Describe the major physical division of India. [V. Imp.]
India has a diverse physical features, such as mountains, plateaus, plains, coasts and islands.
1.The Himalayas. The Himalayas stand sentinels in the north. The Himalayas mountains are divided into three main parallel ranges. The northernmost is the Great Himalaya or Himadri. The world's highest peaks are located in this range. Middle Himalayas or Himachal lies to the south of Himadri. The Shiwalik is the southernmost range.
2.The Northern Indian Plains. They lie to the south of the Himalayas. They are usually level and flat. These are fertile regions and are suitable for cultivation. Thick population is found here.
3.’ The Great Indian Desert. It lies to the western part of the country. It is a sandy stretch of land. Rainfall is very poor, hence very little vegetation is found here.
4.The Peninsular Plateau. It is triangular in shape. It lies to the south of northern plains. Its relief is highly uneven. Numerous hill ranges and valleys are found here. Aravali hills lie to the north-west side. The Vindhyas and the Satpuras are other important ranges. The Narmada and Tapi flow through these ranges. These west-flowing rivers fall into the Arabian Sea. On the west of the plateau lie the Western Ghats also known as Sahyadris. On the east lie the Eastern Ghats. This plateau is rich in minerals like coal and iron ore.
5.Coastal Plains. They lie to the West of the Western Ghats and East of the Eastern Ghats. The rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri (all east flowing rivers) fall into the Bay of Bengal. They have formed fertile deltas at their mouth. <
6.Islands. Two groups of islands are integral part of the country. Lakshadweep islands are located in the Arabian Sea while Andaman and Nicobar islands lie to the South-east of the Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal.
What is the difference between the western coastal plains and the eastern coastal plains? [V. Imp.]
State whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).
(i) Lakshadweep islands are coral islands.
(ii) The eastern coastal plains are much broader.
(iii) The Northern Indian plains lie to the south of the Himalayas.
(iv) The Bay of Bengal lies east to India.
(v) Canada has five time zones.
(vi) High concentration of population is found in plateaus.
Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) Name the major physical divisions of India.
(b) India shares its land boundaries with seven countries – Name them.
(c) Which two major rivers fall into the Arabian Sea?
(d) Name the delta formed by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra
(e) How many States and Union Territories are there in India? Which states have a common capital?
(f) Why do a large number of people live in the Northern Plains?
(g) Why is Lakshadweep known as a coral island?
Fill in the blanks.
(a)India has an area of about…………..
(b)The Greater Himalayas are also known as……………
(c)The largest state in India in terms of area is……………..
(d)’The river Narmada falls into the……………
(e)The latitude that runs almost halfway through India is ……………….
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words to complete each sentence:
(i) India is the second most populous country of the world after …………………..
(ii) The Himalayan mountains are divided into …………… main parallel ranges.
(iii) The Great Indian desert lies to the ……………. part of India.
(iv) …….. and ……….. are west-flowing rivers that fall into the Arabian Sea.
(v) Lakshadweep islands are located in the ………………..
(vi) The western coastal plains are very……………….