Physical features of India

 Chapter 2- Physical Features of India

Textual Question Answers

Answer the following questions briefly.

i)What is the bhabar?

Ans:The Bhabar is that narrow belt of the plain which is covered with pebbles and lies alongt he foothills of the Shiwaliks from the Indus to the Tista.its average with is 8-16 km.

ii)Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.

Ans:

1The Great or the Inner Himalayas or the Himadri, 

2.the Middle Himalayas or the

Himachal, and 

3.the Outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks.

iii)Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges?

Ans:The Malwa plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya Ranges.

iv)Name the island group of India having coral origin.

Ans:Lakshadweep Islands is the island group of India having coral origin.

Distinguish between

i)Bhangar and Khadar

Ans:

Bhangar

● These are the older alluvium or old soil and form the largest part of the Northern Plains.

● Presents a terrace like feature.

● Less fertile

 khadar

● The newer and younger deposits of the flood plains. Renewed every Year.

● Contains calcerous deposits locally known as Kankar.

● More fertile

ii)Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

Ans:

Western Ghats

● Mark the western edge of the Deccan Plateau

● Continuous, can be crossed through the passes only.

● Higher; average elevation is 900−1600 meters

● It experiences orographic rain mostly in summer due to the summer monsoons. Thei Climate is hot and moist.

● Soil is highly fertile. Rice, spices, rubber and fruits like coconuts, cashew nuts etc.are grown

Eastern Ghats

● Mark the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau

● Discontinuous, irregular and dissected by rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal.

● Lower; average elevation is 600 meters

● It receives rain mostly in winter through North-eastern monsoon. However, here the

rain is lesser than the western strip.

● Soil is not as fertile as western ghats. Rice, ground nuts, cotton, tobacco, coconuts

etc. are grown

4.Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the

Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.

Ans:The major physiography divisions of India are:

(i) The Himalayan Mountains

(ii) The Northern Plains

(iii) The Peninsular Plateau

(iv) The Indian Desert

(v) The Coastal Plains

(vi) The Islands

The Himalayan Region:

● Young fold mountains made from the uplift of the strata formed by the sedimentary

rocks.

● Consists of the loftiest mountains and deep valleys

● Composed of sedimentary rocks.

● It is the origin of perennial rivers.

● From the point of view of geology, this region forms an unstable zone

The Peninsular Plateau

● Ancient landmass created after splitting of Gondwanaland.

● Consists of broad and shallow valleys, and rounded hills

● Composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

● It has rainfed, seasonal rivers.

● This region forms a stable zone

5.Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.

Ans:

● The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems,

namely the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries.

● This plain is formed of alluvial soil which is suitable for agriculture.

● It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km.

● The plain is a densely populated physiographic division.

● The Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections, Punjab Plains, Ganga plains and Brahpmputra plains.

● According to the variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions. Bhabar, a narrow belt of pebbles which lie at the foot of Shivaliks. Terai,lie next to Bhabar which a wet and marshy area with wildlife and forests.

● Bhangar is made up of older alluvium plain which rises above the level of the flood plains. Khadar is a younger alluvium of the flood plains

6.Write short notes on the following.

i)The Indian Desert

Ans;

● The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills.

● It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes called barchans.

● This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year.

● It has arid climate with low vegetation cover.

● Streams appear during the rainy season. Soon after they disappear into the sand as

they do not have enough water to reach the sea.

● Luni is the only large river in this region.

● Barchans (Crescent shaped sand dunes) cover a large part of the desert. Near the

Indo- Pakistan border, longitudinal sand dunes are more common.

ii)The Central Highlands

Ans:

● The part of the peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada River covering a

major area of the Malwa plateau is known as the Central Highlands.

● The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and the Aravali range on the northwest.

● The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating the slope.

● The Central Highlands are wider in the west but narrower in the east.

● The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.

● The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension, drained by them Damodar River.

iii)The Island groups of India

Ans:

● India has two main island groups, namely Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar island.

Lakshadweep Islands

● These islands groups are located in the Arabian Sea, west of the Malabar coast of Kerala.

● The islands of this group are formed of coral deposits.

● It covers small area of 32 sq km.

● Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

● These islands are located in the Bay of Bengal.

● The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the other hand, are larger in size.

● They are more in number and more widely scattered.

● These islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains.