very nice ppt on physical features of india..hope u like it!!

1. Physical Features
Of India
By- Sanchit Kanwar
Class- IX-B
Roll No.- 25

2. Introduction
India is a vast country with varied
landforms. Our country has
practically all major physical features
of the Earth i. e. Mountains, Plains,
Deserts, Plateaus and Islands. India is
a large landmass formed during
different geological periods which
has influenced her relief its present
form. The movement of the plates
results in building up of stresses
within the plates and the continental
rocks above, leading to folding,
faulting and volcanic activity.

3. CLASSIFICATION OF PLATE MOVEMENTS
 Plate movements are classified into three types.
They are; Convergent Boundary While some plates
come towards each other and form convergent
boundary. Divergent Boundary some plates move
away from each other and form divergent
boundary. Transform Boundary In the event of two
plates coming together they may either collide and
crumble, or one may slide under the other. At
times, they may also move horizontally past each
other and form transform boundary.

4. Plate Boundaries

5. PLATE BOUNDARIES
 The oldest landmass, (the Peninsula part), was a part of the Gondwana
land. The Gondwana land included India, Australia, South Africa and
South America as one single land mass. The convectional currents split
the crust into a number of pieces, thus leading to the drifting of the Indo-
Australian plate after being separated from the Gondwana land, towards
north. The northward drift resulted in the collision of the plate with the
much larger Eurasian Plate. Due to this collision, the sedimentary rocks
which were accumulated in the geosyncline known as the Tethys were
folded to form the mountain system of western Asia and Himalaya.

6. PLATE BOUNDARIES (Cont…)
 The Himalayan uplift out of the Tethys Sea and
subsidence of the northern flank of the peninsular
plateau resulted in the formation of a large basin. In
due course of time this depression, gradually got filled
with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing
from the mountains in the north and the peninsular
plateau in the south. A flat land of extensive alluvial
deposits led to the formation of the northern plains of
India. The land of India displays great physical
variation. Geologically, the Peninsular Plateau
constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on the
earth’s surface. The northern plains are formed of
alluvial deposits. The Peninsulas Plateau is composed
of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently rising
hills and wide valleys.

7. Major Physiographic Divisions

8. Major Physiographic Divisions
The Physical features of India can be grouped under
the following physiographic divisions
i. The Himalayan Mountains.
ii. The Northern Plains
iii. The Peninsular Plateau
iv. The Indian Desert
v. The Coastal Plains
vi. The Islands

9. THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

10. THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS
 The Himalayan Mountains ranges contain several high
peaks. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.
The Himalayan Mountains stretch in a long curve from
Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Arunanchal
Pradesh in the east. Their length is about 2000
kilometres and width between 230 and 400
kilometers. The Himalayas act as a natural barrier to
the North. These mountain ranges run in a west-east
direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra. The
Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its
longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie between
these ranges. The northern most range is known as the
Greater or Inner Himalayas or the ‘Himadri’.

11. THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS (Cont…)
 The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the
most rugged mountain system and is known as
Himachal or Lesser Himalaya. The ranges are mainly
composed of highly compressed and altered rocks.
The outermost range of the Himalayas is called the
Shiwaliks. They extend over a width of 10-50 km and
have an altitude varying between 900 and 1100
metres. These ranges are composed of unconsolidated
sediments brought down by rivers from the main
Himalayan ranges located farther north. The
longitudinal valley lying between lesser Himalaya and
the Shiwaliks are known as Duns. The Brahmaputra
marks the eastern most boundary of the Himalayas.

12. Some Highest Peaks of the Himalayas

13. Mountains
•Mount Everest
•Karakoram
•Kanchenjunga
•Nanga Parbat
•Annapurna
•Manaslu
•Dhaulagiri Mountain
•Lhotse

14. Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. It rises to a
height of 8,850m (29,035) above sea level. It is one of the
mountains in the Himalayan range. Covering the frontiers of
Tibet and Nepal, north of India. The mountain is named after
Sir George Everest, who was a British surveyor-general of India.
It is known by different names in different regions like
Sagarmatha in Nepal and Quomolongma in Tibet. The latitude
of Mount Everest is 27 59 17 N and Longitude is 86 55 31 E. In
Sanskrit Himalayas mean, "abode of snow". The mountain is
totally covered with snow. The height of the mountain varies
depending on the amount of snowfall on its peak.

