CBSE Notes Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2 Physical Features of India here in this page. We (Net Explanations Teacher) discussed here each and every keyword from this Chapter 2 Physical Features of India.
CBSE Notes Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 – Physical Features of India
THINGS TO ANSWER AFTER READING THE CONTEXT
- What are the physical features of India?
- Write a short note on the longitudinal divisions of the Himalayas.
- What are coral polyps?
- Brief about the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.
INDIA: DIVERSE AND GREAT
India is a country with diverse cultures, languages, religions, food and geography. From mountains to deserts, to plains so fertile, India manages to cover everything you would imagine as scenic beauty. From the Himalayas to the Thar desert, from plains of Ganga and Brahmaputra to the Deccan plateau, we are going to cover everything that includes India’s geography.
India is a country that consists of varied geographical landforms. India is filled with various physical features, from mountains and hilly regions to plains and from deserts to islands.
THE MAJOR PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS OF INDIA
Below are the major physiographic divisions of India. You’ll further know how they make India different at every nook and corner.
- The Himalayan Mountains
- The Northern Plains
- The Peninsular Plateau
- The Indian Desert
- The Coastal Plains
- The Islands
THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS
- The Himalayas are one of the loftiest and the most rugged mountain barriers. Being geologically young and structurally folded mountains, they run in the west-east direction from Indus to the Brahmaputra.
- The Himalayas length is 2,400 km, and the width varies from 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Longitudinally, Himalayas consist of three parallel ranges-
The Himadri
- Also known as the Great or Inner Himalayas, these are the northernmost ranges of the Himalayas and the loftiest.
- The average height of the peaks is 6000 metres.
- Composed of granite
- Covered with snow most of the year
- Many glaciers have their origin in these ranges.
Himachal
- Also known as the Lesser Himalayas, they lie to the south of the Great Himalayas.
- Himachal is the most rugged mountain system and is composed of compressed and altered rocks.
- The average height varies from 3700 km to 4500 km, and the average width is 50 km.
- The most important range of the Himachal is Pir Panjal, along with the Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat
- Consist of famous valleys of Kashmir, Kangra and Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh.
The Shiwaliks
- These are the outermost ranges of the Himalayas.
- The height varies between 900 and 1100 metres, while the width is between 10 to 50 km.
- It consists of thick gravel and aluminium- deposits brought down by rivers.
- The valleys lying between Himachal and Shiwaliks are known as Duns. Dehradun, Kotli Dun and Patli Dun are some examples.
The Himalayas can also be divided from west to east based on regions and river valleys.
- Lying between Indus and Satluj – traditionally named Punjab Himalayas, but also called Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya in west and east, respectively
- Lying between Satluj and Kali – Kumaon Himalayas
- Lying between Kali and Teesta – Nepal Himalayas
- Lying between Teesta and Dihang – Assam Himalayas
The Himalayas running in the northeast region of India are called Purvanchal or Eastern hills. They are composed of strong sandstones. The Purvanchal consists of various hills such as the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.
The Brahmaputra is the easternmost boundary of the Himalayas.
THE NORTHERN PLAIN: THE FOOD BOWL OF INDIA
The Northern Plains are extremely fertile, and that is the reason why they are called the “Food Bowl Of India”. Not only geographically, but also historically, these plains hold an important place in our culture. The earliest civilizations, the Indus Valley and the Vedic Civilizations boomed and flourished on these plains.
- The Northern Plains have been formed by three major river systems – the Indus, the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and their tributaries. The northern plain is about 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km wide. It is spread over an area of 7 lakh square km.
- Northern Plains is formed of alluvial soil, formed by the deposition from rivers. Along with dense soil cover, the region is accompanied by a favourable climate and adequate water supply, making the region suitable for agriculture.
- The Northern Plain is divided into three major sections:
I) Punjab Plains – western part of the Northern Plain. It is formed by Indus and its tributaries (the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj). This section of the plain has doabs.
II) Ganga Plain – lies between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers.
III) Brahmaputra Plain – lies in Assam.
- Depending upon biological variations, Northern Plains can be divided into four sections.
i) Bhabar – it is a narrow belt of pebble deposits located parallel to the slopes of Shiwaliks. It is 8 to 16 km in width.
ii) Terai – It is a wet, marshy and swampy region located south of the bhabar belt. The region was densely covered with forests but was cleared off to accommodate migrants from Pakistan.
iii) Bhangar – formed of older alluvium soil, it lies above the floodplains. It is a terrace-like structure that contains calcareous deposits, locally known as kankar.
iv) Khadar – these are newer, the younger deposit of the floodplain formed. They are formed every year and so are fertile for intensive agriculture.
