Physical Features of India: Class 9 Geography 2

Physical Features of India:

Question: What are the main reasons of great diversity of physical features?

Answer: Indian great diversity in physical features occurred due to different reasons.

• This lass mass developed in different geological time.
• There are so many processes are acting over the land mass. Like weathering, erosion process or deposition process etc.
• These variety also created by different tectonic activities. Like folding, faulting, volcanic activities etc. creates great variety of land masses over the sub-continent.

Question: Explain about great division of physiographic elements in India.

Answer: India has great variety of physiographic components which are as follows:

• The northern Himalayas mountain,
• The great northern plain,
• Peninsular plateau,
• The great desert areas,
• The coastal plains and
• Different islands.

The Himalayas:

1. This lofty Himalaya Mountain is generally younger than the other part of India like Peninsular region.
2. The Himalaya Mountain is located in the north of the country.
3. Himalayas region is shaping by different erosional and deposional processes.
4. So many big rivers are flowing in this mountainous area. Like The Ganga, the Brahmaputra or Indus etc.
5. This is about 2400 km long and width varies 400 km in Kashmir region and 150 km in the Arunachal Himalayas region.
6. So many highest mountain peaks are situated here. Like Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Karakoram etc.

The northern plain:

1. This plain is the creation of Himalayan Rivers.
2. So many rivers carry erosional materials and deposits on the foot hills region or its nearby area.
3. This plain is divided into several parts through different rivers or their tributaries.
4. Northern plain have very gentle slope tilted towards the south.
5. This plain is mainly formed by alluvial soil.
6. This region is agriculturally developed.
7. After descending the rivers from the Himalayas region forms pebbles deposits narrow belt in about 8 to 16 km from the foot hills region. This region is called as Bhabar.
8. A new swampy and marshy land is formed in the southern part of bhabar which is known as ‘Terai’.
9. A large portion is made up of old alluvium which is known as ‘Bhangar’ and other is made up of new alluvium which is known as ‘Khadar’.

The Peninsular plateau:

1. This is the oldest land mass of the Indian subcontinent. It is considered that this plateau region is much older than the Himalayas region.
2. This plateau is made up of lava deposition through different vents are under laying the peninsular plateau region.
3. This plateau is divided into two part central highland and the Deccan plateau.
4. The northern part of the Narmada River is Malwa plateau called as the central highland.
5. This plateau is surrounded by the Westernghat in the west and Easternghat in the east.

The Indian desert:

1. The Indian desert is located in the western part of the country.
2. Indian desert lies in the western margin of the Aravali Mountain.
3. This region receives about below 150 mm per year.
4. A large part of this region is located in Pakistan.
5. Berchans, sand dunes are some landforms are found in this region.

The coastal plains:

1. This coastal plain lies along the coast of Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
2. Arabian coastal plain is divided into two Kankan and Malabar Coast from Mumbai to Goa and Goa to Kanyakumari respectively.
3. The coast of Bay of Bengal also divided into two part Northern Circar coast in the Odisha and Coromandal coast means Tamil Nadu coast.

The islands:

• Andaman Nicobar, Lakshadweep, etc. are the main islands of the country.

Question: Distinguish Between Bhangar and Khadar.

Answer:

• Bhangar: The largest part of the northern plain is formed of older alluvium They lie above the flood plains of the rivers and present a terrace-like feature. This part is known as bhangar.
• Khadar: The soil in this region contains calcareous deposits locally known as kankar. The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains are called khadar. They are renewed almost every year and so are fertile, thus, ideal for intensive agriculture. 

Question: Describe how the Himalayas were formed.

Answer: 

Question: 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:

• The Himalayan Mountains
• The Northern Plains 
• The Peninsular Plateau 
• The Indian Desert 
• The Coastal Plains 
• The Islands 

Question: How long and wide are the Himalayas?

Answer: The Himalayan region extends along the north of India. The Himalayas are the longest and the highest mountain range in the world. The Himalayas are 2400 km long, 400 to 150 km wide from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh respectively. 

