IndianGeography

11th Class NCERT Notes

fOR
CAPF/CDS/CISF/NDA/INET/AFCAT
& Other Government Exams

4th Edition : 2022

 INDIA LOCATION
To find exact location of any point you need to know the two things.
1-Lattiude (Horizontal Lines) & 2-Longitude (Vertical Lines)
The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India, is roughly about 30 degrees.

Geographical Location:-Situated In North Eastern Hemisphere. No of States : 28, Union Territories : 8

Latitudinal Extant : 8 4 Minutes to 37 6 Minute North Longitudinal Extant:- 68 7 Minutes East to 97 25
Minutes East Longitude
Indian Standard Time : 82 30 East Longitude, Geographical Extant :
+5.30 Hours ahead of GMT. East To West Extant : 2933 Kms.
North to South Extant : 3214 Kms.
Total Land Boundary : 15106.7 Kms. Total Coastline: 7516.6 Kms.
India s Area Share in World Total Area : 2.42% India s Population Share in World : 17.5%
India s Territorial Limit in Sea : 12 Nautical Miles (21.9 Kms) 1 Nautical Miles : 1.85 Kms
Tropic of Cancer (23.5 N) Passing Through : 8 States
1-Gujrat, 2-Rajasthan, 3-Madhya Pradesh, 4-Chattisgarh, 5-Jharkhand, 6-West Bengal, 7-Tripura, 8-Mizoram.

Area : 32,87,263 Square Km Position in World in Area : 7th (1st-Russia)

Population of India : 121 Crore Position in World in Population : 2nd (1st-China)

India Shares Longest Boundary with : Bangladesh (4096 Kms) Shortest Boundary With : Afghanistan-106 Kms

India s Sex Ratio : 943 Females per 1000 Males. India s Literacy Ratio :

Land Neighbours : 7 : State With Longest Coastline : Gujrat (1214 Km),

Pakistan,Afghanistan,China,Nepal,Bhutan,Bangladesh,Myanmar Andhra Pradesh (974 Kms),Tamilnadu (906)

Only Active Volcano : Barren Island ( Andaman & Nicobar Islands) Longest River : Ganga (2525)

Northen Most Point : Indira Col ( Jammu & Kashmir) Southern Most Point : Indira Point (Great Nicobar )

Eastern Most Point : Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh) Western Most Point : Guhar Mota (Gujrat)

Southern Most Tip of Mainland India : Kanyakumari.

Country Indian States Sharing their Borders

Pakistan (5) Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir

Afghanistan (1) Ladakh

China (5) Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh

Nepal (5) Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim

Bhutan (4) Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh

Bangladesh (5) West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram

GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF INDIA

Geology help us understanding the composition and structure of rocks which further determines the
characteristics of the soil and mineral availability & thus economic activity and culture.
Geological structure of India can be studied in three parts: Peninsular Plateau, The Great Himalayas of the
North & The Great North Indian Plains.

PENINSULAR PLATEAU:
Peninsular plateau is made up of the most ancient rocks, Archean rocks which have been metamorphosed into
Genesis and Schist. So it is mainly made up of Igneous & Metamorphic rocks.
The different rocks found in Peninsular plateau are:
[Link] Rocks : are oldest primary rocks that have been metamorphosed into gneiss & schist.
Areas : Central & southern parts of Peninsula are occupied by this rock system.

[Link] Rocks :- are layered rocks formed after the erosion and deposition of the Archean rocks.
Highly Metamorphosed and fossils are not found insides
Found in: Dharwar and Bellary districts of Karnataka, Aravalli Range, Chotanagpur etc.
Major Minerals: Iron ore, Copper and Gold.

[Link] Rock : formed by the erosion & deposition of Dharwar rocks.

These are less metamorphosed & devoid of fossils. Found in: Krishna valley, Nallamalai hills etc.

[Link] Rock : formed after the formation of Cuddapah rocks.

Spread from Chittorgarh in Rajasthan to Sasaram in Bihar.
Sandstones are formed in the layered Vindhyan rocks.
Devoid of metalliferous minerals but rich in ornamental stones, limestone & glass making sand.

