Indian Geography
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+91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] INDIAN GEOGRAPHY www.OnlineIAS.com www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 1 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] CONTENTS Sl. No. TOPICS Pg. No. INDIAN GEOGRAPHY 1. Physiography of India.......................................................................... 7 2. Climate o f India................................................................................... 16 3. Soils of India ........................................................................................ 19 4. Natural Vegetation .............................................................................. 22 5. Flora and Fauna. ................................................................................. 25 6. Agriculture ............................................................................................ 29 7. Irrigation................................................................................................ 35 8. Animal Husbandry & Fisheries ....................................................... 39 9. Minerals in India ................................................................................. 44 10. Industries in India............................................................................... 48 11. Energy Resources ................................................................................ 57 12. Transport & Communication............................................................ 63 www.OnlineIAS.com www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 2 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] www.OnlineIAS.com www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 3 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] INDIAN GEOGRAPHY www.OnlineIAS.com www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 4 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] www.OnlineIAS.com www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 5 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] PHYSIOGRAPHY OF INDIA India is the seventh largest and second most Northern Mountains populous country in the world. Its area is 2.4% of the total world area but about 16% of the entire The mountain ranges and plateaus of the human races reside in its fold. In population, only north Kashmir, the Himalayas and the hill ranges the mainland china exceeds that of India. of Nagaland, East Assam, Manipur and Mizoram India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and from a conspicuous mountain system bordering Bhutan form the well-defined realm of south Asia the country in the North. often referred to as the Indian sub-continent. HIMALAYAS Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere (i) The Greater Himalayas/Himadri/ Inner (tropical zone), the Indian mainland extends Himalayas: They comprise the northern most ° ° between the latitude - 8 4' N to 37 6’N and ranges having an average height of 6000 m with ° ° longitude - 68 7' E to 97 25’E. The southernmost breadth ranging from 120 to 190 km. Conforming point in the Indian territory, the Indira Point, is the syntaxial bend to the underlying rocks, it is an situated at 6°30' north in the Andaman and asymmetrical mountain throwing very few Nicobar islands. The tropic of cancer passes spurs southward. through the centre of India. Important peaks of this system include Mt. India covers an area of 3,287 sq. Km. and Everest (8,848 m) at Kathmandu in Nepal, measures about 3,214 km. from north to south and Kanchanjunga (8,598 m), Dhaulagiri (8,172 m) about 2,933 Km east to west. The total length of Nanda Devi (7,817m) Nanga Parbat (8,126m). the mainland coastland is nearly 6,200 km and Important passes are Bara Lacha La and Shipki La land frontier about 15,200 km. (in Himachal Pradesh), Thaga La Niti Pass and Lipulekh (Uttarakhand); Nathu La and Jelep La, The boundary line between India and China (Sikkim); and Burzil pass and Zojila pass is called the McMahon line. To the north-west, (Kashmir). India, shares a boundary mainly with Pakistan and to the east with Myanmar and Bangladesh. (ii) The Lesser/ Middle Himalayas: They The Indian Ocean lies in the south. In the south, have an average height of about 3,500 to 5,000 on the eastern side, the www.OnlineIAS.comGulf of Mannar and the metres and average width of 60 to 80 km. It Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka. The extends in the North of Siwalik range. Important Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of ranges include the Dhauladhar, the Pir Panjal and the Musoorie range. Hills and resorts are Shimla, Bengal and the Lakshadweep islands in the Musoorie, Nainital, Almora, Darjeeling etc. Arabian Sea are parts of the Indian territory. (iii) The Outer Himalayas/Shiwaliks: They India’s relief is marked by a great variety. are the foothills running parallel to the India can be divided into five major Himalayas. Average height is 1,000 to 1,500 physiographic units: metres. It is a chain of low-lying hills formed 1. The Northern Mountains through fluvial deposits like sand, clay and pebbles. Dehradun valley; Udhampur and Kotli 2. The Great Northern Plains valleys have developed into good human 3. The Peninsular Plateau. settlements. 