UNIT 1 PPT physiographic division.pdf

Physiographic
Division of India

Why to study GEOGRAPHY OF
INDIA.
Present stage.
Previous knowledge.
 Geomorphology
Climatology
(plate tectonic, continental drift,
climate)

Time scale
Campus Ordered Silicon Devices
Carefully Permitted Their Jobs. Can
Practically Every Old Man Plays
Polo Regularly?
Cambrian
Ordovician
Devonian
Carboniferous
Permian
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleocene
Eocene
Oligocene
Miocene
Pliocene
Pleistocene
Recent
(From Oldest to newest)

Physiographic
Division
of
India

 India is the seventh largest country in the world. The country is bounded by the great
Himalayas in the north and the Indian Ocean in the south.
 The southern part is flanked by the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian sea to the
west. India is located entirely in the northern hemisphere. The mainland extends to about
3214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes. It also extends to about
2933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes.
 It covers an area of 32,872,631 sq.km. It has a very diversified physiographic conditions.
If we look at the distribution of physiographic units, Mountains occupy 10.6 %, Hills
occupy 18.5%, plateaus occupy 27.7% and the plains occupy 43.2%.
 The Indian sub-continent is characterised by a great and diversified group of physical
features.

Physiographic Division of India
1. Northern Mountains/Himalayas
2. Northern Plains
3. Thar desert
4. Peninsular plateau
5. Coastal Plains
6. The islands

Formation of Himalayas
Area of Interest
Pangaea
Tethys Sea
Time Scale – Indo- Australian Plate towards the Eurasian Plate
Angaraland
Tethys Sea
Gondwana Land

Angaraland Gondwana Land
Tethys
Sea
Compressive Force
Sediments

The Northern Mountain Range
• Expansion approx 2500 km is spread uninterruptedly from J & K
in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east
• It is wider in west (500 km) than in the east (200 km)
• Reason- Compressive force was more in the east than in the west
• That is why Mt. Everest and Kanchenjunga is found in the
eastern part of the Himalayas
• The Himalayas are one of the newest fold mountain of the world.
• These ranges have convex slopes towards peninsular plateau.

• It consists of the Himalaya and their off-shoots and foothills.
• This mountain are– permanently snow clads hence it is known as
Himalayas or Himadri.
• The Himalayas are the highest mountain range of the World. The
highest peak of the world Mount Everest.
• It Spreads into the seven states- Jammu and kashmir, Punjab,
Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Sikkim and
Arunachal Pradesh

The Himalayan Mountain Region
There are 3 main mountain ranges under the
himalayas Mountain Region
1. The Greater Himalayas or the Inner Himalayan
Range
2. The Middle Himalayas or Himachal
3. The Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Range

Trans- Himalayan Mountain Region 0r Tibet Himalayan Range
• Situated on the north of great himalayas
• It has Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and kailash Range
• The karakoram range is called the backbone of the high Asia. ( Mt. K-2 (8611 m) is the highest peak in India.
• Indus River flows between Ladakh and Zaskar range.
• This part is older than the greater Himalayas.
• Average height is about 5000 m.
• Trans- Himalayas is separated from the Great Himalayas by the Suture Zone

The Greater Himalayan Mountain Region or the Inner Himalayan
Range
• Also Knows as ‘Himadri’, ‘Main Himalayas’ or ‘Snowy Himalayas’.
• Extension: From Gorge of Indus river in west to Brahamputra River in Arunachal Pradesh in
east
• The Indus, the Brahmaputra and Alaknanda rivers have made antecedent valleys by passing
this range.
• There is a large number of glaciers in this range, for example, the Gangotri glacier, from
which the river Bhagirathi emerges and the Yamunotri glacier, from which the river
Yamuna emerges.

The Greater Himalayas or Himadri
 It is the Northernmost and the highest range that lie to the north of the Himalayas
 The ranges are made up of granite and gneisses. The Average height from MSL is about 6100 Meters
 its width is 120km- 190km
 The highest peak of the world Mount Everest is situated in this area.
 The second highest peak in the world K2( 8611m),Peak kanchanjunga (8078m) Nandadevi(7817m)
Nanga parbat (8126m) are important peak of India
 The Zoji La Pass in Jammu & Kashmir, Bara Lacha La are important Passes in Greater Himalayas.
 The Great River Ganga , Yamuna, Gandak, Ghagra, Indus, Kosi river originates from these rages.