- ❖Tributaries – streams or rivers which join a larger river
- ❖Distributaries – streams or rivers which get branched out of the main river
- ❖Majuli – in Assam – is the largest inhabited riverine island in the world
THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU: THE OLDEST LANDMASS
- The peninsular plateau is part of one of the oldest landmass in the world. It is composed of old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks. The peninsular plateau consists of two sections: the Central highlands and the Deccan plateau
The Central Highlands
- lying to the north of the Narmada river, it covers a significant area of the Malwa plateau. It has the Vindhya range, surrounded by the Satpura range in the south and Aravallis in the northwest.
- It is drained by rivers such as the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken – flowing from southwest to northeast.
- The highlands are broad in their western part and narrow in their eastern part. Its eastern extension is locally called Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.
- The Chotanagpur region, drained by the Damodar river, marks the eastward extension.
The Deccan Plateau
- Lying to the south of Narmada, the Deccan plateau is a triangular mass.
- The Deccan plateau is surrounded in the north; the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range in the east.
- In the northeast, the plateau is known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Prominent hill ranges are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills.
The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats
The Western Ghats
- ✔ located at the western edge of the Deccan plateau.
- ✔ The average elevation is 900 – 1600 metres; the highest peaks include the Anamudi (2695 m) and the Doda Betta (2637 m).
- ✔ Western ghats are a continuous landmass.
The Eastern Ghats
- ✔ It is located at the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau.
- ✔ The average elevation is 600 metres; Mahendragiri (1501 m) is the Eastern Ghats’ highest peak.
- ✔ Eastern ghats are discontinuous and irregular landmass, drained by many rivers.
- Deccan Trap is one of the most crucial features of the Deccan Plateau. It is an area of volcanic origin, and over time, the volcanic hills have eroded, thus responsible for the formation of black soil.
THE INDIAN DESERT
- It is located at the western boundary of the Aravalli Hills.
- It is a sandy plain, covered with dunes. Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) are prominent in large areas, but as one moves towards the Indo-Pakistan border, longitudinal dunes become more common.
- Receives deficient rainfall, below 150 mm per year.
- Arid climate with shallow vegetation
- Consist of only one large liver – Luni
THE COASTAL PLAINS
- India’s coastal plains consist of land running along the Arabain Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
- Eastern Coastal Plains are vast and levelled ground.
❖ The northern part is called the Northern Circar.
❖ The southern part is called the Coromandel Coast.
❖ Consist of deltas of huge rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri
❖ Lake Chilika (largest saltwater lake, Odisha) is an essential feature of the eastern coast. It is located to the south of the Mahanadi delta.
- Western Coastal Plains are narrow and lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
❖ The northern part is called the Konkan (Mumbai-Goa)
❖ The central part is called the Kannad Plain.
❖ The southern part is called the Malabar Coast.
THE ISLANDS
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The Lakshadweep Islands
❖ Located south of the Malabar coast of Kerela, the Lakshadweep islands are composed of small coral islands.
❖ In 1973, different islands were combined to form the Lakshadweep islands, of which the Kavaratti island serve as the administrative headquarter.
❖ It covers an area of 32 square km; it consists of diverse flora and fauna.
❖ The Pitti island is uninhabited, and it has a bird sanctuary.
-
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands
❖ Lying in the Bay of Bengal, the islands are bigger in size and large in number.
❖ The islands in the north are the Andaman, while the group in the south are the Nicobar.
❖ The islands are believed to be an extension of some submarine mountain system, consist of thick forests.
❖ As the islands lie near the equator, so it experiences equatorial climatic conditions.
- India’s active volcano lies on Barren Island of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Coral polyps are microscopic organisms, which thrive in mud-free shallow waters; they are short-lived- and live-in colonies. They secret calcium carbonate. The secretions, along with the skeletons deposits, form reefs. Reefs are of three types – barrier reef, fringing reef and atolls.
As one can see, the varied physical features play a crucial role in the development of a country. The proper use of resources can lead a country and its citizens to the path of development. Mountains provide a barrier against the extremities of climate and provide fertile soil in the delta region of rivers. Rivers, being a storehouse of water, are a source of livelihood for many people. Plateaus are rich in minerals, while coastal areas are sites for trade activities with different parts of the world.
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Important Faq
How many Chapters are there NCERT Social Science Class 9 Geography Textbook?
There are total 6 chapters in NCERT Class 9 Geography followed by CBSE.
How the Chapter 2 Physics Features of India Class 9 Notes is defined by NCERT?
NCERT has defined the chapter in depth. We have provided here Notes on this chapter including summary and elaboration of important keywords.
Is Physical Features of India Class 9 Chapter 2 Notes also helpful for UPSC / SSC Level Students?
Yes Of course. This page is especially designed by UPSC Passed Teachers for students of class 9 and also for competitive level aspirants.