CLASS IXth GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER- 01
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA
Physical Features of India:
India is a vast country with varied landforms which has all major physical features of the
earth i.e. mountains, deserts, plateaus, islands and plains.
Reason behind formation of different physical features:
There are various theories explaining the reasons behind formation of various physical
features. India has varied physical features whose formation can be explained on the basis of
the ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics’.
According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, the seven major and minor plates that form the
Earth’s crust keep moving, causing stress and thus leading to folding, faulting and volcanic
activity.
India’s large landmass was formed during different geological periods. Other than the
movement of tectonic plates, India’s relief features are also the outcome of other processes
like weathering, erosion and deposition.
Movement of Tectonic plates:
There are three types of plate movements:
1. Convergent boundary- When plates move towards each other, they form convergent
boundary. They may either collide or crumble or one may slide under the other.
2. Divergent boundary- When plates move away from each other, they form divergent
boundary.
3. Transform boundary- When plates moves horizontally past each other, they form
transform boundary.
Gondwana Land:
There was a time when all the continents of the earth were one single land mass and they
were known as Pangea, the super continent. Pangea had two parts: (a) The northern part
called Angara Land or Laurasia; (b) The southern part called the Gondwana land. India along
with Australia, Africa, South America and Antarctica were parts of the Gondwana land.
Formation of Himalayas:
The earth crust was divided into a number of pieces by convectional currents. The Indo-
Australian Plate separated from the Gondwana land and drifted towards north which resulted
in the collision of the plate with the much larger Eurasian Plate. Due to this collision, the
sedimentary rocks were folded which resulted in the formation of the Himalaya.
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
covering a distance of about 2400 kms.
These are geologically young and structurally fold mountains.
Width varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
Longitudinal Division of Himalayas:
The Himalayas have three parallel ranges in the longitudinal extent namely-
1. Great or Inner Himalayas also called Himadri-
It is the northern most, highest and most continuous mountain range having
average height of 6000 m.
It contains almost all famous peaks of the mountain range.
The basic part of this part of Himalayas is comprised of granite.
It is perennially snow bound and has a numbers of glaciers.
2. Lesser or Middle Himalayas or Himachal-
It lies to the south of Himadri.
The altitude varies between 3700 and 4500 m.
It is composed of highly compressed and altered rocks.
It includes ranges like Pir Panjal, Dhaula Dhar and Mahabharat.
Famous valley of this range are the Kashmir, the Kangra, the Kullu valley, etc.
3. Outer Himalayas or Shivalik-
It is outermost range with 900 to 1100 m average altitude.
It is composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by the rivers from
the main Himalayan ranges.
The longitudinal valleys lying between the lesser Himalayas and the Shivaliks
are called Duns. Eg. Dehra Dun, Kotla Dun, Patli Dun, etc.
The division of the Himalayas on the basis of regions from west to east:
The Himalayas can be divided into four sections according to the river valleys:
1. Punjab Himalayas – between Indus and Satluj rivers. Also known as Kashmir or
Himachal Himalayas.
2. Kumaon Himalayas – between Satluj and Kali rivers.
3. Nepal Himalayas – between Kali and the Tista rivers.
4. Assam Himalayas (Eastern Himalayas) – Between Tista and the Dibang (Tsangpo)
rivers.
Purvachal or the Eastern hills and mountains:
Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south and spread
along the eastern boundary of India, which is known as the Purvachal or the
Eastern hills and mountains.
The Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills and
the Mizo hills.
These hills are covered in dense green forests.
These hills run through the north-eastern states i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura,
Mizoram, Nagaland, etc.
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.
Area- 7 lakh sq. km.
Length- 2400 km
Breadth- 240 to 320 km
It is formed of alluvial soils brought down and deposited by the rivers coming down
from the Himalayas.
These areas are densely populated and agriculturally very rich as this region is
characterised by rich fertile soil, adequate water supply and favourable climate.
The Northern Plain is broadly divided into 3 sections as mentioned below:
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.
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.
Brahmaputra plain lies in the state of Assam.
The difference in relief causes the Northern Plains to have four regions:
1. Bhabar – Adjacent to the foothills of Shiwaliks, a narrow 8 to 16 km wide belt of
pebbles and boulders.
2. Bangar – Older alluvial plain which rises above the level of the flood plains.
3. Khadar – Newer and younger alluvial of the flood plains deposited by the rivers
flowing down the plain.
4. Tarai – Lies adjacent to Bhabar region, composed of newer alluvium and is thickly
forested.
PENINSULAR PLATEAU
The Peninsular plateau is a tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land.
The plateau consists of two broad divisions: The Central Highlands and The Deccan
Plateau
1. The Central Highlands:
It lies to the north of the Narmada river covering a major area of the Malwa
plateau.
The Central Highlands is bounded by the Vindhyan range on the south and the
Aravalis on the northwest.
It merges with the sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan in the western side.
Rivers in this area: the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and Ken.
The Central Highlands are wider in the west but narrower in the east.
The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand
and Baghelkhand.
The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension, drained by the
Damodar river.
2. The Deccan Plateau:
It is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada.
The Satpura range bounds it in the north while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills
and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions.
It is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
A distinct feature of the peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as
Deccan Trap.
The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the western and the eastern
edges of the Deccan Plateau respectively.
Difference between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats:
Western Ghats Eastern Ghats
Mark the western edge of the Deccan Mark the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau
Plateau
They are continuous and can be crossed They are discontinuous, irregular and
through the passes only. dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of
Bengal.
Higher; average height is 900-1600 meters Lower than western ghats; average height is
600 meters
This range is a source of many large rivers No big river originates from this range.
such as Godavri, Krishna and Kaveri.
It experiences orographic rain mostly in Receives rainfall mostly in winter season
summer due to the summer due to summer through the North-eastern monsoons.
monsoon.
The height of the Western Ghats Mahendragiri (1501 mt.) is the highest peak
progressively increases from north to south. in the Eastern Ghats.
Highest peaks include the Anai Mudi (2695
mt.) and the Doda Betta (2637 mt.)
THE INDIAN DESERT
The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.
It is a land covered with sand dunes.
This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year. It has arid climate with
low vegetation cover.
Luni is the only large river in this region.
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.
1. 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. Large rivers, such as the Mahanadi the
Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri have formed extensive delta on this coast. Lake Chilika
is an important feature along the eastern coast
2. 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 as mentioned below:
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
THE ISLANDS
1. The Lakshadweep Islands:
The Lakshadweep Islands group lies in the Arabian Sea, close to Kerala. This group of
islands is composed of small coral islands. The Lakshadweep Islands were earlier known as
Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive. It covers small area of 32 sq km. Kavaratti island is the
administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.
2. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of
Bengal. They are bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered. The entire group of
islands is divided into two broad categories - The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in
the south.
