CHAPTER 2 – PHYSICAL FEATURES

OF INDIA
MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS
1. Loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain
barriers to India.

2. Distance - 2400 Km

3. Width varies from 400 Km in Kashmir to 150 Km

in Arunachal Pradesh.

4. The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in

its longitudinal extent.
Himadri Himachal
POINTERS
•Height - 6,000 metres •Composed
•Composed of granite of highly compressed and
•Perennially snow bound altered rocks.
•altitude varies between
3,700 and 4,500 metres
and the average width is of
50 Km.
•Pir Panjal range forms the
longest range.
•The Kangra and
Kullu Valley in Himachal
Pradesh.
Shiwalik
•Altitude varying
between 900 and 1100
metres.
•Composed of
unconsolidated sediments.
•Valleys are covered with
thick gravel and alluvium.
• Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and
Patli Dun.
•Indus and Satluj- Punjab
Himalayas.
•Satluj and Kali- Kumaon
Himalayas.
•Kali and Teesta- Nepal
Himalayas.
•Teesta and Dihang- Assam
Himalayas.
•Eastern boundary of
•India- Purvachal
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
Q 1 – Name the three parallel ranges of
Himalayas.
Q 2 – By which material Himadri are composed
of?
Q 3. What are duns? Give examples.
Q 4. Name the rivers which demarcate the Nepal
Himalayas.
Q 5. Name the three hills that the Purvachal
comprises of.
THE NORTHERN PLAINS
 POINTERS

• The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three
major river systems, namely — the Indus, the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.

• Comprises of Alluvial soil.

•Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections. The

Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the Punjab
Plains. Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, the larger part of
this plain lies in Pakistan. The Indus and its tributaries — the
Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj originate
in the Himalaya.
 NORTHERN PLAINS

Brahmaput
Punjab Ganga ra plain
Plain
JheluPlain
m

Satluj lies in Assam

Ravi
Beas Chen
ab Ghaggar
Teesta

Dihang
‘Doab’ is made up of two words
— ‘do’ meaning two and ‘ab’ meaning water. Similarly
‘Punjab’, is also made up two words — ‘Punj’ meaning
five and ‘ab’ meaning water.
Video to be shown
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING
Q 1- Describe the northern plains.
Q 2 – Name the rivers that lie in Northern plains.
Q 3 – What is Doab?
Q 4- What is Bhabar and Terai?
Q 5- Complete the sentence
a. The soil in this region contains calcareous
deposits, locally known as ___________
THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU
PENINSULAR PLATEAU

Central Deccan
Plateau
Highlands

Malwa Chota
Eastern Western
Nagpu
Ghats Ghats
r

https://youtu.be/ESnbUQLBZa8 - Gondwana land

CHOTA NAGPUR PLATEAU
● Composed of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks.

● Formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land.

● The Vindhya range is bounded by the Satpura range on the south

and the Aravallis on the northwest.
● The plateau has broad and shallow valleys and rounded hills.
●
● The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of the
Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa plateau, is
known as the Central Highlands.

● 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.
DECCAN PLATEAU
The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the
south of the river Narmada. The Satpura range flanks its
broad base in the north, while the Mahadev, the Kaimur
hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions.

The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently

eastwards.

Three prominent hill ranges from the west to the east are
the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills.
CHOTA NAGPUR PLATEAU
EASTERN AND WESTERN GHATS
ASSIGNMENT- PORTFOLIO ACTIVITY
Select a particular physical feature and draw a
mind map with key points.
https://youtu.be/4t9dCnl2Wls
THE INDIAN DESERT
POINTERS
Lies towards the western margins of the
Aravali Hills.
Receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per
year.
Arid climate with low vegetation
Luni is the only large river in this region.
Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes)
Jaisalmer, a group of barchans.
THE COASTAL PLAINS
POINTERS
1. Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of
narrow coastal strips, running along the
Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal
on the east. The western coast, sandwiched
between the Western Ghats and the Arabian
Sea, is a narrow plain.
2. Northern part of the coast is called the Konkan
(Mumbai – Goa), the central stretch is called the
Kannad Plain, while the southern stretch is
referred to as the Malabar coast.
•3. Northern Circar located in Odisha, while the
southern part is known as the Coromandel Coast.
• 4. Chilika lake- the largest salt water lake in India.

https://youtu.be/YXAjyfD_Wyg
ISLANDS
 POINTERS
• Lakshadweep Islands- lying close to the Malabar coast
of Kerala.
•Earlier they were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and
Amindive. In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep.
• Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of
Lakshadweep.
• The Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has a bird
sanctuary.
• Andaman and Nicobar islands-
• Great diversity of flora and fauna.

•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.
•These Islands are an elevated portion of submarine
•mountains.
•These islands lie close to equator and experience
equatorial climate and has thick forest cover.
MAP WORK
1.Mountain Ranges: The Karakoram, The Zasker,
The Shivalik, The Aravali, The Vindhya, The
Satpura, Western & Eastern Ghats
2.Mountain Peaks – K2, Kanchenjunga, Anai Mudi
3.Plateau - Deccan Plateau, Chotta Nagpur
Plateau, Malwa Plateau
4.Coastal Plains - Konkan, Malabar, Coromandal &
Northern Circar (Location and Labelling)