtually all of Bangladesh. The region is named after the Indus and the Ganges, the twin river systems that drain it. The plain's population density is very high due to the fertile soil for farming. The plains support one of the most populous areas on Earth, being home to nearly 1 billion people (or around 1/7 of the world's population). The Indo-Gangetic plain is bound on the north by the abruptly rising Himalayas, which feed its numerous rivers and are the source of the fertile alluvium deposited across the region by the two river systems. The southern edge of the plain is marked by the Vindhya- and Satpura Range, and the Chota Nagpur Plateau. On the west rises the Iranian Plateau. Some geographers subdivide the Indo-Gangetic Plain into several parts: the Indus Valley, the Punjab Plain, the Haryana Plains, and the middle and lower Ganges. Extent of the Indo-Gangetic plain is across South Asia. The great plains are sometimes classified into four divisions: The Bhabar belt is adjacent to the foothills of the Himalayas and consists of boulders and pebbles which have been carried down by the river streams. As the porosity of this belt is very high, the streams flow underground. The bhabar is generally narrow about 715 km wide. The Terai belt lies next to the Bhabar region and is composed of newer alluvium. The underground streams reappear in this region. The region is excessively moist and thickly forested. It also receives heavy rainfall throughout the year and is populated with a variety of wildlife. The Bangar belt consists of older alluvium and forms the alluvial terrace of the flood plains. In the Gangetic plains, it has a low upland covered by laterite deposits. The Khadar belt lies in lowland areas after the Bangar belt. It is made up of fresh newer alluvium which is deposited by the rivers flowing down the plain. The Indo-Gangetic belt is the world's most extensive expanse of uninterrupted alluvium . The plains are flat and mostly treeless, making it conducive for irrigation through canals. The area is also rich in ground water sources. The plains are the world's most intensely farmed areas. The main crops grown are rice and wheat, which are grown in rotation. Others include maize, sugarcane and cotton. The Indo-Gangetic plains rank among the world's most densely populated areas.

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General Studies
Physiography

The Great Indian Peninsular Plateau, alternatively known as the Plateau of the Peninsular India, is a vast plateau, comprising most of the southern part of the country. The plateau rises 100 m in the north, and over 1 km in the south, forming an elevated triangle nestled in the renowned downward-moving triangle of the coastline of the Indian subcontinent. The Great Indian Peninsular Plateau stretches to the south of the alluvial plains of the Northern India. It forms a large triangle with its apex in the south at Cape Comorin. The Great Indian Peninsular Plateau is formed essentially of the ancient igneous rocks. The earth movements which have brought some changes in the landscape of this stale block of the earths crust were vertical and resulted in the formation of faults along which some areas sank forming faulted basins or rift valleys. Some of the basins were out of the reach of the ocean waters. This happened during the Gondwana period, when drainage of the neighbouring area flowed into these basins, deposited clays and sandstones and turned them into swamps. The position of the Gondwana rocks is roughly marked by the valleys of the Damodar River, Godavari River and Mahanadi River.

Geography of Great Indian Peninsular Plateau

Malwa Plateau is drained to the north and is formed by horizontally bedded sandstones and limestones that were laid down during the earlier Gondwana period. During this period, the Malwa Plateau was submerged under the sea. South of the Satpura Mountain Range, the peninsula is called the Deccan Plateau. After examining the young and folded mountains of the north and much younger plains to their south, one can move down further south. It is the oldest structure of the Indian subcontinent. As a matter of fact, the slow but stable progress of this landmass towards north and north-east is accountable for the construction of the Himalayas and the Northern Plains. The peninsular plateau is further split up into the Central Highlands in India and the Deccan Plateau.