Question: Which range of the Himalayas has hill stations? 

Answer: The lower ranges or the Lesser Himalayas have beautiful hill stations such as Srinagar, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling. Many people visit these hill stations in summer, because these places are cooler than the plains.

Question: Which are the three main ranges of the Himalayas? 

Answer: The Himalayas have three ranges which run almost parallel to each other. The distance between these ranges is wider in the west and becomes narrow in the east. 

These ranges are— the Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Range the Middle Himalayas or the Himachal Range and the Inner or Great Himalayas or the Himadri.

Question: Describe the ―Theory of Plate Tectonics. 

Answer: Earth scientists have attempted to explain the formation of physical features with the help of some theories based on certain evidences. One such Plausible theory is the ‗Theory of Plate Tectonics‘. According to this theory, the crust (upper part) of the earth has been formed out of seven major and some minor plates. The movement of the plates results in the building up of stresses within the plates and the continental rocks above, leading to folding, faulting and volcanic activity.

Question: Why is the soil in the Northern Plain fertile? 

Answer: The soil of this plain has been formed by the sediments brought down by the rivers from the Himalayas. Such plain is called an alluvial plain and it is very fertile. This plain is one of the largest and most fertile plains of world. It is the most thickly populated plain. This is also the major crop growing area in India. This plain is drained by river Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The slope of this plain in the west is south-west and in the east is south-east.

Question: Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya range? Write a brief note on this plateau. 

Answer: The Malwa Plateau lies between the Aravali hills and the Vindhya range. The Aravali hills lie to the west of the plateau and the Vindhya range lies to its south. The part of the peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa plateau, is known as the Central Highlands. The Malwa plateau lies in Madhya Pradesh. It is composed of extensive lava flows. There are rolling plains separated by flat-topped hills. The plateau is largely broken in form of ravines near the Chambal Valley in its east. 

Question: Write short note on The Island Groups of India.

 Answer: The Island Groups of India 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 headquarters of Lakshadweep. This island group has great diversity of flora and fauna. The Pitli Island, which is uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary. An elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south. These are Andaman and Nicobar islands. They are bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered. The entire group of islands is divided into 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 starategic importance for the country. There is great diversity of flora and fauna in this group of islands too. These islands lie close to the equator and experience equatorial climate and has thick forest cover. 

Question: Give an account of the Northern Plains of India. 

Answer: 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 adequate water supply and favourable climate, it is agriculturally a very productive part of India The rivers in their lower course split into numerous channels due to the deposition of silt. These channels are known as distributaries. The Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections. 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 Indus and its tributaries–the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj originate in the Himalaya. This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs. 

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

Answer: The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions: The Himalayan Mountains The Northern Plains The Peninsular Plateau The Indian Desert The Coastal Plains The Islands The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie between these ranges. The northernmost range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the ‗Himadri‘. It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres. It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks. The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions. Locate these hills and ranges in the physical map of India. The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards. An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the northeast– locally known as the Meghalaya and Karbi-Anglong Plateau. It is separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau. Three Prominent hill ranges from the west to east are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills. 

Question: Distinguish Between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

Answer: Western Ghats: The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats. Their average elevation is 900– 1600 metres as against 600 metres of the Eastern Ghats. The Western Ghats cause orographic rain by facing the rain bearing moist winds to rise along the western slopes of the Ghats. The Western Ghats are known by different local names. The height of the Western Ghats progressively increases from north to south. The highest peaks include the Anai Mudi (2,695metres) and the Doda Betta (2,637 metres). Eastern Ghats: The Eastern Ghats stretch from the Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the south. The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. Mahendragiri (1,501 metres) is the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats. Shevroy Hills and the Javadi Hills are located to the southeast of the Eastern Ghats. 

Question: Write a short note on The Indian Desert.

