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Physical Features of India - Coggle Diagram
Physical Features of India
The Islands
Lakshadweep
Close to the Malabar Coast of Kerala
Small Coral islands
Laccadive, Minicoy and Aminidive; renamed in 1973
32 sq km
Kavarati island is administrative headquarters
Diverse flora and fauna; Pitti island (uninhabited) has a bird sanctuary
Andaman and Nicobar
Bigger and more scattered
Andaman in the north and Nicobar in the south
Strategic importance
elevated portion of submarine mountains
Diverse flora and fauna
Lie close to the equator; equatorial climate with thick forest cover
The Peninsular Plateau
Tableland consisting of old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks
Formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land, making it part of one of the oldest landmasses
Broad valleys and rounded hills
Central Highlands
Lying to the north of the river Narmada, covering a major part of the Malwa plateau
Vindhya range is bounded by the Satpura range on the south, and the Aravali range in the northwest. The further westward extension merges with the sandy and rocky deserts in Rajasthan.
The flow of the rivers Betwa, Sind, Ken and Chambal is from southwest to northeast, thus depicting the slope
Wider in the west and narrower in the east
The eastward extensions called Budelkhand and Baghelkhand. The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension, drained by river Damodar
Deccan Plateau
South of river Narmada; Satpura ranges form the north
Mahadev, Kaimur hills and Maikar range form the eastern extensions
Higher in the west and slopes gently eastward
Extension visible in the northeast, locally known as Meghalya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau and Cachar hills
Separated by a fault from Chotanagpur Plateau
Three ranges from west to east are Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills
Edges
Western Ghats
Westward edge; parallel to the western coast
Continuous and can be crossed through passes only
High; elevation 900-1600 metres
Cause orographic rain by facing the moist winds to rise along the western slopes of the ghats
Height increases from north to south
Highest peaks include Anai Mudi and Doda Betta
Eastern Ghats
Eastern edge; parallel to the eastern coast
Discontinuous and irregular and cut by different rivers draining into Bay of Bengal
Elevation of 600 metres
Stretch from the Mahanadi valley to the Nigris in the south
Mahendragiri is the highest peak
Shevroy hills,, Javedi hills are located on the southeast
Black soil area known as the Deccan Trap. It is of volcanic origin, rocks are igneous. Igneous rocks have denuded over time and are responsible for the formation of black soil
Aravali hills lie on the western and northwestern margins. Highly eroded; found as broken hills/ Extend from Gujarat to Delhi in a southwest-northeast direction
The Himalayan Mountains (Recent Landform)
Youthful topography
Deep Valleys
High peaks
Fast flowing rivers
Geologically young and structurally fold mountains
Stretch over the northern border of India, in a west-east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra
one of the loftiest and most rugged mountain barriers of the world
Form and arc, which covers a distance of 2400 km
Width varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150 hm in Arunachal Pradesh
Altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern half than those in the western half
Longitudinal extent
Himadri
Great Himalayas/ Inner Himalayas
Most Continuous range consisting of loftiest peaks
Average height of
6000 metres
Contains all prominent Himalayan Peaks
Asymmetrical folds
Core is composed of granite
Perennially snow-bound; many glaciers
Himachal
Lesser Himalayas
Highly compressed and altered rocks
Altitude varies between
3700 and 3500 m
; width of
50 km
Pir Panjal range is the longest and most important; Dhaula Dhar and Mahabharat ranges also prominent
Famous for its hill stations; consists of Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh
Shiwaliks
Outermost range of Himalayas
Altitude of
900-1100 m
; width of
10-50 km
Composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers
Covered with thick gravel and alluvium
Longitudinal valley between Shiwaliks and Himachal are the Duns; consist of Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun
Latitudinal Extent (River Valleys)
Indus and Satluj: Punjab Himalays :
Satluj and Kali: Kumaon Himalayas
Kali and Teesta: Nepal Himalayas
Teesta and Dihang: Assam Himalayas
Brahmaputra marks eastern-most boundary of the Himalayas. Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply and spread across the eastern border of India. Known as the Purvanchal or the eastern hills and mountains. Running through north-eastern states, consist of strong sandstones which are sedimentary rocks. Comprises of the Patkai Hills, The Naga hills, the Manipur hills and the Mizo hills
The Northern Plains
Interplay of Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus along with its tributaries. Formed with alluvial soil
Deposition of alluvium in a basin at the foot of the Himalayas formed this fertile plain
Area of 7 lakh sq. km. 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad
Densely populated; due to a rich soil cover, with adequate water supply and favourable climate- agriculturally productive part of India
Rivers coming from northern mountains are involved in depositional work. In the lower course, the speed of river decreases, causing riverine islands. Rivers split into numerous courses forming distributaries
According to rivers
Punjab Plains
Western part
Indus and its tributaries
larger part of the plain lies in Pakistan
Originate in Himalayas
Dominated by the doabs
Ganga Plains
Ghaggar and Teesta rivers
North India, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand and West Bengal
Brahmaputra Plains
To the East of Ganga Plains, particularly in Assam
According to relief features
Bhabar
Parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. Deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of 8-16km in width
All the streams disappear
Terai
South of Bhabar
Streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy and marshy region
Bhangar
Largest part of northern plain
Formed of older alluvium
Lies above the floodplains of rivers and presents a terrace-like feature
Soil contains calcareous deposits known as kankar
Khadar
newer, younger deposits of floodplains
Renewed almost every year, hence fertile
Ideal for intensive agriculture
The Coastal Plains
Narrow Coastal Strips
Western Coast
Sandwiched between Western Ghats and Arabian Sea, narrow plain.
Konkan
(Mumbai-Goa); Northern part of the coast
Kannad
Plain; Central stretch
Malabar
Coast; Southern Stretch
Eastern Coast
Between Eastern Ghats and Bay of Bengal; wide and level
Northern Circar
; Northern Part
Coromandel Coast
; Southern Part. Large rivers such as the Mahandi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri have formed extensive delta on this coast
Lake Chilika is an important feature
The Indian Desert
Western margins of the Aravali hills
Undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes
Very low rainfall between 150 mm per year
Arid climate with low vegitation cover
Streams appear, but soon disappear because they donot have enough water to reach the sea
Lumi is the only large river
Barchans cover majority of the area but longitudinal dunes are more prominent near the Indo-Pakistan boundary