The document summarizes the major physical features of India. It describes the Himalayan mountain range along the northern border, which consists of three parallel ranges divided longitudinally and regionally. It also describes the northern plains formed by the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems, which are divided into the Punjab, Ganga, and Brahmaputra plains based on relief variations. The peninsular plateau is made up of crystalline and metamorphic rocks divided into the Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau, with black soil areas of volcanic origin. Coastal plains stretch along the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and India also has the island groups of Lakshadweep and Andaman