Central Highlands
The northern part of the peninsular block is called the Central highlands, though they are not truly towering. It is created from solid igneous and metamorphic rocks. The block comprises two parts, delimited by the west-flowing Narmada. Vindhyas and its eastern elongations border the one lying to the north on one side. Towards the north-west it is lined by the Aravallis. The plateau stretches further west, but is cut across by the sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan. These are pretty old fold mountains. On the third side, this plateau unites progressively in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of the north. This is known as the Malwa Plateau. It is reasonably wide in the west and becomes tapered in the east. The eastern part is known as Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand in southern Uttar Pradesh. In south Bihar it is called Chota Nagpur Plateau. The southern tributaries of the Yamuna River and Ganga River irrigate the plateau.

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Deccan Plateau

General Studies
Physiography

The Peninsular plateau also known as the Deccan plateau is a raised flat landscape. The word Deccan is derived from Sanskrit Language Daksina or Dakkhin in Prakrit, which means south. The Deccan Plateau, located on west-central India, was created by the eruption and solidification of magma over an extended epoch. In the Deccan Plateau, such magma deposits are around 1000 meters thick. It is situated amid the Western Ghats, which constitutes its western frontier, and the Eastern Ghats form its eastern frontier. The Deccan Plateau stretches from the Vindhyas to the southern tip of the peninsula. This triangular plateau is at its broadest in the north. The Vindhya Mountain Range and its eastern elongations viz. Mahadev Hills, Kaimur Hills and Maikal Range form its northern edge. Towards the west, the plateau has still pretty exorbitant edge, formed by the Western Ghats. This mountain range runs from north to south, nearly parallel to the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats are recognised by various local names. In Maharashtra and Karnataka they are called Sahyadri. Down south, they are called the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. Still further south, along the Kerala and Tamil Nadu border, they are known as Annamalai and Cardamom Hills. The Deccan Plateau is the highest along its western periphery and lightly inclines towards the Bay of Bengal in the east. The Western Ghats are comparatively elevated in their southern part. Anai Mudi, the highest peak, is 2,695 m above sea level. Udagamandalam is a renowned hill station of the south, located in Tamil Nadu. The Aravalli Range runs in the northeast-southwest direction from Delhi to the north-eastern fringe of Gujarat. It is characterised by a chain of detached and discontinuous ridges running in the northeast-southwest direction between Delhi and Ajmer. The Narmada Valley is flanked by a steep sided escarpment of the Malwa Plateau in the north. The Satpura Mountain Range starting from the West Coastal Plain is running eastwards between the Narmada and the Tapti-Purna rivers. Its western extremity is known as the Rajpipla Hills and the easternmost part as the Amarkantak Plateau and in between as the Mahadev Hills. Throughout the length, the Satpura Range has steep sided plateaus of elevations varying from 600 to 900 m. Chhattisgarh Plain is a basin drained by the upper Mahanadi. It lies to the east of the Maikala Range and is separated from the Wainganga Valley by low Khairagarh Plateau. North-eastern part of the Indian Plateau lying to the east of the Rihand River is called as the Chota Nagpur Plateau. It includes the Bihar Plateau, the adjoining eastern fringe of Madhya Pradesh and Purulia District of West Bengal. The Ranchi Plateau in the south, the Hazaribagh Plateau in the north and the Rajmahal Hill in the north east constitute important physiographic sections of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The Ranchi Plateau lies to the south of the Damodar. It is in fact a group of plateaus elevated to different heights. Interestingly, the Hazaribagh Plateau lies to the north of the Ranchi Plateau. Like the Ranchi Plateau, it too has isolated hills on its surface. Rajmahal Hills forming the north-eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau runs in the north-south direction.