15. Karakoram
K2 is also known as Austin Godwin, named
after an English photographer who explored
the region. Locally it is known as "Chogo
Ri", meaning "The Great Mountain". It is
the second highest mountain peak in the
world with a height of 8,611m or 28,250ft.

16. Rivers
Name Origin From Fall into Length (km)
Ganges Combined Sources Bay of Bengal 2525
Satluj
Mansarovar Rakas
Lakes
Chenab 1050
Indus
Near Mansarovar
Lake
Arabian Sea 2880
Ravi
Kullu Hills near
Rohtang Pass
Chenab 720
Beas Near Rohtang Pass Satluj 470
Jhelum Verinag in Kashmir Chenab 725
Yamuna Yamunotri Ganga 1375
Chambal M.P. Yamuna 1050
Ghagra Matsatung Glacier Ganga 1080

17. Kosi Near Gosain Dham Park Ganga 730
Betwa Vindhyanchal Yamuna 480
Son Amarkantak Ganga 780
Brahmaputra Near Mansarovar Lake Bay of Bengal 2900
Narmada Amarkantak Gulf of Khambat 1057
Tapti Betul Distt. Of MP Gulf of Khambat 724
Mahanadi
Raipur Distt. In
Chattisgarh
Bay of Bengal 858
Luni Aravallis Rann of kuchchh 450
Ghaggar Himalayas Near Fatehabad 494
Sabarmati Aravallis Gulf of Khambat 416
Krishna Western ghats Bay of Bengal 1327
Godavari
Nasik distt. In
Maharashtra
Bay of Bengal 1465
Cauvery
Brahmagir Range of
Western Ghats
Bay of Bengal 805
Tungabhadra Western Ghats Krishna River 640

18. THE NORTHERN PLAINS

19. THE NORTHERN PLAINS
 The Northern plain has been formed by the
interplay of the three major river systems, namely-
the Indus, the Ganga, 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. The rivers in their lower
course split into numerous channels due to the
deposition of silt. These channels are known as
distributaries.

20. THE NORTHERN PLAINS (cont…)
 The Northern plain is broadly divided into three.
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 Ganga plain extends between
Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It is spread over the
states of North India, Haryana, Delhi, U. P., Bihar,
partly Jharkhand and West Bengal to its East,
particularly inAssam lies the Brahmaputra plain.

21. Plains
•Malwa (Punjab)
•Eastern coastal plains
•Utkal Plains
•Indo-Gangetic Plain
•Punjab Plain
•Western Coastal Plains
•Terai

22. Indo-Gangetic PThe northern Plains also known as the Indo - Gangetic
Plain and The North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile
plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the
most populous parts of Pakistan, parts of southern Nepal and
virtually all of Bangladesh. The region is named after
the Indus and the Ganges, the twin river systems that drain it.
The plain's population density is very high due to the fertile
soil for farming. The Indo-Gangetic plain is bound on the
north by the abruptly rising Himalayas, which feed its
numerous rivers and are the source of the
fertile alluvium deposited across the region by the two river
systems. The southern edge of the plain is marked by
the Vindhya- and Satpura Range, and the Chota Nagpur
Plateau. On the west rises the Iranian Plateau.

23. Punjab PlainThe Punjab Plain is an alluvial plain in Pakistan and
the north-west of India.The plain includes the
Pakistani province of Punjab and Indian states
of Punjab and Haryana and is around 35,000 square
miles (91,000 km2) in area.The plain is extensively
farmed for cereals and cotton.
The plain is the western part of the Northern Plain
in Pakistan formed by the Indus River and its
tributaries.

24. TeraiTheTerai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas,
and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya,
the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of
the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries.TheTerai belongs to
theTerai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion. In northern India,
theTerai spreads eastward from theYamuna River across Himachal
Pradesh, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Corresponding parts ofWest
Bengal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Assam east to the Brahmaputra
River are called Dooars.The lowland plains of theTerai lie at an
altitude of between 67 and 300 m (220 and 980 ft). North of theTerai
rises the Bhabhar, a narrow but continuous belt of forest about 8–12
km (5.0–7.5 mi) wide.

25. THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

26. THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU
 The Peninsular Plateau is a tableland composed of
the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks.
It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of
the Gondwana land and thus, making it a part of the
oldest landmass. The plateau has broad and shallow
valleys and rounded hills. This plateau consists of
two broad divisions, namely, the Central Highlands
and the Deccan Plateau. The Vindhyan range is
bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and
the Aravalis on the northwest. The eastward
extensions of this plateau are locally known as the
Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. The Deccan
Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the
south of the river Narmada.

27. THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU
 The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the
western and eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau
respectively. Western Ghats lie parallel to the western
coast. They are continuous and can be crossed
through passes only. The Western Ghats are higher
than Eastern Ghats. The Eastern Ghats stretch from
the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the south. They
are discontinuous and irregular and dissected by rivers
draining into the Bay of Bengal. One of the distinct
features of the peninsular plateau is the black soil area
known as Deccan Trap. This is of volcanic origin hence
the rocks are igneous. The Aravali Hills lie on the
western and north-western margins of the peninsular
plateau.

28. •Bhander Platea
•Chota Nagpur Plateau
•Deccan Plateau
•Malwa
•Mysore Plateau
•Shillong Plateau
•Tibetan Plateau
Plateaus

29. Chota Nagpur Plat
The Chota Nagpur Plateau (Hindi: छोटा नागपुर पठार)
is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much
of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts
of Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of
the plateau, and the basin of the Mahanadi River lies
to the south. The total area of the Chota Plateau is
approximately 65,000 square kilometres (25,000
sq mi)

30. Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up
most of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred
meters high in the north, and more than a kilometer high in
the south, forming a raised triangle within the familiar
downward-pointing triangle of the Indian subcontinent's
coastline. It is located between three mountain ranges:
the Western Ghats form its western boundary, and the Eastern
Ghats its eastern boundary. Each rises from their respective
nearby coastal plains and nearly meet at the southern tip of
India. It is separated from the Gangetic plain to the north by
the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges, which form its northern
boundary

31. THE INDIAN DESERT

32. THE INDIAN DESERT
 The Indian desert lies towards the western margins
of the Aravali Hills. It is an undulating sandy plain
covered with sand dunes.This region receives very
low rainfall below 150 mm per year. It has arid
climate with low vegetation cover. Streams appear
during rainy season.

33. THE COASTAL PLAINS

34. THE COASTAL PLAINS
 The 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. It consists of three sections. The 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. The plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level. In
the northern part, it is referred to as the Northern Circar, while the
southern part is known as the Coromandel Coast. Large Rivers such as the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Kaveri have formed
extensive delta on this coast. Lake Chilika is an important feature along
the eastern coast.

35. Eastern coastalThe Eastern Coastal Plains refer to a wide stretch of landmass
of India lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It
stretches fromTamil Nadu in the south toWest Bengal in the north.
Deltas of many of India's rivers form a major portion of these plains.
The Mahanadi, Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna rivers drain these
plains.The region receives both the Northeast and
Southwestmonsoon rains with its annual rainfall averaging between
1,000 mm (40 in) and 3,000 mm (120 in).The width of the plains varies
between 100 to 130 km (62 to 80 miles) [1].
It is locally known as Northern
Circars between Mahanadi and Krishna rivers
and Carnatic between Krishna and Kaveri rivers.

36. Western Coastal
Plains
TheWestern Coastal Plains is a thin strip of coastal plain 50
kilometres (31 mi) in width between the west coast of India and
theWestern Ghats hills which starts near the south of river
Tapi.They are sandwiched between theWestern Ghats and
the Arabian Sea.The plains begin at Gujarat in the north and
end at Kerala in the south. It also includes the states
of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. It consists of three
sections.The Northern part of the coast is called the Konkan
while the southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar Coast.
On its northern side there are two gulfs: the gulf of Khambat
and the gulf of Kachch .It is known as Konkan in north (goa -
maharashtra) region.

37. THE ISLANDS

38. THE ISLANDS
 The Lakshadweep Islands group lying close to the
Malabar coast of Kerala. This group of islands is
composed of small coral islands. Earlier they were
known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973
these were named as Lakshadweep.
It covers small area of 32 sq. km. Kavaratti
Island is the administrative head-quarters of
Lakshadweep. This island group has great diversity
of flora and fauna. The Pitti Island, which is
uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary. The elongated
chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal
extending from north to south.

39. THE ISLANDS
 These are Andaman and Nicobar islands. They
are bigger in size and are more numerous and
scattered. The entire group of islands is divided
in to two broad categories- The Andaman in
the north and the Nicobar in the south. It is
believed that these islands are an elevated
portion of submarine mountains. These island
groups are of great strategic importance for
the country. There is great diversity of flora
and fauna in this group of islands too. These
islands lie close to equator and experience
equatorial climate and thick forest cover.