West East
Namcha Barwa
7756m
Nanga Parbat
8126m
Expansion
2500km

Important Mountain peaks of the
Greater Himalayas
1.Mt Everest ( 8848m)
2.Kanchenjunga (8598m)
3.Makalu (8481m)
4.Dhaulagiri (8172m)
5.Nanga Parbat (8126m)
6.Annapurna (8076m)
7.Nanda Devi (7817)

Karewas Soil
Middle Himalayas
Great Himalayas
Main Central Thrust
SRINAGAR
ANANTAG BARAMULA
Main Central Thrust

The Himachal /The Lesser Himalayas.
 It is also known as Middle Himalayas/Himachal.
 Average height is varies form 1800m. to 3000m.from (MSL); Width: 80km-100km.
 It is separated from outer Himalayas by the Main Boundary Fault (MBF)
 Metamorphic rock structure due to Compression.
 This range are covered dense vegetation.
 Lahul, Spiti, Kullu and Kangra Valley are located between Greater Himalayas and Middle Himalayas
 Have Meadows (Alpine Grassland) found on the slopes of the lesser Himalayas they are called as MARG
( GULmarg, SONEmarg).
 Famous hill towns like Shimla, Almora, Darjeeling, Kalipong and Gangtok .
 There are number of beautiful lakes around the Nainital.

Inner Himalayas
Lesser
Himalayas
Outer
Himalayas
Main Boundaries Himalayas

Important Ranges
• Pir Panjal Range: It extends from the Jhelum to the Beas river in Kashmir. The two
main passes are Banihal and Pir panjal
• Dhauladhar Range: The place where Alaknanda river crosses the Great Himalayas near
Badrinath. Its extension is mainly in Himachal Pardesh and partly in Uttarakhand.
• Nag Tibba Range- The place where the river Kali Gandak near Dhaulagiri peak (Nepal)
passes through the Great Himalayas.
• Mahabharat- Its Extension is in Nepal .

FAMOUS HILL STATIONS
Shimla
Mussoori
Nainital
Darjeeling
are situated in the lower region of
the lesser Himalayas i.e. between
the lesser Himalayas and the
Shiwalik range

Sub-Himalayan Foot hills or Siwalik
• This is the southernmost range of the Himalaya it also known as Outer Himalayas
• This is the most recent part of this Himalayas.
• Extension: from POTWAR basin of Punjab in the west to the KOSI river in the east
 Average height varies from about 600 to 1500 m from (MSL); width is 10 km- 45 km.
 It is wider in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, and gradually becomes narrower as it extends towards the
east .
 The southern slopes are steep while the northern slopes are gentle.
 The valley that separates the Shiwalik range from the Lesser Himalayas is known as ‘dun’in the west
and ‘duar’in the east.
 In the sense the city of this area are known as Deharadun and Patlidun.
 Duns and Duars valley have very fertile soils, so they are densely populated.
 The lower parts of Shiwalik are called Terai.

The Eastern Himalayas or the Purvanchal
East part of Dihang gorge
comparatively low hilly
reagion is known as
Eastern Himalayas or the
Purvanchal.
This range acts as border
of India & Myanmar.
Blue Mountain (2157m.) is
heights peak in this region

Regional Division of Himalayas
1. Punjab
Himalayas
2. Kumaon
Himalayas
3. Nepal Himalayas
4. Assam
Himalayas

Himalayas
Punjab Himalayas
Btw Indus and Sutlej
Eastern Himalayas
(From Kali to Brahmaputra river)
Western Himalayas
(From Indus to Kali Rive)
Nepal Himalayas
(Kali to Kosi)
Kumaon Himalayas
( Sutlej to Kali
Sikkim Himalayas
(Kosi to Teesta)
Assam Himalayas
(Teesta to Brahmaputra )
Regional Division of Himalayas

Significance of the Himalaya Mountains to India
• Climatic Influence,
• Defence
• Source of Rivers
• Fertile Soil
• Hydroelectricity
• Forest Wealth
• Agriculture
• Tourism
• Pilgrimage
• Minerals

Defence
• Acts as natural barrier against foreign invasions
• Defence against attacks

Source of Rivers
• The Himalayas are drained by 19 major rivers, of which the Indus and
the Brahmaputra are the largest
• Five of the 19 rivers, belong to the Indus system—the Jhelum, the Chenab,
the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej.
• Of the remaining rivers, nine belong to the Ganges system—the
Ganges, Yamuna, Ramganga, Kali (Kali Gandak), Karnali,
Rapti, Gandak, Baghmati, and Kosi rivers
• three belong to the Brahmaputra system—the Tista, the Raidak, and the
Manas

Physiographic Division of India: The Great

Source of Fertile soil
• The great rivers and their tributaries carry enormous
quantities of alluvium while descending from the
Himalayas.
• This is deposited in the valleys and Great Plain of North
India in the form of fertile soil, making the plain one of
the most fertile lands of the world.