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General Studies
Physiography

Rocks of the Indian Peninsular Plateau re-appear in Meghalaya and form a rectangular block known as the Shillong-Plateau or the Meghalaya Plateau. This plateau has been separated from the main block of the Indian Plateau by a wide stretch of alluvial lowland called the Garo-Rajmahal Gap. Other than the regions mentioned above, cities like Aurangabad, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru are also situated in the Great Indian Peninsular Plateau. Rice, cotton and sugarcane are the principle crops that are cultivated in these regions. Coastal plains of India refer to the low flat areas which are situated adjacent to a water body, usually the sea. Coastal plains are characterised by raised beaches and wave-cut platforms above the high water mark. It signifies that these coastal plains of India are basically the emerged floors of the seas adjacent to the land. The Great Indian Peninsular Plateau is fringed with narrow Coastal Plains. After the emergence of these lowlands, fluctuations in sea level, though limited to small areas, have brought about some changes in the general surface features of the littoral. The Deccan plateau has a coastal strip in the east and west. Coastal plains are generally separated from the interior land and have less vegetation in comparison. The coastal plains of India are rather extensive regions that significantly contribute to the physiographic aspect of the region. Types of Coastal plains of India Coastal Plains of India are divided into two basic types and these are: * Eastern Coastal Plains runs from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal in the east. * Western Coastal Plains extends from Gujarat in the west to Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala. The two types of Indian Coastal Plains are discussed below in details:

Eastern Coastal Plain

The Eastern Coastal plain lies between West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. It stretches between the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern Ghats of India. 130 km is the average width of these plains. The region receives adequate rainfall between 40 to 120 inches, from Southwest and Northeast monsoons and has an average temperature above 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity. The Northern Circars, amidst Krishna River and Mahanadi River is the northern part. While the southern part, the Coromandel Coast, runs between Kaveri River and Krishna River. These plains have 6 regions: * Southern Andhra Pradesh Plain, * Kanyakumari Coast, * Mahanadi Delta, * Sandy Coastal regions, * Krishna Godavari deltas and * Coromandel Coast.

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Western Coastal Plain

General Studies
Physiography

The Western Coastal plain lies between Kerala and Gujarat and stretches from the Arabian Sea to the Western Ghats. 50 km is the average width of these plains, much less than its eastern counterpart. These plains feature plentiful rivers and backwaters which result in forming estuaries. The Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambat lie on the northern part. The Western Coastal Plain is separated into three major parts the Malabar Coast, the Konkan coast and the Gujarat Coast. The Coastal plain in the surrounding area of the Palghat town and in the south of Kerala is relatively broad. In places, it expands to a width of near about 96 km. Off-shore bars have enclosed lagoons which run parallel to the coast in southern part of Kerala. These lagoons, also known as Kayals, receive water of a large number of rivers before discharging that to the sea with which they are connected by narrow openings. Interestingly, formation of lagoons and off-shore bars indicate that there has been a minor emergence of southern coastal plain not in the remote past. Western coastal plain widens from the states of Gujarat to Kerala. The coastal zone in the west along the Arabian Sea is called as Malabar in the south of Goa and Konkan in the north of Goa. Further, there are several estuaries, the main ones being those of the Narmada River and Tapti River in Gujarat. It is blessed with cavernous natural harbours like Mumbai and Marmagao. Towards the south, the coastal plains of India are combined with salt water lakes that are called Lagoons. There are also sand bars or spits in their mouths. The coast is celebrated for its tranquil backwaters. Moreover, the coastal zone along the Bay of Bengal is extensive and differs from the western strip. The coastal strip, if not for the deltas, is rocky and extremely cut apart by small, but fast flowing rivers. The eastern coastal plain is wide in Tamil Nadu where its width is around 100 to 120 km. Eastern coastal plains have 3 main divisions* Utkal Plains * Andhra Plains and * Tamil Nadu Plains The Rann of Kutch, the peninsulas of Kutch and Kathiawar and the Gujarat Plain stand out as major physiographic regions. The Rann of Kutch lies to the north of Kutch. Previously a gulf and now a vast desolate plain it has been formed due to the deposition of silt. Kutch lies to the south of Gulf of Kutch. It was once an island. It is a dry area generally broad sandy terrain along the coastal plains. Kathiawar is located to the south of Kutch. It is hilly in the central part and a rolling plain below an elevation of 200 m. Tapti River, Narmada River, Sabarmati River and Mahi River deposit huge load of sediments in the Gulf of Cambay. As a result, a broad fertile area has come into existence at the north of Daman. This plain extending towards north up to the Aravalli Mountain Ranges is known as the Gujarat Plain. The west coastal plains south of Surat are drained by small rivers which become torrents during the monsoon rainy season.

