Indian Geography

Physical geography of India

3 proto-continents

Singhbh
um

a
an
ah
M
di
va

Dhraw
ad

n a
o
d S r mo
a
rm
da
Na
a

d
Go
ri

Aravall
i

Rift valley

Crack over
western coast

Break up from
Gondawana

Western Ghats

Slope:
South
eastern

Northern Plains

Physiography of India

Northern
mountains
Northern plains
Peninsular plateau
Coastal plains

Indian peninsular
plateau
1) N-C
highlands
Pre-Cambrian old
region
8 divisions:

2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

S-C highlands
Eastern plateau
North Deccan
South Deccan
Western Ghats
Eastern Ghats
Meghalaya
uplands

Indian peninsular
plateau
1) N-C
highlands
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

S-C highlands
Eastern plateau
North Deccan
South Deccan
Western Ghats
Eastern Ghats
Meghalaya
uplands

N-C highlands

2
3
1

1) Aravalli
2) Mahabharat
Uplands
3) Madhya Bharat
Pathar
4) Bundelkhand

Aravalli range
One of the oldest mt
range
Sedimentary,
metamorphosed rocks
marble, quartzite
From Palanpur to
Delhi ridge
Source of Sabarmati,
Luni and Banas (tri.
Chmbal)

Bundelkhand
Granite, gneissic
rocks
Drought-prone low
agro-productivity
Jhansi, Gwalior,
Hamirpur

S-C highlands

2
1

1) Vindhyan range
2) Malawa plateau
3) Narmada valley

Vindhyan range

From GJ to Bihar
Rifting- southern
slope steeper than
northern slope

Vindhyan range
Source of many

Vindhyan
range

north flowing
rivers
Chmabal,
Sindh, Betwa
and Ken
(tributaries of
Yamuna)
Water divide of
central India

Malawa plateau
Located btwn Arvalli
and Vindhyan range
Semi arid region
Faulty agropractice- high soil
erosion gully
erosion- Chambal
badlands
Historically known
as Khandesh

Eastern plateau

1
4
5

6
2

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Baghelkhand
Garhjat hills,
Rajmahal hills,
Mahanadi basin,
Dandkarnya
Chotanagpur
plateau

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Hazariba
ug plt

Ranchi
plt

Craton of Singhbhum
metallic mineral rich
Rifting along Damodar
valley 2 parts
N. Hazaribaug Plateau
S. Ranchi plateau
Damodar and Mahanadi
Rifting coal formation
Unique coal + iron
combination

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Rajmah
al hills

Garhjat
hills

Rajmahal hills NE
edge of Chhota
Nagpur plt.
Garhjat hills
southern edge of
Chhotanagpur plt

Chhota Nagpur plateau

North
koel
riverChhota
Nagpur
plateau

Sou
Koe th
l

Radial drainage
1) North koel, (tri.
Of Son),
2)
Damodar,
Subarnare
kha river Barakar
3) Subarnrekha
4) South koel
rivers (tri. Of
Brahmani)

Meghalaya Plateau

Mikir
hills

Regma
hills
Kapilli
river

3 parts of plateau
Garo-Khasi-Jaintia
Garo (Nokrek), Khasi
(Shillong)
Mikir, Regma, Barail
ranges
Kapilli river separates
mikir, Regma & Barail
from Meghalaya plateau

Meghalaya Plateau

Rajmahal
hills
Malda gap

Extension of
Peninsular block
Separated from
Chhotanagpur plateau
Down warping along
Rajmahal garo hills =
malda gap
Ganga-Brahmaputra
flow through the
Malda gap

Meghalaya Plateau

Monsoon
winds

Hills are not very high

Not effective in
blocking the rain
bearing winds reach
till Arunachal Pradesh
But pass with funnel
effect heavy rainfall
in Meghalaya
But inadequate storage
water shortage

Deccan traps
India pass over
Reunion hot spot
Basaltic lava flow
Layer over layer of
lava formation
Look like steps
traps

North Deccan

Satpura
range
MH
plateau

Satpura range
(Rajpipla, Gawilgarh,
Mahaev, Maikal,
Amarkantak plt.)
Maharastra plateau