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA

Physiographic divisions of India are as follows:
1) The Himalayan Range of Mountains
2) The Northern Plains
3) The Indian Desert
4) The Peninsular Plateau
5) The Coastal Plains
6) The Islands of India
Six Physiographic division of India are (ii) Great Himalayas or Himadri
1. The Himalayan Mountain System:- Most continuous range with loftiest peaks. Average height of peaks here is
a. Trans Himalayas : Karakoram , Ladakh, Zaskar. 6,000 meters. Asymmetrical folds having granite in the core are snow
b. Himalayas : Great Himalayas , Lesser Himalayas & Shivalik covered throughout the year.
c. Eastern Hills & Mountains : Patkai bum, Naga Hills, Manipur Hills, Their slope is gentle towards the north & steep in south.
Mizo/Lusai Hills. It includes W Highest Peak, Mt Everest (8848 m) located in Nepal.
It is known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in China.
Zaskar range is situated on the Western part of Greater Himalayas. It
2. The Northern Plains:-
includes Nanga Parbat (8126 m) in Kashmir- Himachal region) and
Formed by the Alluvial deposited by the Rivers system: Indus, Ganga and
Brahmaputra. Dhaulagiri (8172 m) in Nepal.
Division: Bhabar, Terai, Alluvial Plains- Khadar and Bangar. Imp Peaks In Great Himalays :
Kanchenjunga (8598 m in Sikkim),[Link] (8481 m in Nepal)
Nanga Parbat (8108 m Gilgit Baltistan),Kamet (7756 m in
3. Indian desert : Uttrakhand),Nanda Devi (7816 m in Uttrakhand).
West of Aravalli Hills - Great Indian desert
Southern part - Rann of Kutch [Link] passes in Great Himalayas
Pass Location Connectivity
4. Peninsular Plateau : Karakoram Pass Ladakh India to China
Burzil Pass PoK Kashmir Valley to Gilgit
Deccan Plateau
Zoji La Pass Ladakh Srinagar to Leh
Shipki La Himachal Pradesh Shimla to Tibet
5. The Coastal Plains
a. Western Coastal plains Nathu La & Jelep La Sikkim Sikkim to Lhasa
b. Eastern Coastal plains. Yangyap Pass Arunachal Pradesh Entry of Brahmaputra
Bum La & Bom Di La Arunachal Pradesh
6. The Islands
a. Andaman and Nicobar (iii) Middle Himalayas / Lesser Himalayas / Himachal Himalayas:
b. Lakshadweep These are running parallel between the Great Himalayas in the north and
c. Other Islands like Sagar, Elephant, Anjadip, Hope, Sriharikota etc. Shivalik Himalayas in the south.
Middle Himalaya is divided into following ranges:
Pirpanjal range (Jammu and Kashmir). It is longest range of the middle Himalaya
Dhauladhar range (Himachal Pradesh)
(1) The Himalayas Mussoorie range (Uttarakhand)
Nagtibba range (Uttarakhand)
tertiary period, which were folded over Tethys sea due to inter- Mahabharat range (Nepal)
continental collision. Valleys: Kashmir Valley (between Great Himalayas & Pir Panjal), Lahul-
They are one of the Youngest Fold Mountain ranges in the world and Spiti Valley, Kullu & Kangra valley are located between Greater and
comprises mainly sedimentary rocks. Lesser Himalayas.
They stretch from the Indus river in the West to the Brahmaputra river in Alpine Grassland known as Marg (Gulmarg and Sonmarg) in Kashmir
the East. Valley and Bugyal in Uttarakhand are also found.
The Pamirs, popularly known as the Roof of the World is the connecting Hill station: Shimla, Kullu, Manali ,Mussoorie and Darjeeling.
link between the Himalayas and the high ranges of Central Asia.
The width varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal [Link] passes in Middle Himalayas
Pradesh. The altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern part than in
the western part. There are four parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. Pass Location Connectivity
Zaskar range lies west of Himalayas and Indus gorge is beyond it.. Pirpanjal Pass Jammu & Kashmir Jammu Sri Nagar Road
Banihal Pass Jammu & Kashmir Jammu Sri Nagar NH-44 Passes from
this pass.(Jawahar Tunnel)
Himalayas Can be Divided into : Rohtang Pass Himachal Pradesh Kullu Valley with Lahaul & Spiti
(i) Trans Himalayas) Valley in HP
(ii) Himadri (Greater Himalayas)
(iii) Himachal (Lesser Himalayas) (iv) Shiwalik Or Outer Himalayas:-
(iv) Shiwaliks (Outer Himalayas) Unlike above two Ranges ,this range is not continuous.
(v) Eastern Hills & Mountains
They forms the foothills of Himalayas.
(i) Trans Himalayas) Jammu and Dafla, Miri, Abor, Mishmi
Himalayas are the young fold mountains and have unique characteristics hills in Arunachal Pradesh.
due to high altitude, steep gradient, snow capped summit, youthful drainage Duns e.g. Dehradun and
& complex geological structure. Haridwar. Since these valleys have fertile soil, they are densely
(i) Trans Himalayan Region :- [Link] eastern side in Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas
The Himalayan range North of the Greater Himalayas. formed , which are used for Tea gardens
It includes Karakoram , Ladakh, Zaskar & Kailash Ranges etc. and Timber plantation.
Terai. It is marshy area covered
-Austen is the highest peak of India,
with thick forest cover.
situated in the Karakoram [Link] Glacier is 2nd Longest Glacier of
5. Eastern Hills & Mountains:- located in North-Eastern states.
their general orientation
from the North to South direction. Hills from North to South :
Patkai Bum,
Naga Hills,
Manipur Hills
Mizo or Lusai Hills.
These are low hills, inhabited by tribal groups practising Jhum cultivation.
Jhum Cultivation Also Known as Slash & Burn Cultivation.
 One Liner Facts
Importat Lakes in J & K :
Fresh Water : Dal, Wular Lake (Largest Freshwater in India).
Salt Water : Tso Morori & Pangong Tso.
Imp Glacier in J & K Region : Baltoro and Siachen.
Formations :Useful for the cultivation of
local variety of Saffron .
Srinagar situated on River Bank of Jhelum River.
Bhotia s : Nomadic Groups.
Bugyals : Summar Grasslands in Higher Reaches.
Valley of Flowers National Park : Uttrakhand
Lepcha Tribes : Found in Sikkim,Meghalaya,Nepal,Bhutan,A.P.
Mizoram is known for Molassis Basin which is made up of
Soft unconsolidated deposits.
Loktak Lake : Manipur.
2. The Northern Plains
To the South of the Himalayas and to the North of the peninsula
lies the great plains of North India.
It extends from West to East for 2400 km having an average width
in between 150-300 km.
The plains are formed by depositional works of three major river
systems Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra.
The vast plains of North India are alluvial in nature and the
Western most portion is occupied by the desert.
It is composed of Bhangar (old alluvium), Khadar (new
alluvium) in the river bed, Bhabhar (plains containing porous
gravel and pebbles where the streams disappear) and Terai (damp,
thick forest area, where Bhabhar streams reappear).
4. The Peninsular Plateau
It is triangular in shape, with its base coinciding with
Northern Plains & its apex is formed by Kanyakumari.
Spread:
Delhi Ridge(North),
Rajmahal Hills (East),
Gir Ranges (West)
Cardamom Hills(South).
