D.A.V.

SCHOOL
(Affiliated to the C.B.S.E., New Delhi)
SREE NANDEESWARAR CAMPUS, ADAMBAKKAM, CHENNAI-600 088
Physical Features of India
Answer the following:
1. Why does India have great physical variations?
Answer:
❖ Geologically, the peninsular plateau constitutes one of the ancient
landmass on the Earth’s surface.
❖ It was supposed to be one of the most stable land blocks.
❖ The Himalayas and the Northern plains are the most recent
landforms.
❖ The whole mountain system of Himalaya represents valleys and fast
flowing rivers.
❖ The northern plains are formed of alluvial deposits.
❖ The peninsular plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic
rocks with gently rising hills and wide valleys.
2. Give a brief description on Himalayan Mountain.
Answer:
❖ The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains
stretch over the northern borders of India.
❖ These mountain ranges run in a west-east direction from the Indus
to the Brahmaputra.
❖ The Himalayas represent the loftiest and one of the most rugged
mountain barriers of the world.
❖ They form an arc, which covers a distance of about 2400 km.
❖ Their width varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal
Pradesh.
3. Describe the three parallel ranges of Himalayas.
Answer:
❖ HIMADRI-GREATER OR INNER HIMALAYAS:
➢ It is the most continuous range constituting of theloftiest
peaks with an average height of 6000m.
➢ The core of this part of Himalayas is composed of granite.
➢ It is perennially snow bound, and a number of glaciers
descend from this range.
➢ E.g., Mount Everest -8848 mts., Kanchenjunga – 8598 mts.
 ❖ HIMACHAL-MIDDLE OR LESSER HIMALAYAS:
➢ The ranges are mainly composedof highly compressed and
altered rocks.
➢ The altitude varies between 3700 mts. and 4500 mts. and the
average width is of 50 km.
➢ E.g., PirPanjal Range, Dhauladhar, Mahabharat ranges.
➢ This range consists of famous valley of Kashmir, Kangra and
Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh.
➢ This region is well known for its hill station. E.g., Nainital,
Shimla
❖ SHIWALIK- OUTER HIMALAYAS:
➢ The Shiwalik extends over a width of 10 – 50 km and have an
altitude varying between 900 – 1100 m.
➢ These ranges are composed of unconsolidated sediments
brought down by the rivers from main Himalayan ranges.
➢ The longitudinal valley lying between the lesser Himalayas
(Himachal) and Shiwaliks are known as duns.
➢ E.g., Dehra Dun, Patli Dun, Kotli Dun.
4. “Divisions of Himalayas have been demarcated by river valleys”. Name the
divisions.
Answer:
❖ PUNJAB HIMALAYAS:
➢ The part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Satluj has
been traditionally known as Punjab Himalayas (Kashmir and
Himachal)
❖ KUMAON HIMALAYAS:
➢ The part of Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers is
known as Kumaon Himalayas.
❖ NEPAL HIMALAYAS:
➢ The part of Himalayas lying between Kali and Teesta rivers is
known as Nepal Himalayas.
❖ ASSAM HIMALAYAS:
➢ The part of Himalayas lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers
is known as Assam Himalayas.
5. What do you know about Purvachal?
Answer:
❖ The Brahmaputra marks the Eastern most boundary of the
Himalayas.
❖ Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south
and spread along the eastern boundary of India. T
❖ his is known as the Purvachal or the Eastern hills.
❖ These hills running through the north-eastern states are mostly
composed of strong sandstones, which are sedimentary rocks.
❖ The Purvachal comprises the Patkai Hills, the Naga Hills , Manipur
Hills , the Mizo Hills.
6. How was the Northern plains of India formed?
Answer:
❖ The Himalayan uplift out of the Tethys sea and it resulted in the
formation of a large basin.
❖ The basin got filled up by 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.
7. Give an account of Northern Plains of India.
Answer:
❖ The Northern Plains spreads over an area of seven lakh square
kilometre.
❖ The plain being about 2400 km long and 240-320km broad is a
densely populated physiographic division.
❖ This plain is formed by the deposition of alluvium in a vast basin
lying at the foothills of the Himalayas.

