Physical Features of

India

Grade 09
Class Notes
 Physical Features of India

1 Physical Features

1.1 What are physical features?

1.2 Why study physical features?
1.3 Physiographic divisions of India

2 The Himalayan Mountains

2.1 Formation of the Himalayas
2.2 About the Himalayas
2.3 Division of the Himalayas

3 The Northern Plains

3.1 Why densely populated?
3.2 Divisions of the northern plains
3.3 Divisions of the northern plains
based on relief features

4 The Peninsular Plateau

4.1 Why densely populated?
4.2 Divisions of the peninsular
plateau
4.3 Divisions of the peninsular
plateau based on relief features

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 Physical Features of India

5 The Indian Desert

5.1 About the Indian desert

6 The Coastal Plains

6.1 About the coastal plains

7 The Islands
3.1 The Lakshadweep
3.2 Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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 1 Physical Features

1.1 What Are Physical Features?

Physical features are natural features on the Earth’s

surface such as plateaus, plains, and mountains.

Plateaus Plains Mountains

1.2 Why Study Physical Features?

Studying physical features Understanding the natural

helps us understand the environment helps us to
nature or natural create our own habitat
environment of a place. accordingly, which helps
us live in harmony.

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1.3 Physiographic Divisions of India

The Himalayan
mountains

The northern
plains

The peninsular
plateau

The Indian desert

The coastal plains

The islands

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 2 The Himalayan Mountains

2.1 Formation of the Himalayas

India was part of

Gondwanaland.

Northward
movement of Indo-
Australian plate

Collision with the

Eurasian plate led
to the formation of
the Himalayas.

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 2 The Himalayan Mountains

2.2 About the Himalayas

Geologically: Young

Structurally: Fold mountains

Length: 2,400 km

Width: 400 km in Kashmir

Width: 150 km in
Arunachal Pradesh

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 2 Divisions of Himalayas

2.3.1 Divisions: North-South

• Northernmost: Inner
Himalayas or Himadri
• Continuous range;
home to the loftiest
peaks
• Average height: 6,000 m
• Core composed of
granite

• Most rugged,
discontinuous; also called
the Himachal
• Altitude: 3,700-4,500 m
• Width: 50 km

• Outermost range of
the Himalayas

• Formation of duns,
e.g., Dehradun

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 2 The Himalayan Mountains

2.3.2 Divisions: West-East

Punjab Himalayas
Between Indus and Sutlej

Kumaon Himalayas
Between Sutlej and Kali

Nepal Himalayas
Between Kali and Teesta

Assam Himalayas
Between Teesta and
Dihang

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 2 The Himalayan Mountains

2.3.2 Divisions: West-East

Patkai Hills Manipur Hills

Naga Hills Mizo Hills

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 3 The Northern Plains

3.1 Why Densely populated?

Formed by the interplay of the three major river
systems: Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra. Therefore,
the land is fertile and hence densely populated.

3.2 Division of the Northern Plains

The northern plains are divided into thePunjab plains, Gangetic

plains, and Brahmaputra plains
• Punjab plains: Formed by Indus and its tributaries.
• Ganga plains: Lie between Ghaggar and Teesta.
• Brahmaputra plains: Lie particularly in Assam.

Punjab
plains
Brahmaputra
plains

Ganga
plains

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 3 The Northern Plains

Divisions of the Northern Plains Based on

3.3 Relief Features
1. Bhabar
• Parallel to the Shiwaliks
• Made of pebbles brought by the rivers
from the mountains
• 8-16 km wide
• All the streams disappear in this
region.

2. Terai
• It is just south of the bhabar region.
• All the streams that disappeared in the
bhabar region reappear in the terai region.
• It is wet, swampy, and marshy.
• It is a heavily forested region with rich
wildlife

3. Bhangar
• It was formed in the past when the
Himalayan rivers were changing
course.
• It is found away from the rivers and
has terrace-like structure
• It is composed of older alluvium.
• Higher concentration of kankar
nodules
• It is less fertile.

4. Khadar
• It was formed in the recent times by
the deposition of rivers.
• It is found near rivers in floodplains.
• It is composed of newer alluvium.
• Lower concentration of kankar
nodules
• It is very fertile.

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 4 The Peninsular Plateau

4.1 What Is a Plateau?

Peninsular plateau: Extensive area of flat upland

usually bounded by steep slopes on all sides.

4.2 Composition of the Oldest Landmass

It is composed of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.

It is formed due to the breaking and drifting of Gondwanaland,
making it the oldest landmass.

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 4 The Peninsular Plateau

4.3 Division
Peninsular plateau: The Indian plateau is mainly
divided into central highlands and the Deccan plateau.

4.3.1 Central Highlands

Lie to the north of river Narmada The Aravallis to the north-east, the
Vindhayan range to the souh.

Rivers: Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Eastward extension:

Ken Buldelkhand, Baghelkhand,
14 Chhota Nagpur
 4 The Peninsular Plateau

4.3.2 Deccan Plateau

Triangular landmass, lies to the Flanked by the Satpura range to

south of Narmada the north.

Mahadeo, Kaimur, and Maikal The Western and Eastern Ghats

ranges form the eastern extension. form the borders on the western
and eastern sides, respectively

4.3.3 Western and Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

Mostly continuous Not continuous

Height 900-1600 m, increases The average height is 600 m.

from north to south

The highest peak is The highest peak is

Anamudi (2,695 m.) Mahendragiri (1,501 m)

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 5 The Indian Desert

5.1 About the Indian Desert

Lies towards the western

margins of the Aravalli hills

Very low rainfaill, scanty

vegetation

Luni is the only large river in

this region.

Barchans: Crescent-shaped
dunes, Jaiselmer

Longitudinal dunes near

the Indo-Pak border

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 6 The Coastal Plains

6.1 About the Coastal Plains

• The coastal plains are

divided into western and
eastern coastal plains.

• The western coastal plain

lies between the Western
Ghats and the Arabian Sea.

• The three divisions of the

western plains are the
Konkan Coast, the Kanad
plain, and the Malabar
plain.

• The eastern coast lies

between the Eastern
Ghats and the Bay of
Bengal.
• It is divided into the
Northern Circars and the
Coromandel Coast.
• East-flowing rivers form
deltas in this region.

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 7 The Islands

7.1 Lakshadweep Islands

Old name:
Laccadiver,
Minicoy, and
Amindive (1973)

The island is built

on the coral
deposits.

Pitti Island has a

bird sactuary.

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7.2 Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Located in the Bay of

Bengal
• Bigger in size; more
number of islands
• Strategically important

• Equatorial climate
• Thick forest cover
• Great diversity of
flora and fauna

Important Questions

Question 1:
What are the three major divisions of the Himalayas from
north to south?

Question 2:
What are the major physiographic divisions of India?
Explain any two.

Question 3:
Distinguish between each of the following:

(a) Bhangar and khadar (b) Eastern and Western Ghats

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