Hydroelectricity
The Himalayan region offers
several sites which can be
used for producing
hydroelectricity.
There are natural waterfalls at
certain places while dams can
be constructed across rivers at
some other places.
The vast power potential of
the Himalayan Rivers still
awaits proper utilisation.

Forest Wealth
• Himalayan vegetation varies according to both altitude and climatic conditions.
• They range from the
– tropical deciduous forests in the foothills,
– temperate forests in the middle altitudes.
– Higher up, coniferous, sub-alpine, and alpine forests.
– alpine grasslands and high altitude meadows.
– followed by scrublands, then permanent snowline.
• The vegetation also varies from the
– unexplored tropical rainforests of the E Himalayas
– dense subtropical and alpine forests of the Central and Western Himalayas
– sparse desert vegetation of the cold desert areas of the Trans-himalaya.

Agriculture
• The Himalayas do not offer
extensive flat lands for agriculture
but some of the slopes are terraced
for cultivation.
• Rice is the main crop on the
terraced slopes. The other crops are
wheat, maize, potatoes, tobacco
and ginger.
• Tea is a unique crop which can be
grown on the hill slopes only.
• A wide variety of fruits such as
apples, pears, grapes, mulberry,
walnut, cherries, peaches, apricot,
etc. are also grown in the
Himalayan region.

Tourism:
• By virtue of their scenic beauty and healthy environment, the
Himalayan ranges have developed a large number of tourist
spots.
• The hilly areas in the Himalayas offer cool and comfortable
climate when the neighbouring plains are reeling under the
scorching heat of the summer season.
• Srinagar, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Chamba, Shimla, Kulu,
Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet, Almora, Darjeeling,
Mirik, Gangtok, etc. are important tourist centres in the
Himalayas.

Pilgrimage
• Himalayas are proud of being studded with sanctified shrines
which are considered to be the abodes of the Gods.
• Large number of pilgrims trek through difficult terrain to pay
their reverence to these sacred shrines.
• Kailas, Amarnath, Badrinath, Kedarmath, Vaishnu Devi,
Jwalaji, Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Yamunotri, etc. are important
places of pilgrimage.

Minerals
• The Himalayan region contains many valuable minerals.
• There are vast potentialities of mineral oil in the tertiary rocks.
• Coal is found in Kashmir.
• Copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, antimony, tungsten, gold, silver,
limestone, semi-precious and precious stones, gypsum and magnesite are
known to occur at more than 100 localities in the Himalayas.

2. The Northern Indian Plain
• The Extensive plains of north India lie between the Himalayas and the Peninsular Plateau.
• This vast plain have been formed by the deposition of the sediment of river Ganga, The
Brahmaputra.
• They extend from east to west direction from the Brahmaputra in the east to the arid plains of
Rajastan in the west.
• Total length is 2400 Km. and width varies from 145 to 480km.
• Seven lakh Sqkm.Areas occupied General slope is from west to east.
• This plain is classified into the three Sub divisions Panjab- haryana Plain, The Ganga Plain,
The Bramaputra Plain.

Origin
• The Great plain of Northern India was formed by the sediments
brought down by the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra and their tributaries
and it is popularly known as the Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra plain
• Geologists suggest that there was a shallow trough or geosyncline in
between the Himalayas and the Deccan plateau during the latter
geological period of the formation of the Himalayas.
• After the upliftment of the Himalayas, sediments and debris brought
down by the rivers, began to accumulate there to form the vast alluvial
plain of northern India.

1. Bhabhar
2. Tarai
3. Bhangar
4. khadar
Geomorphology of the plain

Bhabar:
1. It lies along the foot of the Shiwaliks
from the Indus to the Tista.
2. It is 8 to 16 kms wide.
3. It comprises of pebble- studded rocks
in the shape of porus beds.
4. Due to porosity of the rocks, the
streams disappear and flow
underground.
5. This region is not much suitable for
agriculture.