8. Explain the three sections of Northern plains.

Answer:
❖ The northern plain is broadly divided into three sections.
❖ PUNJAB PLAINS:
➢ The western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the
Punjab Plains.
➢ This is 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 Himalayas.
 ❖ GANGA PLAIN:
➢ The middle part of the Northern Plain is called Ganga Plain.
➢ The Ganga Plain extends between Ghaggarand Teesta rivers.
➢ It is spread over the states of North India.
❖ BRAHMAPUTRA PLAIN:
➢ The eastern part of the Northern plain is called as Brahmaputra
plain.
➢ It is spread over the state of Assam.
9. Classify the Northern Plain on the basis of relief feature.
Answer:
❖ BHABAR:
➢ The rivers after descending from the mountains deposit pebbles
in a narrow belt of about 8-16km in width lying parallel to the
slopes of Shiwaliks.
➢ It is known as Bhabar and all the streams disappear in this Bhabar
belt.
❖ TERAI:
➢ South of the Bhabar belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge and
create a wet, swampy and marshy region known as Terai.
➢ This was a thickly forested region, cleared to created agricultural
land to settle migrants from Pakistan after partition.
❖ BHANGAR:
➢ It is an old alluvial soil.
➢ They are found far from the river basin.
➢ It is less-fertile and not suitable for agriculture.
❖ KHADAR:
➢ It is new alluvial soil.
➢ They are found close to the river basin.
➢ It is very fertile therefore suitable for agriculture.

10. Describe the Peninsular plateau in India.

Answer:
❖ The peninsular plateau is a table land composed of the old crystalline,
igneous and metamorphic rocks.
❖ It was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land
thus, making it a part of the oldest landmass.
❖ The plateau has brought short valleys and rounded hills.
❖ This plateau consists of two broad divisions, namely, the central
highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
11. Discuss the characteristics of a Central Highlands.
Answer:
❖ The part of the peninsular plateau lying in the north of the Narmada
river, covering a major area of the Malwa Plateau, is known as the
Central Highlands.
❖ The Vindhya Range is bounded by the Satpura range on the south
and the Aravallis on the northwest.
❖ The further westward extension gradually merges with the sandy
and rocky desert of Rajasthan.
❖ The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, the
Sind, the Betwa and the Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus
indicating the slope.
❖ 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.
❖ The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension,
drained by the Damodar River.
12.Give the features of Deccan Plateau.
Answer:
❖ 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 from its eastern
extensions.
❖ The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently
eastwards.
❖ An extension of the plateau is also visible in the north – east, locally
known as the Meghalaya, Karbi- Anglong plateau and North Cachar
Hills.
❖ It is separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau.
❖ Three prominent hills ranges from the west to the east are the Garo,
the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills.
 13.Differentiate between Western ghats and Eastern ghats.
Answer:
S.No WESTERN GHATS EASTERN GHATS
They lie parallel to the western They stretch from the Mahanadi
1.
coast. valley to the Nilgiris in the south.
They are continuous and can They are discontinuous and
2. be crossed through passes irregular and dissected by rivers
only. draining into the Bay of Bengal.
The average elevation is 900 – The average height is 600m.
3.
1600 metres.
The highest peak is the Anai The highest peak is Mahendragiri-
4.
Mudi – 2,695m. 1,501m.

14. Write a Note on Indian Desert.

Answer:
❖ The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravalli
Hills.
❖ It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
❖ This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year with
arid climate and low vegetation cover.
❖ Streams appear during the rainy season but they disappear into the
sands as they do not have enough water to reach the sea.
❖ Luni is the only large river in this region and Barchans (Crescent –
shaped sand dunes) cover larger areas.
15. Differentiate between western and eastern coastal plains.
Answer:
S.No WESTERN COASTAL PLAINS EASTERN COASTAL PLAINS
1. It is a narrow plain. It is a wide and levelled plain.
It is a sandwiched zone between It is a sandwiched zone between
2.
the Western ghats and Arabian Sea. Eastern ghats and Bay of Bengal.
This part of the plain receives rain This part of the plain receives rain
3.
from south- west monsoon. from north – east monsoon.
Narmada and Tapi rivers flow into All the major peninsular rivers form a
4.
Arabian Sea forming estuaries. delta making the land fertile.
It consists of three sections: Konkan It is divided into two parts namely:
5. Coast, Kannad Coast, Malabar Northern Circars, Cormandel Coast.
Coast.
 16. Distinguish between island groups of India.
Answer:
S.No ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS
1. They are located in Bay of Bengal. They are found in Arabian sea.
These islands are elevated portions This group of islands are composed
2.
of submarine mountains. of small coral islands.
Port Blair is the capital of Andaman Kavaratti is the administrative
3.
and Nicobar islands. headquarters of Lakshadweep.
They are bigger in size, more Pitti island which is uninhabited has
4.
numerous andscattered. a bird sanctuary.

17. How did different physiographic regions compliment the other and makes
the country rich in its natural resources? Explain.
Answer:
❖ The mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth.
❖ The northern plains are the granaries of the country. They provide
the base for early civilizations.
❖ The plateau is a storehouse of minerals, which has played a crucial
role in the industrialization of the country.
❖ The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and
port activities.
❖ Thus, the diverse physical features of the land have immense future
possibilities of development.
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