Major Physiographic Division

1. The Himalayan Mountains (Himalayas & Northeastern Hills)
2. The Northern Plains
3. The Peninsular Plateau
4. The Indian Desert
5. The Coastal Plains
6. The Islands

The Himalayan Mountains

• Himalayas and the Northeastern hills - Darjiling and Sikkim regions lie in an East-west direction. Arunachal Pradesh they are from Southwest to the Northwest direction. Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, they are in the North-south direction.
• Run in west-east Direction from Indus to the Brahmaputra.
• Loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world.
• Distance (East to West) – 2400 km, Width (North to South) – 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Three parallel ranges
• Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri – North most range, average height 6000 m.
• Himachal or lesser Himalaya – Altitude – 3700 to 4500m. Width 50 km.
• Important range – Pir panjal range, Dhaula Dhar, Mahabharat ranges
• Shiwaliks - outer-most range of the Himalayas.
• Width 10 – 50 km, altitude 900 – 1100m.
• Duns - longitudinal valley between lesser Himalaya and Shiwaliks.
• Longitudinal division by River indus & Satluj called Punjab Himalaya (Regionally Kashmir or himachal Himalayas from west to east).
• Kumaon Himalayas - Himalayas between Satluj and Kali rivers.
• Nepal Himalayas - The Kali and Teesta rivers.
• Assam Himalayas - Teesta and Dihang rivers.
• Brahmaputra - eastern-most boundary. Dihang gorge, Himalayas bend sharply to the south - Purvachal or the Eastern hills and mountains.
• The Purvachal comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.

Sub – Division of Himalayas Mountain

Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas

• Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Pir Panjal.
• Dal Lake, Baltoro & Siachen glaciers.
• Karewa formations – useful for the cultivation of Zafran.
• Passes - Zoji La on the Great Himalayas, Banihal on the Pir Panjal, Photu La on the Zaskar and Khardung La on the Ladakh range.
• Fresh lakes - Dal and Wular and Salt water lakes - Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
• Drained by Indus & tributaries Jhelum (Youth Stage, yet meander form – associated with the mature stage in the evolution of fluvial land form) & Chenab.
• Pilgrimage - Vaishno Devi, Amarnath Cave, Charar -e-Sharif.
• Duns (longitudinal valleys) – Jammu dun and Pathankot dun.

Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas

• Ravi in the west and the Kali (a tributary of Ghaghara) in the east.
• Drained by Indus (Ravi, Beas & Satluj) & Ganga (Yamuna & Ghaghara).
• All the three ranges of Himalayas are prominent in this section.
• Hill stations such as Dharamshala, Mussoorie, Shimla, Kaosani.
• Cantonment towns and health resorts - Shimla, Mussoorie, Kasauli, Almora, Lansdowne and Ranikhet, etc.
• Shiwalik & Dun formation - Chandigarh-Kalka dun, Nalagarh dun, Dehra Dun (Longest), Harike dun and the Kota dun, etc.
• Inhabited by the Bhotia’s (Nomadic Group) - migrate to ‘Bugyals’ (the summer glasslands in the higher reaches) during summer months and return to the valleys during winters.
• Valley of Flowers
• Pilgrimage - Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib.

Darjiling and Sikkim Himalayas

• Nepal Himalayas in the west & Bhutan Himalayas in the east.
• High mountain peaks like Kanchenjunga (Kanchengiri), and deep valleys. Tista - Fast flowing river.
• Lepcha tribes – Southern Part.
• Darjiling Himalayas - mixed population of Nepalis, Bengalis and tribals from Central India.
• Rainfall throughout the year and mild winters, introduced tea plantations in this region.
• Along with the Arunachal Himalayas are conspicuous by the absence of the Shiwalik formations in the place duar formation.

Arunachal Himalayas

• East of the Bhutan Himalayas up to the Diphu pass in the east. Southwest to northeast.
• Peaks - Kangtu and Namcha Barwa.
• Fast-flowing rivers from the north to the south. Bhramaputra flows through a deep gorge after crossing Namcha Barwa.
• Important River – the Kameng, the Subansiri, the Dihang, the Dibang and the Lohit.
• Hydro-electric power potential.
• Tribal community - Monpa, Abor, Mishmi, Nyishi and the Nagas. (Practice Jhumming).