Satpura range

fold mt. of Archaenean

then faulting
1) Rajpipla (GJ)
2) Gawilgarh (MH)
3) Mahadeo (MP),
4) Maikal (Chh)
)Highest peak
Dhupgarh (Mahadeo)

plateau- east of
Satpura Range

Betul
plate
au

Amarkanta
k plateau

Maikal range
Source of Narmada
and Son (tri. Of
Ganga)
Betul plateau
south of Mahado
hills
source of river Tapi,
Pench/ Wainganga
river (Tri. Of

Q. Which one of the following

rivers originate in Amarkantak?
a) Damodar
b) Mahanadi
c) Narmada
d) Tapi
Ans. c)

Question
UPSC
Prelims
2007

MH plateau
Ajan
ta

MH
plateau

an

ern
West
s
Ghat

sat
ala m
Balagh
Ha
at
dr rish
a
ch

Telangana
plt

KN plt

Shield
crystalline rocks
Overland by lava
flow
In south merge
with KN plateau
and in east with
Telangana
plateau

South Deccan

1) KN -Dharwad plt
One of the oldest
physiographical
region
2) Telangana plateau

KN plateau

Maid
an

plai
n

udan
b
a
b
a
B
hills

Malna
d

Banglor
e
plateau

Baba budan hills,

Maidan and Malnad
Malnad = forested
Maidan = arid
Highest peak of
Baba Budan =
Mulangiri

Dharwad plateau
The most oldest
sedimentary rocks of
India
Ancient Dharwad
craton (shield)
metallic mineral rich
region
Shimoga, Tumkur and
Chitradurg, Chikmaglur
of KN mineral rich

Dharwad plateau
Iron and limestone
Bellary (KN) and
upto Ratnagiri (MH)
Fe ore
Kemangundi and
Kudremukh mines
(near Chikmaglur)

Telangana plateau
Satmala
hills

Telang
ana
plateau

Go
riv da
e r v ar
i

Krishna
river

Sheshacha
lam hills

Penn
eru
river

Benglore
plateau

Arachaean gneisses
Avg. elevation 500-600m
Southern portion higher
than northern part
North Satmala hills
South Sheshachalam
hills, Rayanseema plt
Drained by Godavari,
Krishna and Penneru

Western Ghats
Satma
la
Balag
hat
Harishcha
ndra

Ajanta

GJ-MH-KN-TN-KR
Ajanta Satmala
Balaghat
Harishchandra
Highest peak: Anaimudi
Passes:
Thalghat Btwn
Mumbai-Nashik
Bhor ghat btwn
Mumbai -Pune

Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern

More rainfall in KN
Steeper in MH,
lower and broader
in KN
KR isolated hills
rain bearing
wind pass
between gaps

Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern

KN:
Gentle slope= Air
parcel can retain energy
and speed for a long
time, allowing cloud
droplets to grow and
precipitate as rainfall.
In Karnataka, mountains
are continuous. No
gaps= Clouds cant
easily escape to leeward
side.

Western Ghats: ecology

Western GhatsUNESCO world heritage
site (evergreen to
thorn)
KN-TN-KR region:
SHOLA forest
biosphere reserve
unique BD above
2000m
Stunted tropical
montane forest

Western Ghats: ecology and agriculture

KN-KR-TN region:
Bandipur-WaynadMudumalai NP
Largest population of
leopards
leopards + tigers+ wild
dogs
TN tea-coffee
KN rubber, coffee,
cashew plantation
KR- spices

Eastern Ghats

1
3

4
5

Discontinuous range
lower than western
Ghats
1) Northern circas
2) Nallamalla
3) Palkonda
4) Javadi
5) Shevroy
)Highest peak:
Armakonda

 Laterite soils
Eastern Ghats
Bauxite deposits:

`
1
1
2

3
4

1)
2)
3)
4)

Malaygiri
Niyamgiri
Baflai mali
Panchpat mali

)POSCO plant,
Niyamgiri

Southern hill complex

1
3
2
4

South of Western
Ghats but
geologically not part
of Western Ghats or
Eastern Ghats
1) Nilgiri,
2) Anamalai
3) Palani
4) Kardamom hills

Southern complex

Nilgiri

Annamal
ai

Palani
cardam
om

Palghat btwn
Nilgiri and
Annamalai hills
Shenkotta gap
btwn Cardamom
Hill stations:
Nilgiri Ooty
Annamalai Munnar
Palani hills Kodaikanal

Q. Which one of the following is

correct sequence of hills
starting from north to south?
a) Nallamalla Nilgiri Javadi
Anamalai hills
b) Anamalai Javadi NilgiriNallamalla hills
c) Nallamalla Javadi NilgiriAnamalai hills

Question
UPSC
Prelims
2005

d) Anamalai Nilgiri javadiNallamalai

Question
UPSC
Prelims
2005

Hills of South India

Nallamal
la
Nilgiri

Annamal
ai

Javadi

Palani
cardam
om

c) Nallamalla Javadi NilgiriAnamalai hills

Ans. C)

Question
UPSC
Prelims
2005

Q. Which of the following hills

are found where Western Ghats
and Eastern Ghats meet?
a) Anamalai hills
b) Cardamom hills
c) Nilgiri hills
d) Shevroy hills

Question
UPSC
Prelims
2008

Physical map of Southern India

Ans. C)
Nilgiri hills

Q. Which of the following is not

correct?
a) Western Ghats are relatively lower
in their northern region
b) The Anaimudi is highest peak in
western Ghats
c) Tapi river lie south of Satpura
d) The Narmada and Tapi river valley
are said to be old rift valleys
Ans. A)

Question
UPSC
Prelims
2005

Importance of Peninsular plateau

Peninsular plateau oldest and most

stable region
Rich in minerals iron, limestone,
bauxite
98% of Gondwana coal
Peninsular: Regur black soil
important for cotton and sugarcane
cultivation
Plantation agriculture in hilly areas:

Physiography of India

Northern
mountains
Northern plains
Peninsular plateau
Coastal plains

Coastal plains

From Rann of Kutch

to Sundarban
1) Western coastal
plain
2) Eastern coastal
plain

 Narrower than
Western coastal
plain
Eastern
coastal
plain
Steeper fast flowing
rivers No alluvial
deposits
Rivers form
Estuaries and not
deltas
Good for Port
development

M
ah
i

Sa
at ba
rm
i

Western coastal plain

Narmad
a
Tapi

Formation of 2 gulfs: gulf

of Khambhat and gulf of
Kutchh
Narmada, Mahi,Tapi and
Sabarmati flow into Gulf
of Khambhat
Kathiawar: radial drainage
Islands: Alia bet, Pirotan
island, Diu
Baidar, Kora, Kurumbhar
Is in g. of Kutchh

Western coastal plain

kochi
Vembnad
lake

Periyar
river

Annamala
i hills

KR coast/Malabar
coast:
Vembnad lake
Periyar river merge
near Vembnad lake
Inner side
Ernakulam and
outward side - Kochi

Eastern coastal plain

Broader
Large rivers
extensive delta
formation
Mahanadi delta
Godavari delta
Krishna delta
Kaveri deltas

Eastern Coastal Plain

Wheel
er Is.

Chilka lake
Rushikulya
river

Odisha coast:
Wheeler Is.
missile testing
Chilka lake
(biggest)
Olive ridley
turtles Ganjam
coast- (nr. Mouth
of Rushikulya
river)

Eastern Coastal plains

Koller
u lake
Pulicut lake
+Shrihariko
ta Island

Andhra coast:
Kolleru lake deltaic
lake (Goadavari and
Krishna rivers)
Pulicut lake split
bar Shriharikota Is.
(ISRO rocket
launching station)

Eastern Plain
Pala
r
rive
Javadi r
hills
Shevroy
hills
Kave
ri
river

Cardamo
m hills

Vaig
ai
rive
r

TN coast:
Winter rainfall
Rameshwaram
Pamban Island last
point
Dhanushkondi
Gulf of Mannar
biosphere reserve
Ram setu issue

Physiography of India

Northern
mountains
Northern plains
Peninsular plateau
Coastal plains