Tarai:
• It lies to the south of the Bhabar
and run parallel to it.
• It is 20 to 30 kms wide.
• It is composed of comparatively
finer alluvium and is covered by
forests.
• The underground streams of the
Bhabar re-emerge on the surface
and give birth to marshy area.
• Most parts of the Tarai area are
reclaimed for agriculture.

Bhangar:
• It is the largest part of
Northern plain.
• It is made up of alluvium.
• The soil in this region is
not renewed frequently, it
is old alluvial soil.
• It is not very fertile
• It contains calcareous
deposits locally known as
'Kankar '.

Khadar:
• It is not the largest part of
Northern plain.
• It is made up of new alluvium
and fine granules.
• The soil is frequently renewed
due to frequent flooding.
• It does not contain calcareous
deposits of calcium.
• Suitable - extensive cultivation.

The northern plains is a riverine region, being bountifully endowed with the fertile soil, favourable climate, flat surface
rendering possible the construction of roads and railways.
All these factors have made this plain very important.
(a) Heavy Concentration of Population:
The five rich states of the plain (Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal), support one of the densest
populations in the world.
(b) Cultural and Political Importance:
Delhi, Patna and Kolkata have served as the political capitals of the country.
(c) Social and Religious Significance:
The Ganga has been the sacred river par excellence and the area from Gaya to Mathura, from Sangam to Haridwar, is
recognised by everyone as the ‘holy land of Hinduism’.
Here flourished the religions of Buddha, Mahavira and the movements of Bhakti and Sufism.
(d) Economic Significance:
The plains have a fertile soil, perennial rivers and favourable climate they are, the great agricultural tracts of the country,
raising bumper crops of rice, wheat, oilseeds, sugarcane, tobacco and jute. people have developed a great diversity of
occupations, commercial and industrial.
Significance of the Great Plains:

• Atmospheric high pressure zones (Hadley Cells)
• Continentality or (Distance from oceans)
• Coastal Cooling: Deserts may result if air is cooled,
• Rain shadow effects
Causes of Aridity

3. Thar Desert
• The Indian Desert lies towards the western margin of Aravalli Hills.
• It is the ninth largest desert in the world. It spreads over the states of Gujarat
and Rajasthan.
• This region has semi-arid and arid weather conditions. It receives less than
150 mm of rainfall per year.
• The vegetation cover is low with thorny bushes.
• Luni is the main river in this area.
• All other streams appear only at the time of rainfall otherwise they disappear
into the sand.

4. The Peninsular Plateau
• The peninsular Plateau lies towards the south of the Indo- Gangetic Plain.
• The shape of the plain is triangle its broad base to the north and the narrow
apex to the south.
• cover area about 16 lakh sq.km.
• Aravalli hill mark the North-Western boundary, Northern edge of the
Bundelkhand Plateau; Eastern & Western Ghats at East and West and south
Part is connect with the Indian Ocean.
• Average height of the plateau is 500-900 meter

Regional Division of Peninsular Plateau
Peninsular Plateau is Divided into the Three Types
• The Central Highland region
• The Deccan Plateau

Division of Peninsular Plateau
The Central Highland
•Malwa Plateau
•Bundelkhand
•Baghelkhand
•Chotanagpur Plateau
The Deccan Plateau
•Deccan Trap
•Western Ghats
•Eastern Ghats
•North-East Extension

The central Highlands
• It extends from Narmada river and the northern plains. Aravallis is the important
mountain which extends from Gujrat through Rajasthan to Delhi.
• The highest peak of the Aravallis hills is Gurushikhar (1722m) near Mt. Abu.
• The Malwa Plateau and Chhota Nagpur plateau are parts of the central
highlands.
• River Betwa, chambal and Ken are the important river of Malwa plateau while
Mahadeo, Kaimur and Maikal are the important hills of chhota Nagpur plateau.

