BY Harish Sir
The Himalayan Ranges
Overview
1. Location & Formation:
o Young mountain range running along India's northern border.
o Formed due to the collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate.
o Stretches 2500 km from the Indus Gorge in the west to the Dihang Gorge in the east.
o Curves southward after the Dihang Gorge, extending to Myanmar as Arakan Yoma.
States in the Himalayan Region of India
State/Region % Share of Geographical Area in Indian Himalayas
Jammu & Kashmir 41.65%
Himachal Pradesh 10.43%
Uttarakhand 10.02%
Sikkim 1.33%
BY Harish Sir
West Bengal Hills 0.59%
Meghalaya 4.20%
Assam Hills 2.87%
Tripura 1.97%
Mizoram 3.95%
Manipur 4.18%
Nagaland 3.11%
Arunachal Pradesh 15.69%
Himalayan Ranges: Key Features
1. Length & Width:
o Stretches 2400 km, forming an arc.
o Width: 400 km in Kashmir to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
2. Topography:
o Contains the world’s highest peaks, glaciers, gorges, and deep valleys.
BY Harish Sir
o Eastern Himalayas have greater height variations compared to the western region.
3. Barriers:
o Climatic barrier blocking cold winds from Central Asia.
o Influences monsoon patterns, drainage, and cultural diversity.
4. Components:
o Includes the Purvanchal Hills, Trans Himalayas, and the main Himalayan range.
Divisions:
o Acts as a barrier between the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian subcontinent.
o Divided into three ranges:
1. Inner Himalayas (Himadri/Greater Himalayas)
2. Middle Himalayas (Himachal)
3. Outer Himalayas (Shivalik).
BY Harish Sir
Three Divisions of the Himalayas
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1. Himadri (Greater Himalayas):
o Northernmost and highest range, always snow-covered.
o Average height: 6000 m; width: 120-190 km.
o Peaks: Mt. Everest (8850 m), Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586 m), Mt. Makalu (8481 m).
o Rivers: Yamuna, Ganga originate here.
o Core made of granite; includes major glaciers.
2. Himachal (Lesser Himalayas):
o Runs parallel to the Himadri; average height: 4500 m.
o Width: 60-80 km.
o Key valleys: Kangra, Kashmir, Kulu.
o Peaks: Pir Panjal (longest range), Dhauladhar, Naag Tibba.
o Hill stations: Shimla, Darjeeling, Nainital.
o Rich in herbs.
3. Shivalik (Outer Himalayas):
o Youngest and southernmost range.
BY Harish Sir
o Height: 600-1200 m; width: 10-50 km.
o Features duns (e.g., Dehradun) and bughyals (grasslands).
o No glaciers; forests and small grasslands dominate.
Formation of the Himalayas
1. Plate Tectonics:
o Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate.
o Rocks of the Tethys Ocean pushed up, forming high peaks.
2. Phases:
o Phase 1: ~100 million years ago.
o Phase 2: ~71 million years ago.
o Phase 3: Formation of Drass volcanic arc.
o Phase 4: Rise of Greater Himalayas.
o Phase 5: Rise of Lesser Himalayas.
o Phase 6: Formation of Shivalik ranges.
BY Harish Sir
Biodiversity in the Himalayas
1. Flora:
o Deodars, pines, firs, azaleas.
o Diverse vegetation varies with altitude:
▪ Tropical (up to 1000 m),
▪ Temperate (up to 3000 m),
▪ Alpine (above 3000 m).
2. Fauna:
o Tigers, snow leopards, sparrows, snow cocks, and pigeons.
3. Significance:
o Influences India's climate by blocking monsoons and retaining moisture.
o Origin of major rivers, e.g., Ganga, Yamuna.
Economic Importance
1. Crops:
o Terrace farming: Rice, wheat, maize, potatoes.
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o Shivalik: Tea plantations.
o Fruits: Apples, pears, cherries, walnuts, apricots.
2. Energy Security:
o Rivers support hydropower and thermal electricity generation.
o Indo-Gangetic plains depend on Himalayan rivers.
Impact of Climate Change
1. Affects glacier melting and river flow.
2. Impacts livelihoods of 500 million+ people in Indo-Gangetic plains.
3. Threatens energy security and agricultural productivity.
Natural Disasters in Himalayas
1. Rockfalls, landslides, and slope failures due to earthquakes and rainfall.
2. Over 140 hydropower projects in fragile zones like Chamoli and Kedarnath increase risks.
BY Harish Sir
MCQs based on the Himalayan Ranges
1. Which of the following is the northernmost 3. What is the average height of the Himachal
and highest Himalayan range? range?
A. Himachal A. 4500 m
B. Shivalik B. 6000 m
C. Himadri C. 2000 m
D. Trans Himalayas D. 1200 m
Answer: C. Himadri Answer: A. 4500 m
2. The Himalayan Mountain range is 4. Which of the following rivers originates in
approximately how long? the Himadri range?
A. 2400 km A. Godavari
B. 1500 km B. Yamuna
C. 3200 km C. Narmada
D. 1800 km D. Brahmaputra
Answer: A. 2400 km Answer: B. Yamuna
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7. What percentage of the geographical area of
5. Which phase of the Himalayan formation the Indian Himalayas is located in Jammu &
involved the rise of the Greater Himalayas? Kashmir?
A. Phase 1 A. 10.43%
B. Phase 2 B. 15.69%
C. Phase 4 C. 41.65%
D. Phase 6 D. 25.00%
Answer: C. Phase 4 Answer: C. 41.65%
6. The term 'duns' refers to which of the 8. Which of the following is the largest and
following features of the Shivalik range? longest range in the Himachal division?
A. Glaciers A. Dhauladhar
B. Valleys B. Pir Panjal
C. Grasslands C. Naag Tibba
D. Rivers D. Aravalli
Answer: B. Valleys Answer: B. Pir Panjal
9. The Himalayas influence India’s climate by:
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A. Attracting cyclones from the Arabian Sea. 11. What is the width of the Himalayas in
B. Blocking cold winds from Central Asia. Arunachal Pradesh?
C. Increasing temperature in the southern A. 400 km
plains. B. 150 km
D. Deflecting the monsoon towards the western C. 120 km
coast. D. 50 km
Answer: B. Blocking cold winds from Central Answer: B. 150 km
Asia.
12. Which range does not have glaciers?
10. Which of the following states has the
highest percentage share in the Indian A. Himadri
Himalayas after Jammu & Kashmir? B. Himachal
C. Trans Himalayas
A. Arunachal Pradesh D. Shivalik
B. Himachal Pradesh Answer: D. Shivalik
C. Uttarakhand
D. Meghalaya
Answer: A. Arunachal Pradesh 13. The formation of the Shivalik ranges
occurred during which phase?
BY Harish Sir
A. Phase 2 C. Tornadoes
B. Phase 4 D. Droughts
C. Phase 5 Answer: B. Landslides
D. Phase 6
Answer: D. Phase 6
15. Which of the following is a major economic
activity in the Shivalik range?
14. Which of the following natural disasters is A. Hydropower generation
commonly associated with the Himalayan B. Rice farming
region? C. Tea plantations
A. Tsunamis D. Mining
B. Landslides Answer: C. Tea plantations
.