Notes on Geographical Features of India
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Issac newtonNotes on Geographical Features of India
Uploaded by
Issac newtonGeographical features
of India
Indian Geographical Map
What are the important physical features
of India?
Ans. The physical features of India can be
divided into six categories, depending on
their geological features
• The Himalayan Mountains
• The Northern Plains
• Indian Desert
• Peninsular Plateau
• Coastal Plains
• Islands
Northern Plains
• The Northern Plains can again be divided into three significant parts-
• The Punjab Plains- The Indus River and its tributaries lead to the
formation of these vast plains, a major part of which now lies in
Pakistan
• The Ganga Plains- This spreads across the states of North India,
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi and West Bengal.
• The Brahmaputra Plains- This covers major parts of Assam and the
other North Eastern States
Peninsular Plateau
• This massive plateau area is further divided as-
• The Central Highlands – lying on the north of the Narmada River and
covering a large part of the Malwa Plateau.
• The Deccan Plateau- a triangular landmass lying on the south of the
Narmada River. The Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats border the
Deccan plateau on its eastern and western sides respectively.
Indian Desert
• The Indian Desert with rainfall as low as 150 mm per annum, this
region is the aridest in the country and thus, low on greenery. The
states of Rajasthan and northwestern parts of Gujarat collectively
form the desert region.
Coastal Plains
• The western coast along the Arabian Sea can again be divided into
three sections-
• The Konkan Coast- covering coastal Maharashtra and Goa
• The Kannada Plains- covering coasts of Karnataka
• The Malabar Coast- covering Kerala
• On the other hand, the Eastern coast has two broad sections-
• The Northern Circar
• The Coromandel Coast
Himalayan Mountains
• The northernmost landscape of the country highlights the fold
mountains of the Himalayas. Since they stretch across 2500 KM from
Kashmir in the north, through Arunachal Pradesh in the North East,
these mountains form an arc..
• The entire mountain belt is divided into three main sections-
• The Greater Himalayas or the Himadri, with average peaks reaching
up to 6000 meters above the sea-level.
• The Lesser Himalayas with average peaks rising as high as 4000
meters
• The Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Range
Islands
• Two groups of islands lie on the two oceans surrounding the main
landmass of the subcontinent. These most likely complete the
physical features of India. And, the island region is divided by the
mainland as well as the seas. Thus forming two major island states-
• The Lakshadweep, which lies closer to the Malabar Coast.
• The Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are off the Bay of Bengal and
lie on the Indian Ocean.
Neighbouring countries of India
• The nine neighbouring countries of India are –
• Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Maldives, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Sea and Ocean
India is surrounded by three water bodies,
• The Bay of Bengal in the east
• The Arabian Sea in the west
• The Indian Ocean to the south.
