ST.

THOMAS SCHOOL, LONI

CLASS-IX
Sub: Geography
Assignment- II
Topic: Ch-2, Physiographic Division of India

Q1. Answer the following questions briefly.

Q i. What is the Bhabar?

Answer: The Bhabar is a narrow belt of plain which is covered with pebbles and lies along
the foothills of the Shiwaliks from the Indus to the Teesta.

Q ii. Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
Answer: a) The Great or Inner Himalayas or Himadri.
b) Himachal or Lesser Himalaya.
c) Outer Himalayas or Shiwaliks.

Q iii. Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya ranges?
Answer: The Malwa plateau lies between Aravali and Vindhya ranges.

Q iv. Name the island group of India having a coral origin.

Answer: Lakshadweep Islands is the island group of India having with a coral origin.

Q2. Distinguish between.

Bhangar
1. This is old alluvial soil.
2. This soil is found far from the river basins.
3. This soil is less fertile and therefore, not
suitable for agriculture.
Khadar
1. This is newer alluvial soil
2. This soil is found close to the river basins
3. This soil is very fertile and therefore, very
suitable for agriculture.

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

1. They are formed on the western side of the
peninsular plateau.
2. They are regular and continuous and can be
crossed through passes only.
3. They lie parallel to the Malabar coast.
4. They are comparatively higher in elevation.
Their average elevation is 900-1600 metres.
5. The highest peaks in the Western Ghats are
Anai Mudi and the Doda Betta.
1. They formed on the eastern side of the
peninsular plateau.
2. They are discontinuous and irregular and
dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of
Bengal.
3. They lie parallel to the Coromandel coast.
4. They have comparatively lower in elevation.
Their average elevation is 600 metres.
5. The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
Mahendragiri.

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Q3. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the
Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.

Answer: The major physiographic divisions of India are:

a) The Himalayan Mountains

b) The Northern Plains
c) The Peninsular Plateau
d) The Indian Desert
e) The Coastal Plains
f) The Islands
The Himalayan Region The Peninsular Plateau
1. It consists of the loftiest mountains and deep 1. It consists of broad and shallow valleys and
valleys. rounded hills.
2. It is formed due to the collision of the Indo- 2. It is formed due to the breaking and drifting
Australian and Eurasian plates. of the Gondwana land.
3. Here we find the highest mountains of the
world. 3. Here we don't find very high peaks.
4. It is formed at the edge of the Indo-Gangetic 4. It is formed at the edge of the Deccan
plain. Plateau

Q4. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.

Answer 5: The northern plains are the granaries of the country. They provide the base for
early civilisations. They are one of the most recent landforms. 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.
This plain is formed of alluvial soil. The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the
foothills of the Himalaya over millions of years formed this fertile plain.
It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km. The plain being about 2400 km long and 240 to 320
km broad, is a densely populated physiographic division. With a rich soil cover combined
with an adequate water supply and favourable climate, it is agriculturally a productive part of
India.
The Northern Plains of India are divided into three divisions.
a) Punjab Plains: It covers the western part of the Northern plains. They are formed by
Indus river and its tributaries.

b) The Ganga Plains: It extends between Ghaggar and the Teesta River, spread over the
states of Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

c) The Brahmaputra Plain: It lies to the east of the Ganga plains. It covers the area of
Assam.

Q5. Write short notes on the following.

(i).The Indian Desert
(ii).The Central Highland
(iii).The Island Groups of India

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(i) The Indian Desert:- (a)This popularly known as the Thar desert, lies towards the western
margins of the Aravali Hills.
(b) It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand with sand dunes.
(c) This region receives very low rainfall below 150mm per year. It has arid climate with low
vegetation cover.
(d) Streams appear during the rainy season. Soon after the rainy season they disappear into
the sand. Luni is the only large river in this region.
(e) Barchans (crescent shaped dunes) are an important feature of the Indian Desert.

(ii) The Central Highland:- (a)The Peninsular Plateau consists of the broad divisions- the
Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
(b) The part of the Peninsular Plateau to the north of the Narmada river covers a major area of
the Malwa Plateau is known as Central Highlands.
( c) The Vindhyas range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and the Aravalis
on the northwest. The further westward extension gradually merges with the sandy and rocky
desert of Rajasthan.
(d) This region is drained by different rivers like- the Sind, the Chambal, the Betwa, the Ken.
( e) 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.

((iii) The Island Groups of Indian:- (a) India has two Island groups-the Lakshadweep
Islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
(b) The Lakshadweep Island group lies close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. This groups of
islands is composed of small coral islands. It covers small areas of 32 sq.km.
(c) Kavaratti Island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.
(d) The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal. They are bigger in
size and are more numerous and scattered.
(e) The entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories-The Andaman in the north
and the Nicobar in the south.
(f) The capital city is Port Blair.
(g) Experience equatorial climate and has thick forest cover.
(h) These island groups are of great strategic importance for the country. There is a great
diversity of flora and fauna in this group of islands too.