It is composed of the old cystalline, igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
Sub-Divisions of The Great Plains
Narmada, which flows through a rift valley divides the
Punjab- It extends from Punjab in the West to Yamuna region into two parts: the Central Highlands in the North and
Haryana Plain (Haryana) in East. They are composed of the Deccan plateau in the South.
Dhaya (Heavily gullied bluffs) and Bets The Deccan plateau is the largest plateau in India.
(Khadar Plains).
Ganga Plain It extends from Delhi to Kolkata across the Plateaus of Peninsular India
states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West
Bengal. The Ganga and its tributaries deposit The Central Highland / Madhya Bharat Pathar
large amount of alluvium and make this l The Central Highlands lie to the North of the Narmada river
extensive plain more fertile. covering a major area of the Malwa plateau.
Brahmaputra Low level plain formed by Brahmaputra river Malwa Plateau lies East of Aravali & North of Vindhyas.
Plain system. It is situated between Eastern The Aravalis range is bounded by the Central Highlands on
Himalaya in North and lower Ganga plain and the North-West and Vindhyan range on the South.
Indo- Bangladesh border in the West.
The Deccan Plateau
[Link] Desert The Deccan plateau is a triangular land lying to the South of the
river Narmada. It is made up of lava flows in the cretaceous era
To the northwest of the Aravali Hills lies the Great Indian
through the fissure eruptions.
Desert. It is a land of undulating topography dotted with It comprises Maharashtra plateau, Karnataka plateau and the
longitudinal dunes and barchans. Telangana and Rayalseema plateau (Andhra Pradesh).
This region receives low rainfall below 150 mm per year; hence, it The general slope is from West to East.
has arid climate with low vegetation cover. The Eastern and Western Ghats demarcate the Eastern and Western
It is because of these characteristic features that this is also known edges of the Deccan plateau.
as Marusthali. Meghalaya Plateau
Some of the well pronounced desert land features present here are This plateau is separated from main block of the peninsular plateau
mushroom rocks, shifting dunes and oasis (mostly in its southern by a gap called Garo-RajMahal gap.
part). From East toWest, the plateau comprises Garo, Khasi, Jaintia and
The Luni River flowing in the southern part of the desert is Mikir hills.
of some significance. Low precipitation and high
evaporation makes it a water deficit region.
The Bundelkhand Upland
It is located to the South of Yamuna river between Madhya Bharat
The lakes and the playas have brackish water which is the
Pathar and the Vindhyan Range. It is composed of granites and
main source of obtaining salt.
gneiss.
The Marwar Upland
Factopedia It lies East of Aravali range. It is made up of sandstone, shale and
Largest Inland Salt Lake : Sambhar Lake limestone of Vindhyan period.
Thar Desert : Largest Desert Chhotanagpur Plateau
Aravali : India;s & World s Oldest Mountain Range. l It covers mostly Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Purulia region
Major River : Luni of West Bengal.
Longest Canal : Indira Gandhi Canal ( Western Rajasthan ). It is composed mainly of Gondwana rocks with patches of
granites and gneisses and Deccan lavas.
Imp Hill Ranges of the Peninsula [Link] Coastal Plains
Aravali Range On the basis of location and active geomorphological
Aravalis are one of the mountains running processes, it can be broadly divided into
in North-East to South-East direction from Delhi to Palanpur Eastern Coastal Plain
in Gujarat. It is an example of relict mountain. Western Coastal Plain
Vindhyan Range
This range acts as a water divide between Ganga river The Eastern Coastal Plain(ECP)
system with the river system of South India. ECP extends from the deltaic plains of the Ganga in the
The Maikal range forms a connecting link between North to Kanyakumari in the South for 1100 km with an
Vindhya and Satpura. average width of 120 km.
Satpura Range It has large deltas of Krishna & Godavari rivers.
It is a series of seven mountains running in East-West Tamil Nadu plains extend from the North of Chennai to
direction South of Vindhya and in between the Narmada and Kanyakumari in the South.
Tapi. Coromandel coast is a part of this plain.
It comprises Rajpipla hills, Mahadeo hills & Maikal Range. It has the deltaic plains of Cauveri and is popularly known as
Eastern Ghats the Granary of South India.
It comprises the discontinuous and low hills that are Occurrences of Deltas (Krishna,Godavari,Mahandi)
highly eroded by the rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Less Rainfall
Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauveri etc.
Some of the important ranges include the The Western Coastal Plain
Javadi Hills, Velikonda Range, Nallamalai hills, It is about 1500 km long extending from Surat to
Mahendragiri Hills etc. Kanyakumari.
Highest Peak : Mahendragiri (1501 m) Occurrences of Estuaries.
Western Ghats More Rainfall
Western Ghats comprises of Continuous hills. Western Coast : Malabar Coast
Western ghats are locally known by different names
Sahyadri in Maharashtra, These Plains are sub-divided into six Western Coastal Plain :
Nilgiri Hills in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu 1. Kachchh Plains : It is an arid and semi arid region having
salt deposits Great Rann and Little Rann are located within it.
Anaimalai hills & Cardamom hills in Kerala.
2. Kathiawar Plains : It extends from Rann of Kuchchh to
There are three important passes in the Sahyadris
Daman in the South.
Thalghat (between Mumbai and Pune)
3. Gujarat Plains : Lies to East of Kachchh & Kathiawar,
Palghat (between Palakkad and Coimbatore) formed by rivers Narmada, Tapi, Mahi & Sabarmati.
Bhorghat (between Mumbai and Nashik) 4. Konkan Plains : It extends from Daman to Goa for a
distance of about 500 km.
5. Karnataka Plains : It extends from Goa to Mangalore in a
narrow belt.
6. Malabar or Kerala Plains : It extends between
Mangalore and Kanyakumari. Backwaters, locally called kayals
are the Shallow Lagoons. The largest among these is
Vembanad Kayal followed by Ashtamudi Kayal.
[Link]
India has large number islands, most of which
are located in two groups
Andaman and Nicobar group
Lakshadweep group
Group of islands is called archipelago.
Andaman and Nicobar Group
It is located in Bay of Bengal.
There are nearly 325 islands in Andaman
group, whereas the Nicobar group of islands
consist of 247 islands.
Some Imp Peaks in Andaman & Nicobar
Islands :
Saddle Peak : North Andaman (738 m )
Diavolo Peak : Middle Andaman (515 m)
Koyob Peak : South Andaman (460 m )
Mount Thuiller Peak :Great Nicobar
(642 m) CDS
1 2022
Coastline have some Coral deposits &
Beautiful Beaches,These Islands receives
Convectional rainfall & have a Equatorial
type of Vegetation.

