# Geography of India - Physical Features ## Quick Revision Guide ### **Major Physical Divisions** #### **1. The Himalayas** - **Location**: Northern boundary of India - **Length**: 2,400 km from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh - **Width**: 150-400 km - **Highest Peak**: Mount Everest (8,848 m) - in Nepal - **Highest Peak in India**: Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) **Sub-divisions**: - **Trans-Himalayas**: Ladakh, Zaskar ranges - **Greater Himalayas**: Highest peaks, permanent snow - **Lesser Himalayas**: Hill stations, valleys - **Shiwaliks**: Foothills, prone to earthquakes #### **2. The Northern Plains** - **Formed by**: Alluvial deposits of Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus - **Area**: 7 lakh sq km - **Fertile soil**: Ideal for agriculture **Regions**: - **Punjab Plains**: Indus and its tributaries - **Ganga Plains**: Most extensive, highly populated - **Brahmaputra Plains**: Assam valley #### **3. The Peninsular Plateau** - **Oldest landmass**: Formed during Precambrian era - **Shape**: Triangular, surrounded by seas - **Average height**: 600-900 m **Major Plateaus**: - **Deccan Plateau**: Largest, volcanic origin - **Malwa Plateau**: Central India - **Chota Nagpur Plateau**: Rich in minerals - **Meghalaya Plateau**: Northeast India #### **4. The Coastal Plains** - **Eastern Coastal Plain**: Bay of Bengal - **Western Coastal Plain**: Arabian Sea **Features**: - **Eastern**: Wide, deltas, fertile - **Western**: Narrow, estuaries, ports #### **5. The Islands** - **Andaman & Nicobar**: Bay of Bengal - **Lakshadweep**: Arabian Sea ### **Major Rivers** #### **Himalayan Rivers** - **Ganga**: 2,525 km, most sacred - **Brahmaputra**: 2,900 km, highest volume - **Indus**: 3,180 km, flows to Pakistan #### **Peninsular Rivers** - **Godavari**: 1,465 km, longest peninsular - **Krishna**: 1,400 km - **Kaveri**: 800 km, perennial - **Narmada**: 1,312 km, west-flowing - **Tapi**: 724 km, west-flowing ### **Climate Zones** #### **Tropical Monsoon Climate** - **Features**: Seasonal winds, heavy rainfall - **Regions**: Most of India - **Seasons**: Summer, Monsoon, Winter #### **Desert Climate** - **Features**: Hot, dry, scanty rainfall - **Regions**: Thar Desert, Rajasthan #### **Mountain Climate** - **Features**: Cold, snowfall - **Regions**: Himalayas ### **Natural Vegetation** #### **Tropical Rainforests** - **Location**: Western Ghats, Northeast - **Features**: Evergreen, dense, diverse #### **Tropical Deciduous Forests** - **Location**: Most of India - **Features**: Shed leaves in dry season #### **Thorn Forests** - **Location**: Rajasthan, Gujarat - **Features**: Xerophytic, sparse #### **Mountain Forests** - **Location**: Himalayas - **Features**: Coniferous, temperate ### **Important Facts** #### **Geographical Extremes** - **Northernmost**: Siachen Glacier - **Southernmost**: Indira Point (Nicobar) - **Easternmost**: Kibithu (Arunachal) - **Westernmost**: Guhar Moti (Gujarat) #### **Major Passes** - **Khyber Pass**: Pakistan border - **Nathu La**: China border - **Rohtang Pass**: Himachal Pradesh #### **Mineral Resources** - **Coal**: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh - **Iron**: Odisha, Jharkhand - **Manganese**: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra - **Bauxite**: Odisha, Gujarat --- *Last updated: 2024*
# Geography of India - Physical Features ## Quick Revision Guide ### **Major Physical Divisions** #### **1. The Himalayas** - **Location**: Northern boundary of India - **Length**: 2,400 km from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh - **Width**: 150-400 km - **Highest Peak**: Mount Everest (8,848 m) - in Nepal - **Highest Peak in India**: Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) **Sub-divisions**: - **Trans-Himalayas**: Ladakh, Zaskar ranges - **Greater Himalayas**: Highest peaks, permanent snow - **Lesser Himalayas**: Hill stations, valleys - **Shiwaliks**: Foothills, prone to earthquakes #### **2. The Northern Plains** - **Formed by**: Alluvial deposits of Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus - **Area**: 7 lakh sq km - **Fertile soil**: Ideal for agriculture **Regions**: - **Punjab Plains**: Indus and its tributaries - **Ganga Plains**: Most extensive, highly populated - **Brahmaputra Plains**: Assam valley #### **3. The Peninsular Plateau** - **Oldest landmass**: Formed during Precambrian era - **Shape**: Triangular, surrounded by seas - **Average height**: 600-900 m **Major Plateaus**: - **Deccan Plateau**: Largest, volcanic origin - **Malwa Plateau**: Central India - **Chota Nagpur Plateau**: Rich in minerals - **Meghalaya Plateau**: Northeast India #### **4. The Coastal Plains** - **Eastern Coastal Plain**: Bay of Bengal - **Western Coastal Plain**: Arabian Sea **Features**: - **Eastern**: Wide, deltas, fertile - **Western**: Narrow, estuaries, ports #### **5. The Islands** - **Andaman & Nicobar**: Bay of Bengal - **Lakshadweep**: Arabian Sea ### **Major Rivers** #### **Himalayan Rivers** - **Ganga**: 2,525 km, most sacred - **Brahmaputra**: 2,900 km, highest volume - **Indus**: 3,180 km, flows to Pakistan #### **Peninsular Rivers** - **Godavari**: 1,465 km, longest peninsular - **Krishna**: 1,400 km - **Kaveri**: 800 km, perennial - **Narmada**: 1,312 km, west-flowing - **Tapi**: 724 km, west-flowing ### **Climate Zones** #### **Tropical Monsoon Climate** - **Features**: Seasonal winds, heavy rainfall - **Regions**: Most of India - **Seasons**: Summer, Monsoon, Winter #### **Desert Climate** - **Features**: Hot, dry, scanty rainfall - **Regions**: Thar Desert, Rajasthan #### **Mountain Climate** - **Features**: Cold, snowfall - **Regions**: Himalayas ### **Natural Vegetation** #### **Tropical Rainforests** - **Location**: Western Ghats, Northeast - **Features**: Evergreen, dense, diverse #### **Tropical Deciduous Forests** - **Location**: Most of India - **Features**: Shed leaves in dry season #### **Thorn Forests** - **Location**: Rajasthan, Gujarat - **Features**: Xerophytic, sparse #### **Mountain Forests** - **Location**: Himalayas - **Features**: Coniferous, temperate ### **Important Facts** #### **Geographical Extremes** - **Northernmost**: Siachen Glacier - **Southernmost**: Indira Point (Nicobar) - **Easternmost**: Kibithu (Arunachal) - **Westernmost**: Guhar Moti (Gujarat) #### **Major Passes** - **Khyber Pass**: Pakistan border - **Nathu La**: China border - **Rohtang Pass**: Himachal Pradesh #### **Mineral Resources** - **Coal**: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh - **Iron**: Odisha, Jharkhand - **Manganese**: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra - **Bauxite**: Odisha, Gujarat --- *Last updated: 2024*