India: Location, Political Division
and Physiography
1. Choose the correct answer from the choices given below:
a. Tidal forests rich in mangrove trees are known as
i) Backwaters. [ ]
ii) Lagoons. [ ]
iii) Sundarbans. [✓]
b. The Indian states sharing the border with Pakistan are
i) Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. [ ]
ii) Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana. [ ]
iii) Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan. [✓]
c. Ring-shaped islands with fringing reefs in Lakshadweep are known as
i) Atolls. [✓]
ii) Delta. [ ]
iii) Lagoon. [ ]
d. Many hills stations are located in the _____ Range.
i) Siwalik. [ ]
ii) Himachal. [✓]
iii) Himadri. [ ]
e. Which is the oldest mountain range?
i) Himadri. [ ]
ii) Aravalli. [✓]
iii) Purvanchal. [ ]
f. Which one of the following rivers does not have a delta?
i) Kaveri. [ ]
ii) Mahanadi. [ ]
iii) Narmada. [✓]
2. Match the following:
a. Sahyadri i. Largest Delta. [d]
b. Thar Desert ii. West-flowing river. [c]
c. Narmada iii) Chenad. [e]
and Tapti Rivers
d. Ganga- iv) Western Ghats. [a]
Brahmaputra
e. Tributary of v) Luni. [b]
Indus
f. Siwalik vi) Siachen Glacier. [g]
g. Karakoram vii) Terai. [f]
3. Name the following:
a. The highest mountain range of the Himalayas.
= Himadri.
b. The densely forested foothills of the Himalayas.
= Terai.
c. The region covered by thick lava sheets.
= Deccan Trap Region.
d. Vast stretches of moving sandy hills.
= Sand Dunes.
e. Plunging rivers from plateau edges.
= Waterfalls.
f. Narrow valleys between the Siwalik and the Lesser Himalayas.
= Duns.
4. Distinguish between the following:
a. Himachal, Himadri and Siwalik.
=
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Himachal
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Himadri
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Siwalik
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It is called the Lesser Himalayan Range.
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It is called the Greater Himalayan Range.
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It is called the Outer Himalayan Range.
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The average altitude varies between 1500m to 3000m.
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The average altitude varies between 3000m to 6000m.
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The average altitude is less than 1500m.
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There are mountain peaks and hill stations in this range.
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There are only mountain peaks in this range.
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There are many valleys but no mountain peaks in this range.
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b. West-flowing Rivers and East-flowing Rivers.
=
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West-flowing Rivers
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East-flowing Rivers
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These rivers drain into the Arabian Sea.
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These rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal.
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These rivers do not form deltas.
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These rivers form deltas.
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They have estuaries.
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They do not have estuaries.
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There are only two rivers – Narmada and Tapi.
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There are many rivers – Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, etc.
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c. Western Coastal Plain and Eastern Coastal Plain.
=
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Western Coastal Plain
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Eastern Coastal Plain
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They are narrower.
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They are broader.
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There are more harbours as the coastline is indented.
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There are less natural harbours as the coastline is continuous.
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Presence of backwaters.
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More lagoons are present.
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There are no deltaic plain.
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A number of deltaic plains are present.
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Fishing is an important occupation along with plantation farming.
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Agriculture is an important occupation as rice, tobacco, sugarcane
and jute are grown.
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Major international ports connecting the west world are located here.
Hence, it has great commercial importance, e.g. Mumbai, Kandala, Kochi and
Mangalore, etc.
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There are a few ports of importance, such as Chennai, Paradip and Visakhapatnam.
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d. Himalayan Rivers and Peninsular River:
=
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Himalayan Rivers
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Peninsular Rivers
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All are perennial as they are glacier-fed.
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Not all are perennial as they are rain-fed.
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They are capable of irrigation and navigation throughout year.
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Not all rivers are navigable. Irrigation canals are present only near
the deltas.
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They generate large amount of hydel power.
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They are not always capable of producing power as they do not carry
enough water throughout the year.
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Towns and cities on the banks of many of these rivers are major
pilgrim centers such as Haridwar, Prayag and Varanasi.
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Such pilgrim centers are absent.
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Most of these rivers are prone to floods.
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As these rivers travels through dry tracts and medium rainfall area,
the occurrence of flood is less.
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e. Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
=
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Western Ghats
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Eastern Ghats
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They are higher in altitude, the highest peak being Anaimudi (2,695m).
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They are lower in altitude than the Western Ghats. The highest peak
is Mahendra Giri (1,500m).
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They rise sharply from the west coast and lie close to the coast.
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They rise gently from the coast and are located far from the coast.
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They are a continuous range.
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They are often dissected by east-flowing rivers. Hence the range is
discontinuous.
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They are the sources of all Deccan rivers.
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The rivers have dissected the mountains to cut out wide plains.
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5. Answer the following questions.
a. Indicate the latitudinal extent of India.
= The latitudinal extent of the country is from 8°4'N to 37°6'N. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30'N) passes through the middle of the country.
b. Why is a standard time necessary for India?
= The longitudinal extent of India is around 30°. We know that longitudes help us to derive the local time of a place. If each place in India followed its own local time, it would create much confusion.
c. Indicate the extent of the Himalayas.
= The Himalayas extend in an arch shape from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh covering a length of 2,500km. The width of these mountains decreases from 400km in the west to about 150km in the east.
d. Describe the course of the Brahmaputra river in Assam.
= The Brahmaputra originates in Tibet where it is known as the Tsangpo. The river flows eastwards for a considerable distance in Tibet. It then turns southwards and westwards and flows through Assam.
6. Explain the location of India and its advantages.
= India is located in the Northern Hemisphere. The latitudinal extent of the country is from 8°4N to 37°6N. The Tropic of Cancer(23°30'N) passes through the middle of the country. The north-south extent of the country measures about 3,200km.