4. The Coastal Plains Siwalik or Outer Himalayas is a hogback structure formed of river born deposits in the 5. The Islands www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 6 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] latest phase of Himalayas uplift in Middle The Kumaon Himalay as have important Miocene to lower Pleistocene age. It descends peaks like Nanda Devi; Badrinath Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri are located here. northwards to flat-floored structured valleys called “Duns”. It is covered with thick tropical The Central Himalayas extend from river Kali wet deciduous forests in the east. to river Tista. Important peaks are Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Mt. Everest and Kanchanjunga. This TRANS-HIMALAYAS range is known as the Sikkim Himalaya in Sikkim; They comprise Karakoram and the Kailash Darjeeling Himalaya in West Bengal, and Bhutan Himalaya in Bhutan. mountain systems. Mt. K2 (Godwin Austin - 8,611m) which is now in Pakistan occupied Indian Glaciers Kashmir is located in the Karakoram. Another Jammu and Kashmir important peak is Hidden Peak (8,068m). The Siachen Glacier Nubra Chong Drang Siachen glacier (72km) - largest in India is situated Kumdan Drung in Nubra valley in this region. Other glaciers are Himachal Pradesh Baltoro (60 km), Biafo (60 km) and Hispar (62 km). Bara Shigri Chandra Chandra Bhadal PURVANCHAL OR EASTERN HILLS Nahan Bhaga Mukkila Sonapani the ady After crossing the Dihang gorge in the east, of the Himalayas bend towards South forming a eylong series of hills with a north-south direction, convex Gora Perad Parbati Beas side facing the west. These hills are made up of and Kund sedimentary rocks and are highly dissected. Their Dudhon heights vary from 500m to 3,000m. The ‘Patkai Bum’ forms the boundary between India Sikkim (Arunachal Pradesh) and Burma. Further South Zemu Glacier Rathong Lonak is the Naga Hills, boundary between Nagaland Uttarakhand and which forms Burma. Saramati (3,826m) is the Gangotri Kalabaland Meola highest peak. Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Mikir, Dapha, Milam Mini and Abor are other important hills of the Namik PanchchuliPindari Ralam north-eastern region. Mawsynram with Sona Kafni Sunderdhunga maximum rainfall in the world is located on the Assam & Nepal Chemayungdung Khumbu Khasi hills in Meghalaya. (l00 km) REGIONAL DIVISIONS OF HIMALAYA Passes Region wise, the Himalayas are divided into; Niti Pass ... Zaskar Range Dharma Pass ... Zaskar Range (a) The Kashmir Himalayas Thal Ghat Pass ... Sahyadri (b) The Punjab Himalayaswww.OnlineIAS.com Bhorghat Pass ... Sahyadri Nanaghat Pass ... Sahyadri (c) The Kumaon Himalayas Palghat ... Between Nilgiris & (d) The Central Himalayas Annamalai (e) The Eastern Himalayas Pir Panjal ... Pir Panjal Range Banihal ... Main gateway to the The Kashmir Himalayas cover an area of 3, valley of Kashmir from the 50,000 sq. km. Main subdivisions are Karakoram plains of India range in north, Ladakh plateau, the Valley of Bolan ... Between Kirthar and Kashmir and the Pir Panjal range. Banihal is an Sulaiman Range important pass. Khyber ... North of Sulaiman Range Gomal ... North of Kirthar The Punjab Himalay as have important passes like Zojila, Rohtang and Bara Lacha La. Mala ... Zaskar Range Kangra, Lahul and Spiti Valleys are known for Nathu La ... Sikkim Himalaya their scenic beauty. Jelep La ... Sikkim Himalaya www.OnlineIAS.com N. Kalyana Chakravarthy 7 +91-9246365622 Vidyarthi - Bharat Ki Shakti [email protected] its boundary in the north-west, Rajmahal Hills in Great Northern Plains the north and north-east. South of about 220N latitude, the Sahyadris (Western Ghats) and the The great plains are an aggradational surface Eastern Ghats form the western and eastern of great extent formed after the Himalayas. These boundaries respectively. are formed by the Indus, the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. The Great Plains stretch in On the basis of variation in relief, further the east-west direction between the Himalayas in divisions of the Peninsular Plateau may be made the north and the peninsular plateau in the as follows: south. Width varies from 500 km in Punjab- (a) The Aravalli Range: It is one of the oldest Rajasthan to 200 km. in Bihar. It covers an area of fold mountains of the world. The highest peak is over 7 lakh sq. km. Important characteristics Gurushikhar (1,722m) in Mount Abu Hills. The include - Bhabar (unsorted