Find Full Images in Study Funda mapbook for

Better Quality. Chapter-3 : Drainage
Indian drainage system refers to the network
of rivers, streams & various other types of
runoffs.
It is divided into Two Major Type of Rivers :
Himalayan Rivers : like Indus, Ganges,
Brahmaputra.
Peninsular Rivers : like Godavari,
Krishna, Kaveri.

The River Basins have been divided into three

parts such as:
Major Medium Minor
River basins with River basins with River basins With

CDS42022
catchment area of catchment area catchment area
20000 [Link] and between 2000- below 2000 sq km.
above 20000 sq km.
It Accounts for 85% It account for 7% of It accounts for 8% of
of the total run off the total Run off. the Total run off.
of the rivers.

A river drains the water collected from a specific area -

Catchment area.
Area drained by a river & its tributaries-Drainage basin.
Also, the boundary line separating one drainage basin
from the other- Watershed.
The catchments of large rivers are called river basins
while those of small rivulets and rills are often referred to
as watersheds.
Lakshadweep Group
It is located in Arabian sea.
Type of Drainage Patterns (Imp)
They lie b/w 8 N and 71 E-74 E longitude. [Link]- Resembles branches of a tree- Rivers of
These islands are 280-480 Kms from Kerala Coast. northern plain. E.g. the Ganges,Indus etc
Entire Islands are made up of Coral deposits. 2. Radial- The rivers originate from a hill and flow in all
direction. E.g.- River Originating from Amarkantak
Approx 36 Islands.
Plateau : Narmada, Son.
Largest Island : Minicoy
3. Trellis- when the prime tributaries of rivers flow River Source Tributaries & Imp Info
parallel to each other and secondary tributaries join them Indus Bokhar Chu Glacier Right Bank Tributaries
at right angles. Zaskar, Astar, Dras, Shyok,
Ex-Singhbhum (Chotanagpur Plateau) and Seine and Swat, Kurram, Gilgit, Kabul.
its tributaries in Paris basin (France) Left Bank Tributaries:
Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas,
4. Centripetal- when the rivers discharge their waters and Sutlej.
from all directions in a lake or depression. E.G. Jhelum Verinag Flow through Srinagar and
Okavango Depression (Africa). Wular Lake.
Loktak Lake (Manipur) Tributary :Kishanganga
Chenab Formed by Two Largest Tributary of Indus.
Streams : Its Tributary : Tawi River in
Chandra & Bhaga J&K
(Keylong -HP)
Ravi Kullu Hills near Joins Chenab.
Rohtang Pass (H.P)
Beas Beas Kund Near Beas Join Satluj At Harike
Burwa near Manali (Harike- Ramsar Wetland &
Indira Gandhi canal Originate
from here only.)
Satluj Near Rakas Lake in It comes out of a Gorge at
Tibet. Enters in India [Link] River as it Feed
through the Bhakhra Nangal Project.
The Indus River System Imp River Projects /Dams
The Indus, also known as Sindhu, is the Western
most of Himalayan rivers in India.

It is one of the largest river basins of the world

covering an area of 11,65,000 sq km (in India it is
321284 sq km) and a total length of 2880 km (in India
1,114 km).

It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the

Tibetan region near Mansarovar lake in (Kailash
Range).