Answer: 

• (a) The Indian desert lies to the west of the Aravali hills. It is an uneven sandy plain covered with sand dunes. 
• (b) Barchans (crescent-shaped sand dunes) cover a larger part of the desert. Near the Indo-Pakistan border, longitudinal sand dunes are more common. 
• (c) It has arid climate with scarce vegetation and rainfall below 150 mm per year. 
• (d) Rivers/streams appear only during the rainy season and soon afterward disappear in the sand. They do not have enough water to reach the sea. River Luni is the only large river in this area. 
• Question: Write a short note on The Central Highlands.
• Answer:
• (a) The Part of the Peninsular plateau lying north of the Narmada river is called Central Highlands. These highlands are made up of hard igneous and metamorphic rocks. 
• (b) It is bordered by Aravali range to the north-west. The Central Highlands include the Malwa plateau to the west and Chotanagpur plateau to the east. 
• (c) The Central Highlands are wider in the west and become narrow eastwards. The eastward extension of the Malwa plateau is locally called Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. Chotanagpur plateau in the east is drained by Damodar river, a southern tributary of Ganga river. 

Question: How the Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east?

Answer: Punjab Himalayas: These divisions have been demarcated by river valleys. The part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Satluj has been traditionally known as Punjab Himalaya, but it is also known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya from west to east respectively. Kumaon Himalayas: The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon Himalayas. Nepal Himalayas: The Kali and Teesta rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas. Assam Himalayas: the part lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers is known as Assam Himalayas. 

Question: The northern plains have diverse relief features - Explain. 

Answer: Northern plains have great diverse relief features. According to the variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions. The rivers, after descending from the mountains deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km in width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. It is known as bhabar. All the streams disappear in this bhabar belt. South of this belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy and marshy region known as terai. The largest part of the northern plain is formed of older alluvium. It lies above the floodplains of the rivers and presents a terrace like feature. This part is known as bhangar. The soil in this region contains calcareous deposits, locally known as kankar. The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains are called khadar. 

Question: What is the significance of the Northern Plains? 

Answer: The significance of the Northern Plain are : This plain is made up of the alluvial soil brought down by the rivers. This soil is very soft and fertile. Major crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane, pulses, oil seeds, etc. are grown here. This plain is the ‗food bowl‘ of India. The land of this plain is soft, levelled and flat. Therefore, wells, tubewells and canals can be dug for irrigation. Due to proper irrigation, it is the largest producer of foodgrains in india. This plain gets sufficient rainfall. There are many rivers, streams and lakes. There is also rich vegetation. These factors affect the climate. The climate of the Northern Plains is very cold in winter and very hot in summer. This is one of the most thickly populated plain of the world. The most thickly populated states of India, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, lie in this plain. 

Question: Write in detail about the Himalayan mountains. 

Answer: The Himalaya mountains lie between the Indus river and the Brahmaputra river which covers a distance of about 2,400 kilometres. They consist of three parallel ranges-the Himadri, the Himachal and the Shiwaliks from north to south. The Himadri or the Great Himalayas is the highest of all with an average height of more than 6,000 metres above sea level. It contains some of the world‘s highest peaks, such as Mt. Everest in Nepal (8,848 metres high, the highest peak in the world), Kanchanjunga, Nanga Parbat, Nanda Devi, Dhaulagiri, Makalu and Annapurna. Kanchenjunga (8,598 metres) in Sikkim is the highest peak of the Himalayas in India. To the south of the Himadri is the Himachal, also called the Middle or Lesser Himalayas. The range is mainly composed of highly compressed and altered rocks. The altitude varies between 3,600 and 4,500 metres and the average width is of 50 km. Many important hill stations such as Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Mussourie, Nainital and Darjeeling are situated in the Himachal range. The southern-most range, which is rather discontinuous, is the Shiwalik. The extend over a width of 10-50 km and have an altitude varying between 900 and 1100 metres. There are a number of broad longitudinal valleys called duns, especially in the Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand. Dehradun is situated in one such valley. There are many passes like the Shipki La, Nathu La and the Bomdi La in the Himalayas.