Eastern Hills and Mountains.

• North to the south direction.
• Local names – In North, Patkai Bum, Naga hills, the Manipur hills, In South as Mizo or Lushai hills.
• Barak - Important river in Manipur and Mizoram.
• Loktak lake –Manipur, Molassis Basin – Mizoram.

The Northern Plains

• Formed by interplay of three major river systems, namely — the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. Granaries of the country (Base for civilisation).
• Alluvial Soil & Fertile Plain – 7 lakh sq. km (2400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad).
• lower course, due to gentle slope, the velocity of the river decreases, which results in the formation of Riverine islands.
• Rivers in their lower course split into numerous channels due to the deposition of silt. These channels are known as distributaries.
• Three Section
• Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the Punjab Plains – Indus and its tributaries (the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj originate in the Himalaya) – doabs Domination.
• Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers - North India, Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, partly Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• Brahmaputra plain – Assam. (Brahmaputra river flows from the northeast to the southwest direction, 90° southward turn at Dhubri before it enters into Bangladesh)
• Northern plains divided into three regions.
• Bhabar - deposit pebbles in a narrow belt (Slope of Shiwaliks). Stream disappear in bhabar belt. (South of the Bhabar is the Tarai belt).
• Terai – Reemerge of Stream on wet, swampy and marshy region. (Dudhwa National Park in this region). (South of tarai belt is alluvial plain).
• Alluvial plains
• Bhangra - formed of older alluvium. Above flood plain terrace like feature.
• Khadar - Calcareous deposits of Soil & khaddar – Newer, younger alluvium deposits of the floodplains (ideal for intensive agriculture).
• Sunderbans delta - 50-150 m above the mean sea level.

The Peninsular Plateau

• Old crystalline, Igneous and Metamorphic rocks. (Irregular triangle).
• Storehouse of minerals (Like Chotanagpur plateau)
• Delhi ridge in the northwest, (extension of Aravalis), the Rajmahal hills in the east, Gir range in the west and the Cardamom hills in the south constitute the outer extent of the Peninsular plateau. extension of this is also seen in the northeast (Shillong and Karbi-Anglong plateau).
• Formed breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land. Shallow valleys and rounded hills.
• Hazaribagh plateau, the Palamu plateau, the Ranchi plateau, the Malwa plateau, the Coimbatore plateau and the Karnataka plateau.
• Elevation west to East.
• Physiographic Features - Tors, block mountains, rift valleys, spurs, bare rocky structures, series of hummocky hills and wall-like quartzite dykes offering natural sites for water storage.
• Northwestern part of the plateau has a complex relief of ravines and gorges.
• Division
• Central Highlands
• West by the Aravali range, lying to the north of the Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa plateau. Vindhyan range, bounded Saptura on South & Aravalis on North west.
• Draining - Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken is from southwest to northeast. Wider in west, Narrow in East. Eastward extensions - Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. Further Eastward extension - Chotanagpur plateau.
• 600-900 m above the mean sea level.
• Northernmost boundary of the Deccan plateau.
• Aravali hills – Highly eroded hills (Broken Hill) – Gujarat to Delhi.
• Covered by the longitudinal sand ridges and crescent-shaped sand dunes called barchans.
• Presence of metamorphic rocks such as marble, slate, gneiss.
• Most of the tributaries of the river Yamuna have their origin in the Vindhyan and Kaimur ranges.
• Deccan Plateau
• South of the river Narmada (Triangular landmass).
• Satpura, Maikal range & Mahadeo – North & Mahadev, Kaimur hills - Eastward Extension. higher in the west and slopes gently eastward.
• Extension in Northeast - Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills.
• Locally, Sahyadri in Maharashtra, Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Anaimalai hills and Cardamom hills in Kerala
• Separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau.
• Prominent hill ranges (west to the east) - Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills. Average elevation - 1,500 m.
• Western Ghats
• Thal, Bhor and Pal Ghats, Altitude 900 – 1600m. Orographic Rain. Anai Mudi (2,695 metres) in Anaimalai & and the Doda Betta (2,637 metres) in Nilgiri Hills. Height increase from N to S. Udagamandalam (Ooty & Kodaikanal).
• Eastern Ghats
• Mahanadi Valley to the Nigiris in the south, Altitude 600m. Discontinous & Irregular, Drain Bay of Bengal. Mahendragiri (1,501 metres).
• Eroded by the rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri, etc.
• Southeast - Shevroy Hills and the Javadi hills, Other hills in deccan plateau the Palconda range, the Nallamala hills, the Mahendragiri hills.
• Eastern and the Western Ghats meet each other at the Nilgiri hills
• Northeastern Plateau.
• Fault was created between the Raj mahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau.
• Today, the Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong plateau stand detached from the main Peninsular Block.
• Meghalaya plateau is further sub-divided into three – Garo Hills, Khasi Hills & Jaintia Hills.
• Extension also in Karbi Anglong hills of Assam.
• Meghalaya plateau (Highly Eroded Surface) is also rich in mineral resources like coal, iron ore, sillimanite, limestone and uranium.
• Maximum rainfall from the south west monsoon. Cherrapunji displays a bare rocky surface devoid of any per manent vegetation cover.
• Deccan Trap – Black Soil area.