In Tibet, it is known as Singi Khamban or

mouth. In Jammu and Kashmir, its Himalayan
tributaries are Zanskar,
Dras, Gartang, Shyok, Shigar, Nubra, Gilgit etc. Rivers Drains Into
Indus are the Khurram, the River Length Drains Into
Tochi, the Gomal, the Viboa and the Sangar. Indus 2880 Arabian Sea
(1,114 in India)
The Indus flows in India only through the Leh district
in Jammu and Kashmir. Jhelum 724 Kms Chenab
Chenab 1180 Kms Indus
Its most important tributaries, which join Indus at Ravi 725 Kms Chenab
various places, are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Beas 460 kms Satluj
Sutlej.
Satluj 1450 Kms Chenab
According to Indus Water Treaty signed between India (1050 In India)
and Pakistan in 1960, India can utilise only 20% of
the total discharge of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
Space for Additional Facts
Panjnad : It is a name given to 5 Rivers of Punjab
Satluj,
Beas,
Ravi,
Chenab,
Jhelum.
This Panjnad is present in Mithankot a Place in
Pakistan.
The Ganga River System Imp River Projects /Dams
River Project/Dams River
Ganga is the most important river of India both from the point
of view of its basin and cultural significance. Tehri Dam (Highest In India) Bhagirathi river (UK)
Panchet Dam Damodar River (JH)
Facts Rajghat Dam Betwa River (UP)
Bansagar Dam Son River (MP)
Longest River of India. Length : 2525 Kms. Gandhi Sagar Dam (MP) Chambal River
Longest Share : UP (1450 Kms) Rana Pratap Sagar Dam (RJ)
Rises : Gangotri Glacier near Gaumukh in Jawahar Sagar Dam (RJ)
Uttrakhand. Here it is Called Bhagirathi Govind Ballabh Pant/Rihand Rihand River (UP)
It Becomes Ganga when Bhagirathi &
Alaknanda Meets in Devprayag .
Alaknanda s Rises : Satopanth Glacier (Badrinath). The Brahmaputra River System
Tributaries It is one of the largest rivers of the world.
Right : Yamuna,Son,
It Rises from Chemayungdung glacier of the
Left :Ramganga,Gomti,Ghagra,Gandak,Kosi, Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake.
Mahananda,
It is known as Tsangpo in Tibet, Dihang or
Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, Brahmaputra
in Assam and Jamuna in Bangladesh.
Tsangpo (Meaning Pure)

Brahmaputra River takes a U turn in China

& enters in India Tat place is known as
Namcha Barwa (7755m).
It enters India west of Sadiya Town in
Arunachal Pradesh.

Brahmaputra forms large number of riverine

islands. Majuli is the largest riverine
island in the world.

The Brahmaputra enters into Bangladesh

near Dhubri and flows southward. In
Bangladesh, the Tista joins it on its right
bank from where the river is known as the
Ganga River System Yamuna. It finally merges with the river
River Source Facts & Tributary Padma, which falls in the Bay of Bengal.
Yamuna Yamunotri Glacier Joins Ganga : Allahabad.
1380 Kms (Longest Tributary Tributary : Tons, The combined stream of Ganga and
of Ganga). Chambal,Sind,Betwa,Ken Brahmaputra forms the biggest delta in the
Ram Dudhatoli Range Passes Through Jim world, the Sundarbans, covering an area of
Ganga (UK) Corbett National Park 40,000 sq km. Its major part is in Bangladesh.
Ghaghara Mapchachungo Tri :
Glacier,Tibet Saryu,Rapti,Sarda,Budhi
Ganga River Source Tributaries/Facts
Kosi Formed with Bring Flood to Bihar Brahmaputra Near Subansiri,Teesta,
confluence of Region,T why called 2900 Kms Kailash Kameng,Dhansiri,
Sunkosi,Arun,Tamor Sorrow of Bihar (900 in Tibet) Lake Dihang,Dibang,
Gomti Gomat Taal-Pilibhit Lucknow is Situated on
Lohit,Dihing,Manas
(UP) Gomti River (Jolly LLB-2)
Teesta Sikkim 480 Kms
Damodar Chotanagpur Plateau Barakar,
Sorrow of Bengal
Son Amarkantak Hills Joins Ganga Near Patna, The Peninsular drainage system is older than
Tri : North Koel,Rihand. the Himalayan one. This is evident from the
Chambal Near Mhow Famous Chambal broad, largely-graded shallow valleys, and the
(Vindhyas Range) Ravines (Badland maturity of the rivers.
Topography),
Tri: Banas,Kali,Sindh West Flowing Rivers : Drains In Arabian Sea
Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Mahi, Purna,
 Other Imp Rivers Of India After flowing a distance of about 1,312 km, it
Mahanadi meets the Arabian sea south of Bharuch,
Rises Near : Sihawa in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) forming a broad 27 km long estuary.
Its catchment area is about 98,796 sq. km.
Flows through : Odisha
Sardar Sarovar Project Dam is on Narmada.
Drains : Bay of Bengal
Length : 851 km long
Dam : Hirakund Dam (Odisha) Longest Dam Tapi
in India. Originates from Multai in the Betul district of
Madhya Pradesh.
Lenth : 724 km long and drains an area of
Godavari 65,145 sq. km. Nearly 79 per cent of its basin
Largest Peninsular River. lies in Maharashtra, 15 per cent in Madhya
Also Known as Dakshin Ganga . Pradesh and the remaining 6% in Gujarat.
Rises : Nasik ( Maharashtra).
Drains : Bay of Bengal. Luni
Its tributaries run through the states of The largest river system of Rajasthan, west of
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Aravali.
Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Originates : Near Pushkar in two branches,
Length : 1,465 km i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati, which
Tributaries : Penganga,Indravati, Pranhita, join with each other at Govindgarh. From
Manjra. here, the river comes out of Aravali and is
The Godavari is subjected to heavy floods in known as Luni.
its lower reaches to the south of Polavaram Drains into : Rann of Kuchchh.
(Andhra Pradesh), where it forms a The entire river system is ephemeral.
picturesque gorge.
Dams : Nizam Sagar,Jayakwadi Dam,
Small Rivers
River Source/State
Vaitarna (670 m) Trimbak Hills (Nashik)
Krishna Maharastra
It is the Second largest east flowing river Kalindi Belgaum (Karnataka)
Rises : Near Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri. Bedti River Hubli Dharwar
Length : 1,401 km. Sharavati Shimoga (Karnataka)
(Jog Waterfall)
Tributaries : Koyna, Tungbhadra and Bhima. Mandovi Goa
Dams : Nagarjun Sagar Dam, Almatti Dam, Juari Goa
Bhima Dam,Srisailam Dam. Bgarathapuzha (Longest Anamalai Hills (Kerala)
River of Kerala)
Periyar Kerala
Kaveri Pamba Kerala
Rises : From Brahmagiri Hills (1,341m) (Drains in Vembanad)
Karnataka.
Length : 800 Km
Since the upper catchment area receives
rainfall during the southwest monsoon
season (summer) and the lower part during
the northeast monsoon season (winter),
Tributaries : Kabini, Bhavani and Amravati.
Dams : Mettur Dam (Stanley Reservoir),
Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, Kabini Dam,
Banasura Sagar Dam, Kallanai Dam
(Ancient Dam ).

