INDIAN GEOGRAPHY PHYSIOGRAPHY “Fastest Continent” India is the largest country in the Indian subcontinent lying India is entirely contained on the Indian Plate, a major tectonic entirely in the Northern Hemi- plate that was formed when it split off from the ancient continent Gondwanaland. About 50 to 55 million years ago, in the Eocene sphere. epoch of the Cenozoic Era, the plate collided with Asia after The mainland extends from lati- covering a distance of 2,000 to 3,000 km (1,243 to 1,864 miles), tude 8°4’ north to 37°6’ north having moved faster than any other known” This plate. is causing India is thethus and from longitude 68° 7’ east “fastest continent. referred to as the to 97°25’ east. Eurasian Plate to deform, and the India Plate to compress at a The southernmost point in In- rate of 4 mm/yr (0.15 in/yr). dian territory, the Indira Point is situated at 6°30’ north in the The Indian mainland can be divided into Nicobar Islands. five physiographic units namely India stretches 3,214 km from i. The Great Mountains of the North north to south and 2,933 km ii. The North Indian Plains from east to west. The total length of the main- iii. The Peninsular Plateau land coastline is nearly 6,100 iv. The Coastal Plains km and that of the land frontier v. The Islands is about 15,200km. The total length of the coastline includ- dence, the country was divided bicameral legislatures. Legis- ing that of the islands, is about into hundreds of small states lative power is distributed be- 7,500 km. and principalities. tween Parliament and state leg- With an area of about 32,87,263 The princely states were reor- islatures. sq.km., India is the seventh ganized on the linguistic basis largest country in the world, in 1956 to form 14 states and 6 Northern Mountains accounting for about 2.4% of union territories. The mountains of the north are young fold mountains. total world area. Now, the Indian Union con- The northern most point of the sists of 28 states, 6 union terri- The Himalayas are the most country lies in the state of tories and one national capital prominent among these Jammu and Kashmir and it is territory (Delhi). mountain ranges. Besides known as Indira Col. In 23 states, the legislature is this, the trans-Himalayan Administrative Divisions unicameral. Bihar, Jammu and ranges and the hill ranges of Kashmir, Karnataka, Maha Purvachal are the important At the time of Indian indepen- rashtra and Uttar Pradesh have units. Deputy Collector Rank File The Himalayas Neighbours of India It is one of the youngest India shares her borders with China (Chinese Tibetan Autonomous mountain systems in the world Region), Nepal and Bhutan in north, Pakistan and Afghanistan in and comprise mainly north-west and Myanmar in east. sedimentary rocks. Bangladesh forms almost an enclave within India on the eastern side. The Indus valley in Kashmir In the south, on the eastern side, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk and the Brahmaputra valley in Strait separate India from Sri Lanka. Arunachal Pradesh are The boundary between India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China is known accepted as the western and as McMohan Line. the eastern limits of the The boundary line between the imperial India and Afghanistan is Himalayas in India. known as Durand Line. The Himalayan region is The boundary between India and Pakistan is known as Radcliff Line. considered the largest snow India is surrounded by the Indian ocean on its three sides, thus it is field in the world outside the a subcontinent. The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are its two polar ice caps. northward extensions. India and its neighbours Pakistan, Nepal and The Himalayan chain measures Bhutan are known as the Indian sub-continent. about 2,500 km from west to east The northern most tip, where the boundaries of China, India, Paki- and width of this fold system stan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan meet is known as ‘Wakh Corridor’. varies between 150 and 400km. According to the plate The Himalayas is the high- Kanchenjunga in Sikkim is the tectonics theory, the Indian highest peak of the Himalayas est mountain range in the plate moved northwards and its in India. (8598 m). world and also the young- forward edge penetrated below Highest Mountain Peak in In- est mountain range. the southern edge of the dia is K2 (8611 m). Longest Mountain Range is Tibetan plate. This resulted in It is in Pak occupied Kashmir. Andes in South America. the folding and uplift of the The northernmost Himalayan Himalayas. ranges are called the Great or The Himalayas consist of three Inner or Central Himalayas parallel ranges. (Himadri). Beyond