The Indian Desert

• North-western margins of the Aravali Hills.
• Topography dotted with longitudinal dunes and Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover larger areas, longitudinal dunes more prominent near the Indo-Pakistan boundary, Rainfall below 150nm & Low vegetation cover.
• Mushroom rocks, shifting dunes and oasis.
• Characteristic features that this is also known as Marusthali
• Luni – Only larger river in the Region. During the Mesozoic era, this region was under the sea.
• Divided into two parts
• Northern part is sloping towards Sindh.
• Southern towards the Rann of Kachchh.
• Streams which disappear after flowing for some distance and present a typical case of inland drainage by joining a lake or playa (brackish water).

The Coastal Plains

• Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strips running along the Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal.
• Western Coast (submerged coastal plain)
• Do not form delta.
• Konkan (Mumbai – Goa) (Northern Part), Kannad Plain (Central Stretch) & Malabar coast (Southern Coast).
• Development of ports and harbours - Kandla, Mazagaon, JLN port Navha Sheva, Marmagao, Mangalore, Cochin, etc.
• Divided into following divisions - Kachchh and Kathiawar coast in Gujarat, Konkan coast in Maharashtra, Goan coast and Malabar coast in Karnataka and Kerala.
• ‘Kayals’ (backwaters) – Malabar coast.
• Famous Nehru Trophy Vallamkali (boat race) is held in Punnamada Kayal in Kerala
• Eastern Coast (emerged coastal).
• Developed Delta.
• Plains of Bay of Bengal - Northern Circar (Northern Part) & Coromandel Coast (Southern Part). - Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri form delta. Lake Chilika – Inportant feature of East Cost.
• Continental shelf extends up to 500 km into the sea.

The Islands

• 572 islands/islets. Include principal groups of islets Ritchie’s archipelago and the Labrynth island.
• Lakshadweep Islands (Small Coral Islands)
• Malabar coast of Kerala. Early Laccadive, Minicoy (Largest in Lakshadweep) and Amindive, In 1973 – Lakshadweep (Headquarters: Kavaratti island).
• Entire group of islands is broadly divided by the Ten-degree channel, North of which is the Amini Island & south of the Canannore Island. Islands of this archipelago have storm beaches consisting of unconsolidated pebbles, shingles, cobbles and boulders on the eastern seaboard
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south separated by Ten-degree channel. experience equatorial climate and has thick forest cover.
• Barren island, the only active volcano in India - Nicobar Islands.
• Coral deposits, and beautiful beaches. Equatorial type of vegetation.
• Important mountain peaks in Andaman and Nicobar.
• Saddle peak (North Andaman – 738 m).
• Mount Diavolo (Middle Andaman – 515 m).
• Mount Koyob (South Andaman – 460 m).
• Mount Thuiller (Great Nicobar – 642 m)

Miscellaneous

• Coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port activities.
• Corals - short-lived microscopic organisms, flourish in shallow, mud-free and warm waters. secrete calcium carbonate. skeletons from coral deposits in the form of reefs. Three kinds: Barrier reef (Ex: Great Barrier Reef of Australia), fringing reef and atolls (circular or horse shoe-shaped coral reefs).