Narmada
Rises From : Amarkantak Plateau at a Waterfall Height State
height of about 1,057m. Barehipani 400 m Odisha
Narmada Flows in a Rift valley between Nohkalikai 340 m Meghalaya
the Satpura in the south and the Dudhsagar 310 m Karnataka & Goa
Vindhyan range in the north, it forms a Jog or Gersoppa 253 m Karnataka
picturesque gorge in marble rocks and Hundru 100 m Jharkhand
Shivasamundram 100 m Karnataka
Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur.
[Link] of India 4-Distance From Sea
Coastal area have an equable climate.
Weather : Instant State of atmosphere The areas near to the sea experience maritime climate,
Climate : Average weather conditions over a whereas the areas away from the sea experience
continental climate.
longer period of time.
5-Altitude
FACTORS DETERMINING CLIMATE OF INDIA Temperature decreases with height. Due to thin
1-Lattitude air, places in the mountains are cooler than
2-The Himalayan Mountains places on the plains. For example,
Agra and Darjiling are located on the same latitude,
3-Distribution of Land And Water
but temperature of January in Agra is 16°C whereas
4-Distace From Sea
it is only 4°C in Darjiling.
5-Altitude
6-Relief 6-Relief
The physiography or relief of India also affects the
temperature, air pressure, direction and speed of wind and
1-Lattitude : the amount and distribution of rainfall.
The windward sides of Western Ghats and Assam
(a) Area North of Tropic of Cancer : receive high rainfall during June-September whereas
Sub Tropical & Temperate Zone. the southern plateau remains dry due to its leeward
situation along the Western Ghats.
(b) Area South of Tropic of Cancer :
Tropical Zone. Western Disturbances
These are the depressions generated over the
Mediterranean sea and enter India after crossing
over Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan under the
influence of Westerly jet stream. After reaching
India, they move Eastwards, causing light rain in
the Indo-Gangetic plains and snowfall in Himalayan
belt.

Upper Air Circulation The upper air

circulation of India is dominated by a westerly
flow. An important component of this flow is
the Jet Stream. The Western cyclonic
disturbances experienced in North and North
Western parts of the country are brought in by
this Westerly flow.
(a) Area north of TOC being away from
equator,Experiences extreme climate with high daily and Tropical Cyclones The tropical cyclones
annual range of temperature. generated in Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal
Ex-Ladakh : -20 to -30 Degrees
during the South-West monsoon and the
(b) Tropical zone being Nearer to the Equator, retreating monsoon seasons influence the
experiences high temperatures throughout the year weather conditions of the Peninsular India.
with small daily and annual range.
Ex-Kerala : 25-30 Degrees. El Nino and La Nina El Nino is a narrow
warm current, which occasionally appears off
2-The Himalayan Mountains the coast of Peru in December by temporarily
It protects India Subcontinent from the chilly winds replacing the cold Peru current.
coming from polar region.
Himalayas also trap the Monsoon Winds,forcing them to The warming of tropical Pacific waters affect
shed their moisture in Indian sub continent only.
the global pattern of pressure and wind
systems including the monsoon winds in the
3-Distribution of Land and Water : Indian ocean. La Nina is the reverse of El-
India is flanked by the Indian Ocean on three sides in the
south and girdled by a high and continuous mountain- Nino. It is a harbinger of heavy monsoon
wall in the north. showers in India.
As compared to the landmass, water heats up or cools Southern Oscillation Whenever the surface
down slowly. level pressure is high over the Indian ocean,
This differential heating of land and sea creates different there is low pressure over the Pacific ocean
air pressure zones in different seasons in and around the
Indian subcontinent. Difference in air pressure causes
and vice versa. This inter-relation of high and
reversal in the direction of monsoon winds. low pressure over the Pacific and the Indian
ocean is called Southern Oscillation.
 Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) Two Monsoon Branches in India
The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a low 1. Arabian Sea
pressure zone located at the equator where trade 2. Bay of Bengal
winds converge, and so, It is a zone where air tends
to ascend. In July (Summers) , the ITCZ is
located around 20°N-25°N latitudes (over the 1-Arabian Sea : Monsoon Winds originating
Gangetic plain), sometimes called the monsoon over Arabian sea & Splits into 3 further
[Link] monsoon trough encourages the Branches.
development of thermal low over north and northwest
(a) First Branch Strike Western Ghats
India. Due to the shift of ITCZ, the trade winds of
the southern hemisphere cross the equator b/w (Kerala,Karnataka)
40° and 60°E longitudes and start blowing from Windwars side of Western Ghats receive
Southwest to northeast due to the Coriolis force. Heavy rainfall of 250-400 Cms. After
It becomes southwest monsoon. In winter, the ITCZ crossing the Western Ghats, these winds
moves southward, and so the reversal of winds from descend and get heated up. This reduces
northeast to south and southwest, takes place. They humidity in the winds. As a result, these
are called northeast monsoons. winds cause little rainfall east of the Western
Ghats. This region of low rainfall is known as
Seasons in India the rain-shadow area.
Indian climate is characterised by distinct (b) 2nd Branch strike the coast north of
seasonality. Indian Meteorological Department Mumbai.(Moving along with Narmada & Tapi
(IMD) has recognised the following four distinct river valleys,These winds cause rainfallin
seasons: extensive areas of central India.
(i) The cold season or winter season. (c) 3rd branch Strike Saurastra Peninsula &
(ii) The hot weather season or summer season. [Link] It reaches Rajasthan ,Punjab &
(iii) South-West monsoon season or rainy season. Haryana Where it is Joined By Bay of Bengal
(iv) season of retreating monsoon or cool season. Branch.