this range To the south of the Central (i) The southernmost range, lies another range called the Himalayas lies the second called the Siwalik is the Tethys or the Tibetan major range, the Lesser or lowest. Himalayas beyond which lies Lower or Middle Himalayas or (ii) The ranges lying north of the structural zone called the Himachal. It is separated from the Siwalik are known as Indo-Tsangpo Suture zone. the Great Himalayas by the the middle Himalayas or structural zone called the Main the Himachal. Central Thrust Zone. (iii) The northernmost ranges Mount Everest or The Himalayan rivers have cut of the Himalayas, known as Sagarmatha, the highest deep gorges in the Himachal. the Himadri, are the high- mountain peak (8,850 m) in the In the Lesser Himalayas, slate, est with an average height world belongs to Himadri. Other limestones and quartzites are of more than 6,000 metres important peaks of this range are the dominant rocks. above the sea level. Kanchenjunga (8,598m), The southernmost range of The Himadri contain some of Makalu (8,481m) and the Himalayan system is called the world's highest peaks. Dhaulagiri (8,172m). outer or sub-Himalayas or Si- Mt. Everest (8848 m) in Nepal waliks. In between the outer is the world's highest peak. Himalayas and the lower Hima- layas lies the main boundary thrust. This valley zone is KARAKORAM RANGES known by the name of doons The mountains extending between the Pamir plateau and and duars. the Indus river in Kashmir are known as the Karakoram. The abode of snow The Karakoram mountains contain the Siachen, which is Mountains between the Indus the world's largest mountain glacier. and the Brahmaputra are called Extend from the Pamir, east of the Gilgit River, 600 km long 'the Himalayas' meaning 'the and the average width - 120-140 km. abode of snow.' Ancient name was Krishnagiri. Ladakh Range lies to the Trans Himalaya, originally a part of Eurasian plate. south of the Karakoram Range Abode of largest glaciers in India. Siachin, Baltoro, Biafo, and Hisper glaciers. between the Indus and its World’s second highest peak (in India): K2 or Godwin tributary the Shyok River and Austen (8611m). extends upto Mustang in Other Important Peaks:Gasherbrum I or Hidden Peak, Broad Tibet, over a distance of about Peak and Gasherbrum II. 1,000km. The Trans- The Siachin Galcier occupying the Nubra valley is about Himalayan Kailas Range is an 75 km long and it is considered the largest glacier outside offshoot of this range and the polar areas. Mount Kailas (6,500m) is the highest peak in it. is a classical example. It is right- boundary of India are called Zaskar Range lies south of the ly described as 'paradise on the Purvanchal. Ladakh Range and the Greater earth'. Nanga Parbat in Kashmir and Himalayas lie to its south. It is The other important valleys are Nandadevi in U.P. are the other often considered the western Kulu and Kangra in Himachal two important peaks of the Hi- part of the Greater Himalayan Pradesh. malaya. Range. The Nanga Parbat The doons in the Kumayun Hi- (8,126m) marks it culmination malaya of Uttar Pradesh are in the north-west. Kamet also well known. (7,756m) is the highest peak. The Brahmaputra marks the The Himalayas are known for eastern-most geographical lim- some of the beautiful valleys of it of the Himalaya. the world. The Kashmir valley Mountains along the eastern The Himalayas are regionally divided into Punjab Himalayas, Kumaon Himalayas, Nepal Himalayas, Assam Himalayas. NAME LOCATION D IS TA N C E Punjab Himalaya Between Indus and Satluj 5 6 0 k m Kumaon Himalaya Between Satluj and Kali 3 2 0 k m N epal Himalaya Between K ali and Tista 8 0 0 k m Assam Himalaya Between Tista and Dihang 7 2 0 k m Deputy Collector Rank File Important passes of Himalayas Kashmir : Burzil and Zoji-la The Eastern Ghats are irregular hill ranges that Himachal Pradesh : Bara Lacha-la, Shipki-la. stretch from northern Orissa to the Nilgiris in Uttaranchal : Thanga-la, Niti-la, Lipu-Lekhla Tamil Nadu across the coastal Andhra. Sikkim - Nathula, Jelepla Khybar pass is the most famous pass which leads The Satpura range extends from the Narmada from Peshwar to Kabul. valley in the north to the Tapti valley in the south. South of Khybar pass is the Gomal Pass (it is in The 800 km range Aravallis stretching from the Pakistan). north-east to the south - west of India sepa- The Bolan Pass leads from Kandahar to Quetta. rates the semi-desert regions of Rajasthan from The Purvachal Hills in the north-east consist of the fertile Udaipur and Jaipur regions. the Patkai-Bum, the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia and Lushai Hills. Aravallis is the oldest mountain range in India.