The Deccan Plateau
• The Deccan plateau is separated by a fault (A fracture in the
rock along which rocks have been relatively replaced), from
Chota Nagpur plateau. The black soil area in the Deccan
plateau is known as Deccan trap. It is formed due to volcanic
eruptions. This soil is good for cotton & sugarcane
cultivation. The Deccan plateau is broadly divided into:
• (a) The Western Ghats
• (b) The Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats:
• runs continuously parallel to the
western coast for about 1600 km.
• average elevation of the Western
Ghats is 1000 metres.
• Peaks: Doda Betta, Anaimudi and
Makurti.
• Western ghats are continuous and can
be crossed through passes like Pal
Ghat, Thal Ghot and BhorGhat.
• rivers :Godavari, Bhima and Krishna
flow eastward while the river Tapti
flows westward.
The Eastern Ghats:
• run parallel to the east coast from south
of Mahanadi valley to the Nilgiri hills
• elevation is 600 m.
• The famous hills are Mahendragiri,
Nimaigiri in Orissa, Nallamallai in
Southern Andhra Pradesh, Kollimalai and
Pachaimalai in Tamilnadu.
• Run in discontinuous low belt.
• The area is drained by the Mahanadi,
Godawari, Krishna and Kaveri river
systems. The Nilgiri hills join Western &
Eastern Ghats in the south.

Importance of Peninsular Plateau of India
• This is the oldest and the most stable part of the Indian Subcontinent
• More than 95 per cent of the Gondwana coal deposits of India are found.
• store house of minerals like Iron ore, bauxite, gold, copper, coal, manganese,etc.
• Black Earth soils are very productive and are intensively given to cotton culture.
• The Ghats are immeasurable sources of wood, Timber etc. Forest wealth: The valuable trees are teak, sandal,
rosewood, sal, ebony, bamboo etc.
• The Western Ghats have rich water potentials
• The rivers make falls and rapid thus provide ideal sites for dam construction for producing hydro-power.
• Rich in biodiversity: There inhabit a large variety of wild animals, birds etc. in the thickly wooded ghats.
• Tourist Attraction: There are a number of hill resorts of immense scenic beauty and of salubrious climate which
attract tourists like in Mahabaleshwar, Ooty, Pachmarhi etc.
• The Peninsular Plateau is a region of Dravidian culture. Thus it is dotted with innumerable temples, shrines, etc.

5. The Coastal Plains
• The peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow costal strip
along the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal on the east.
• The plain along the Arabian sea is called as western costal plain.
• The plain along the Bay of Bengal Coast is called as Eastern
Costal Plain.
• The eastern plain is broader than the western costal plain

Western Costal Plains
• Extend in Arabian sea from the Rann of Katchch in the north to
Kanyakumari in the South.
• Northern of the western Costal plain is Broader then Southwards.
North – South Extent of this plain is about 1500 km.
• Average width is 65km.
• The Western coastal plain is classified into Four Parts
• i. The great Runn of Kutchch.
• ii. Konkan.
• iii. Karnataka costal plain.
• iv. Kerala costal plain.

The Eastern Costal Plain
• The Eastern costal plain of India extends along the Bay of Bengal from
the Ganga delta in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
• It Include the costs of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhara Pradesh &
Tamilnadu.
• This costal plain is form Erosion of river Ganga, Godavari, Krishna &
kaveri.
• Width if this plain varies from 161 to 483 km.
• This plain is Classified in Three Sub Divisions.
• i. The Utkal Plain
• ii. The Andhra Plain
• iii. The Coramandol(Tamilnadu) Plain.

The Islands of India
• There are 247 Island in India.
• Island is Classified into Two group
• I. Island in the bay of Bengal.
• II. Island in the Arabian Sea.
• 43 island situated in Arabian Sea and 204 island is lie in Bay of
Bengal .This island is most useful for geostrategic location.

• India has two main groups of Islands.
• -There are 204 islands in Bay of Bengal called as Andaman and Nicobar
islands
• -The Andaman & Nicobar island extend from north to south in Bay of Bengal.
• - They are bigger in size.
• An active volcano is located on the Barren Island in Andaman & Nicobar
group of islands.
• - 43 islands in Arabian Sea called as Lakshadweep islands
• - Lakshadweep islands are located near Malabar coast of Kerala in the
Arabian sea.
• - They cover an area of 32 sq km.
• -Kavarati is the capital of Lakshdweep.
• -These islands are formed by corals and endowed with variety of flora and
fauna.

Lakhshadweep and
Andaman and Nicobar islands

UNIT 1 PPT physiographic division.pdf

UNIT 1 PPT physiographic division.pdf

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