2-Bay of Bengal :
Local Storms in India This Branch strikes the coast of Myanmar and part of
Name Importance southeast Bangladesh. But the Arakan Hills along
Loo Hot Winds blown in summer over the coast of Myanmar deflect a big portion of this
Northern India (Punjab to Bihar) branch towards the Indian [Link]
Norwester These are Evening Thunderstorm monsoon, therefore, enters West Bengal &
in Assam And West Bengal Bangladesh from south and southeast instead of
They Locally Known as from the south-westerly direction.
From here, this branch splits into two under
Bengal : Kalbaishakhi
the influence of the Himalayas and the
Assam : Bardoli Chheerha . thermal low is northwest India.
Mango Pre-Monsoon Showers Causing (1) 1st branch moves westward along the Ganga
Showers rainfall in Kerala & Karnataka, plains reaching as far as the Punjab plains.
They got their name as they help (2) 2nd branch moves up the Brahmaputra valley in
in early ripening of mango. the north and the northeast, causing widespread
Blossom With this shower Coffee flowers rains.
Showers blossom in Kerala & nearby Its sub-branch strikes the Garo and Khasi hills of
areas. Meghalaya.
Mawsynram, located on the crest of Khasi
hills, receives the highest average annual
rainfall in the world.

Very Imp Facts

Here it is important to know why the Tamil
Nadu coast remains dry during this Season.
There are two factors responsible for it:
(i) Tamil Nadu coast is situated parallel
to the Bay of Bengal branch of southwest
monsoon.
(ii) It lies in the rainshadow area of the
Arabian Sea branch of the south-west
monsoon.
Distribution of Rainfall
Average Annual Rainfall in India : 125 cm. Natural vegetation refers to a plant community
that has been left undisturbed over a long time,
Areas of High Rainfall : The Highest Rainfall so as to allow its individual species to adjust
occurs along the West Coast, on the Western themselves to climate and soil conditions as
Ghats, as well as in the sub-Himalayan areas is fully as possible.
the northeast and the hills of Meghalaya. Here
the rainfall exceeds 200 cm. In some parts of TYPES OF FORESTS
Khasi and Jaintia hills, the rainfall exceeds
(i) Tropical Evergreen & Semi Evergreen forests
1,000 cm. In the Brahmaputra valley and the (ii) Tropical Deciduous forests
adjoining hills, the rainfall is less then 200 cm. (iii) Tropical Thorn forests
(iv) Montane forests
Areas of Medium Rainfall : Rainfall between (v) Littoral and Swamp forests.
100-200 cm is received in the southern parts of
Gujarat, east Tamil Nadu, northeastern We have Put Images of Above Forests on
Peninsula covering Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Next Page
eastern Madhya Pradesh, northern Ganga plain
along the sub-Himalayas and the Cachar Valley
and Manipur. Space for Data Addition
Areas of Low Rainfall : Western Uttar Pradesh,
Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir,
eastern Rajasthan, Gujarat and Deccan Plateau
receive rainfall between 50-100 cm.

Areas of Inadequate Rainfall: Parts of the

Peninsula, especially in Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka and Maharashtra, Ladakh & most of
western Rajasthan receive rainfall below 50 cm.
Snowfall is restricted to the Himalayan region.
Identify the pattern of rainfall after consulting
the rainfall map.

Indian Climatic Regions According to Koeppen

Type of Climate Areas
Amw Monsoon with short West coast of India
dry season south of Goa
As Monsoon with dry Coromandel coast of
summer Tamil Nadu
Aw Tripical savannah Most of the Peninsular
plateaus, south of the
Tropic of Cancer
Bwhw Semi-arid steppe North-western
climate Gujarat, some parts of
western Rajasthan
and
Punjab
Bwhw Hot desert Extreme Western
Rajasthan
Cwg Monsoon with dry Ganga plain, eastern
winter Rajasthan, northern
Madhya Pradesh,
most of North-east
India
Dfc Cold humid Arunachal Pradesh
winter with short
summer
E Polar type Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand
 Random Facts About Forest & Wildlife
The forest policy aimed at :
(i) bringing 33 per cent of the geographical areas under forest cover.