The vast latitudinal extent of India renders a variety of climate and vegetation types to its various regions.
Below 10°N: Equatorial climate, Evergreen rainforests.
10°N - 30°N: Tropical climate, Tropical evergreen and deciduous vegetation.
30°N - 37°N: Temperate climate, Temperate forests(Coniferous).
Ladakh: Arctic type of climate, Tundra vegetation.
b. Describe the formation of the Northern Plains.
= This Plains are formed by the deposition of alluvium by rivers flowing from the Northern Mountains and the Peninsular Plateau. The alluvial deposits are hundreds of metres in thickness and form fertile soils. These plains extend for a distance of about 500km from the Punjab in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east. The Northern Plains are divided into three subdivisions. These are - The Indus Plains, The Ganga Plains and The Brahmaputra Valley.
c. Mention some of the features of the Siwalik.
= The Siwalik or the Outer Himalayan Range is the Southernmost Range of the Himalayas. It forms the foothills of the Himalayas and has an altitude of less than 1500m. The hills of the Range are narrow, discontinuous and merged with the other Ranges. These are made up of unconsolidated rocks. These hills are well developed in the western part of the Himalayas. Between the Siwalik and the Himachal lie narrow valleys called duns. The Dehradun Valley is a good example of such valleys. At the foothills of the Siwalik, lies a densely forested and marshy region called Terai.
d. Why are most of the Peninsular rivers east-flowing? Name the rivers.
= Most of the Peninsular rivers are east-flowing because the Peninsular Plateau slopes gently towards the east.
The names of the rivers are - Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna and Kaveri.
e. Why are the Northern Plains important?
= The Northern Plains are drained by many rivers, it is made by alluvial soil deposited by those rivers. The soil is very fertile and results good production of crops. It has flat surface which makes possible the construction of roads and railways. The slow moving rivers are navigable for the importance of the Northern Plain.
7. Answer the following questions in details:
a. Discuss the location and extent of the Himalayas.
= The Himalayas are located in the Northern Mountains. It extend in an arch shape from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh covering a length of about 2,500km. The width of the mountains decreased from 400km in the west to about 150km in the east. The Himalayas consists of three parallel Ranges - Himadri, Himachal and Siwalik Ranges - with narrow valley between them.
The Northern Range is known as the Greater Himalayas or the Himadri. The average height of the Range is 6,000m.
The Himachal or the Lesser Himalayan Range lies to the south of the Himadri Range. The average altitude of the peaks varies between 1,500m to 3,000m with some peaks rising to 5,000m.
The Siwalik or the Outer Himalayan Range is the southern range of the Himalayas.
b. How were the Northern Plains formed? Where are they located?
= The Northern Plains were formed by the deposition of alluvium by rivers flowing from the Northern Mountains and the Peninsular Plateau. The alluvial deposits are hundreds of metres in thickness and form fertile soils. These plains extends for a distance of about 2,500km from the Punjab in the West to the Brahmaputra Valley in the East. The Northern Plains are divided into three sub divisions. These are - The Indus Plains, The Gangs Plains and The Brahmaputra Valley.
The Northern Plains are located between the Northern Mountain and the Peninsular Plateau to the south.
c. How were the Himalayas formed?
= Scientists believed that in the past, there was a shallow and narrow sea called Tethys in the region where the Himalayas stand today. The sea was gradually filled up with the sediments brought down from the Eurasian land masses. When the old land mass of the Gondwanaland started moving towards the Tibetan land mass the sediments in the Tethys sea floor were compressed, folded and uplifted to form the Himalayan fold mountain.
d. In what ways are the physical divisions of India mutually interdependent?
= The Northern Mountain, the Northern Plains and the Peninsular Plateau together form a well-knit geographical unit. These are mutually interdependent in many respects. The Northern Mountains have formed a physical barrier and prevented invasions in the past. These mountains are responsible for the heavy monsoon rainfall over the subcontinent because winds are forced to ascend up their slope. The melting of glaciers in these mountains make the Himalayan rivers perennial. The mountain region has rich forest resources and potential for hydroelectric power.
The Northern Plains have fertile alluvial soils and abundant water supply from rivers. This region produce food grains needed by the people in India. Jute and sugar cane grown here from the basis of manufacturing industries.
The Peninsular Plateau has rich mineral resources such as coal, iron ore etc. It has many mineral based industries. The plateau region also produces rain-fed crops such as millets, pulses and oilseeds. The Plateau is known for its cotton and sugar cane cultivation.
The Coastal Plains are rich agricultural regions producing a variety of crops. Our major ports and large cities are located along the coast. The beaches and islands are major tourist attraction.
These four regions and their resources together make India a strong and united nation.
9. Thought provoking questions:
a. What are the differences noticed between the Greater Himalayas and the Lesser Himalayas?
=
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Greater Himalayas
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Lesser Himalayas
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The average height of this range is 6,000m.
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The average height of this range is 1,500m to 3,000.
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There are a few high-altitude passes across the Greater Himalayas such
the Rohtang Pass, the Sipki La Pass, the Bara-lacha La Pass, and Zoji La
Pass.
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Some of the famous hill-stations such as Darjeeling, Mussoorie,
Manali, Nainital and Shimla are located in the Lesser Himalayas.
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b. Why do you think the Himalayan rivers flow towards the south-east?
= I think the Himalayan rivers flow towards the south-east because the geographical features of the area has a slope towards south-east.
c. Why do think plateaus are one of the most significant physical features in India?
= The plateaus are one of the most significant physical features of India because the Deccan Plateau forms almost whole of south India and the Chhotanagpur plateau and the Malwa Plateau extend in major parts of north-India excluding the Gangetic Plain.