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General Studies
Physiography

Coastal plains of Goa and Konkan south of Mumbai are marked with low hills separated by river courses which end in streams near the sea. The Indian Islands are scattered over a vast area. Out of total 247 islands, 204 lie in the Bay of Bengal and rest in the Arabian Sea. Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal have crescentic shape and their mountain ranges are continuation of the Arakon Yoma Mountains of Myanmar. These islands are of coral origin and the southernmost point of India is located on these islands only. The Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are also of coral origin. The southern most island (Minicoy) is separated from the rest of the islands by nine degree channel, and the Maldive islands is separated from Lakshadweep by . This is a partial list of islands of India. Andaman Islands o Barren Island o Great Andaman o Little Andaman o Ritchie's Archipelago o Sentinel Islands

Islands of the Cauvery River o Srirangapatna o Shivanasamudram o Sri Rangam o Crocodile Island (Tamil Nadu) Chorao, Goa St. Mary's Islands Netrani Island Diu New Moore Island (West Bengal) Divar, Goa Lakshadweep Majuli fluvial island Minicoy Island Munroe Island, Kollam, Kerala Islands of Mumbai Harbour o Butcher Island (Mumbai) o Cross Island o Elephanta Island o Middle Ground
o o

Oyster Rock Salsette Island

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Nicobar Islands o Great Nicobar o Car Nicobar Sagar Island (West Bengal) Pamban Island Sriharikota Vashee, Goa Vypin, Kochi, Kerala Willington Island, Kochi, Kerala Kavvayi Quibble Island an island in the City of Chennai bordered west by Buckingham Canal, South by River Adayar, North by River Coovam and to the east by Bay of Bengal. The island starts from University of Madras and ends in Estuary of Adayar. An entirely man-made island. South Talpatti Island a three-mile-long island that was disputed to be owned by both India and Bangladesh. The Associated Press reported it submerged in March 2010.

STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES

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STATISTICAL FACTS:

General Studies
Physiography

10

STATES

CAPITAL

AREA(sq.km)

LITERACY (%)

Andhra pradesh

Hyderabad

275,345

61

Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chatisgarh Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu& Kashmir Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharastra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Pondicherry Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamilnadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal Jharkhand West Bengal

Itanagar Dispur Patna Raipur Delhi Panaji Gandhinagar Chandigarh Shimla Srinagar Bangalore Trivandrum Bhopal Mumbai Imphal Shillong Aizwal Kohima Bhubaneshwar Pondicherry Chandigarh Jaipur Gangtok Chennai Agartala Lucknow Dehradun Ranchi Kolkata

83,743 78,438 1,73,877 135,194 1,483 3,702 1,96,124 44,212 55,780 3,08,112 1,91,792 38,863 4,43,446 3,08,121 22,336 22, 429 21,081 16,579 1,55,707 492 50,394 3,42,239 7,096 1,30,058 10,486 2,94,411 55,845 79,714 88,752

41.20 53.42 47.53 34 82 76.96 70 69 77 54 67 93 64 77 69 50 95 61.30 64 74.90 70 61 56.53 73 60.40 57 72.28 54 69

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UNION TERRITORIES Andaman& Nicobar Chandigarh Dadra& Nagar Haveli Daman & Diu Lakshadweep Port Blair Chandigarh Silvassa Daman Kavaratti 8,249 114 491 112 32

General Studies
Physiography

11

81.18 81.76 60.03 81.09 81.49

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