In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was enacted, which provides the main legal
framework for conservation and protection of wildlife in India.

There are 102 National parks and 515 wildlife sanctuaries covering an area of 15.67 million
hectares in the country.

Project Tiger (1973)

Project Elephant (1992)
Mangrove grow along the
coasts in the salt
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve :
marshes,tidal creeks,mud 1st Biosphere reserve of India.
flats and estuaries. Established in 1986.
They consist of a number of Two Imp Endangered Animal Species :
salt-tolerant species of 1-Nilgiri Tahr
plants. Crisscrossed by 2-Lion Tailed Macaque
creeks of stagnant water and
tidal flows, these forests give
shelter to a wide variety of Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve :
birds. Area : 9630 [Link].
Home to nearly 200 Royal Bengal Tigers.
In India, the mangrove
Tigers here are good swimmers and they hunt
forests spread over 6,740
sq. km which is 7 per cent scarce preys such as Chital Deer etc.
mangrove Mangrove forests are characterised by
forests. Heritiera Fomes a species valued for its
timber.
The Forest Area covers
23.28 per cent of the total
land area of the country.
Major Factors affecting the formation of soil are :
Relief,
Climate,
Vegetation
Parent Material,
and other Life-Forms and Time.
Human activities also influence it to a large extent.

If we dig a pit on land and look at the soil, we find that it consists of three layers which are
called horizons.

is the topmost zone, where organic materials have got incorporated with the
mineral matter, nutrients and water, which are necessary for the growth of plants.
is a transition and contains matter
derived from below as well as from above. It has some organic matter in it, although the mineral
matter is noticeably weathered. is composed of the loose parent material. This layer
is the first stage in the soil formation process and eventually forms above two layers.

India has varied relief features, Inceptisols (Weakly Developed Soils)

landforms, climatic realms and vegetation These soils are inherently infertile.
types. These have contributed in the They are usually the weakly developed young
development of various types of soils in soil though they are more developed than
India. In ancient times, soils used to be entisols.
classified into two main groups Urvara They include the soils of most of the arctic
and Usara, which were fertile and tundra and outwash moraines.
sterile, respectively. Entisols ( Recent, Underdeveloped Soils)
Usually young or underdeveloped.
ICAR has classified the Indian soils on the Lack vertical development of horizons.
basis of their nature and character as These are less fertile soils. The sand dunes
per the United States Department of ergs outwash glacial plains, and the poorly
Agriculture (USDA) Soil Taxonomy. drained tundra, tidal mud flats, etc. are the
examples of Entisols.
Vertisols (expandable clay soils)
Composed of more than 30 per cent clays.
Vertisol clays are black when wet and become
iron hard when dry.
When drying, Vertisols crack and the cracks
widen and deepen as the soil dries ; this
produces cracks 2-3 cm wide. These are
productive soils .
The regur soils of India are an example of
vertisols.
Aridisols (desert soils)
The largest single soil order occurs in dry
regions of the world. These soils occupy

Pale and light near the surface, deficit in

moisture. Lack in organic matter.
Salinisation is the main problem of these
soils. Salinisation complicates farming in
Aridisols.
[Link] HAZARDS AND DISASTERS

Blizzards Earthquakes Floods

Earthquakes
Earthquakes are by far the most unpredictable and highly destructive of all the natural
disasters. These earthquakes result from a series of earth movements brought about by a
sudden release of energy during the tectonic activities in the
these, the earthquakes associated with volcanic eruption, rock fall, landslides, subsidence,
particularly in the mining areas, impounding of dams and reservoirs, etc. have limited area of
influence and the scale of damage.

Five Earthquake Zones

(i) Very high damage risk zone.
(ii) High damage risk zone.
(iii) Moderate damage risk zone.
(iv) Low damage risk zone.
(v) Very low damage risk zone.

(i) Very high damage risk zone.

North-East States,Indo-Nepal Border
in Bihar,Uttrakhand,Western H.P,
Kashmir Valley,Gujrat etc

(ii) High damage risk zone.

Northern Parts of
Punjab,UK,HP,Delhi,Eastern part of
Haryana,West UP,Northern Bihar.

iii) Moderate damage risk zone.

Rest parts of Country lies in Moderate
to Very Low Risk Zone.

Most Stable Areas Covered under

Deccan Plateau.

Tropical Cyclones :
Tropical cyclones are intense low-pressure areas confined to the area lying
between 30° N and 30° S latitudes, in the atmosphere around which high
velocity winds blow. Horizontally, it extends up to 500-1,000 km and vertically
from surface to 12-14 km.
A tropical cyclone or hurricane is like a heat engine that is energised by the
release of latent heat on account of the condensation of moisture that the wind
gathers after moving over the oceans and seas.
Some Initial conditions for the emergence of a tropical cyclone are:
(i) Large and continuous supply of warm and moist air that can release enormous
latent heat.
(ii) Strong Coriolis force that can prevent filling of low pressure at the centre (absence
of Coriolis force near the equator prohibits the formation of tropical cyclone between
0°-5° latitude).
(iii) Unstable condition through the troposphere that creates local disturbances
around which a cyclone develops.
(iv) Finally, absence of strong vertical wind wedge, which disturbs the vertical
transport of latent heat.