Magbook ~ Continents 105

— These highlands known as the Laurentian highlands in — The summers are hot except in the Northern parts. Only
Canada and the Appalachians highlands in the USA. Their the Arctic zone and the Western Cordilleras are very cold.
Eastern slopes facing the Atlantic ocean are very steep The Atlantic and the Pacific coasts, especially where they
causing waterfalls flows to the coast. A number of mineral are washed by the cold currents are less hot than the
resources like coal, copper and lead are found here. interior. However, places like New York suffer from heat
waves when warm air moves up from the South. Ocean
The Central Lowland currents also influence temperature and rainfall in North
— It lies between the Western Cordillera and the Eastern America.
highlands which is extending over a distance of 2000 km. — The Western coast in the North faces the winds coming
From the delta of river Mackenzie in the North to the edge from the West known as the Westerlies. The winds bring
of the coastal plain in Texas in the South, its extension is heavy rainfall to the Pacific coast throughout the year.
more than 6000 km. However, parts of South-West United States and
— In the West, they are known as high plains because of the North-West Mexico remain extremely dry. For instance,
greater altitudes. Canadian shield is its Northern part. The Arizona has less than 25 cm of annual rainfall. Hence,
Central and Southern parts are a vast low and flat river this area is a desert.
basin of the Missouri-Mississippi. This river basin has very — The South-Eastern coast comes under the influence of the
fertile soil and is rich in agricultural resources. trade winds. The North-East trade winds bring equally
The Western Cordilleras heavy rainfall to the highlands of East Central America and
the West Indies.
— The Western part of the continent is a mountainous region
known as the Western Cordilleras. Parallel ranges of — In winter, there are wider regional variations in
young fold mountains stretches from Alaska in the North temperature than in summer. Winters are cold over much
to Andes in the South along the entire length of the of North America. Winter temperature is much below the
continent. freezing point in the Northern and central parts. Cold
waves are sometimes experienced even on the Northern
— The Western Cordilleras consist of several parallel ranges.
shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Rainfall decreases in the
The rocky mountain is most prominent among them. The
interior parts. In the extreme North of the continent, the
Coastal range and the Sierra Nevada are the two other
winters are long and snow covers the ground for 8 to 9
ranges. These ranges enclose a few inter-montane
months. This is an area of permafrost, i.e., permanently
plateaus. The Great Basin is the largest inter-montane
frozen sub-soil.
plateau of this continent. As the waters of its rivers do not
reach the oceans, it forms an area of inland drainage. — The summers are short and comparatively cool. During
this period, only mosses, lichens, grasses etc grow. This
— South of the Great Basin is the Colorado plateau. The
region is known as Tundra. Polar bear, caribou, musk-ox
Colorado river and its tributaries have deep cut valleys in
and reindeer are the important animal of this region.
the soft rocks of this region. At places, many of the gorges
are as much as 1800 m deep. Such very long and deep — To the South of Tundra region is a wide belt of coniferous
gorges with wall-like sides are known as canyons. The forests known as the Taiga. The Taiga stretches from
Grand Canyon of Colorado is the largest. Atlantic to the Pacific across Canada. The forest consists
of balsam, fir and white and red pines, which produce
— The Western Cordilleras also have many active volcanoes
softwood.
in Alaska and Mexico. In these areas, heat from the
interior of the Earth penetrates through the cracks to boil — Similar forests are also found on the higher slopes of the
the ground water and sends it up to the surface in hot Western Cordilleras in the United States. These areas
springs called geysers. The most famous geyser is the experience severe winters and short, warm summers.
‘Old Faithful’ in the Yellow Stone National [Link] Precipitation is less and that too mostly in the form of
Western Cordilleras are covered with forests of fir spruce snow. The top of mountains are always covered with snow
and cedar. The area is also rich in coal, lead, zinc, gold and permanent ice.
and copper. — South of the Taiga region is the zone of mixed forests lies
in South-East Canada and North-East United States. Here,
Climate and Natural Vegetation rainfall is moderate, winters are cold and summers are
— The Western highlands and the Appalachian mountain fairly warm. This belt has coniferous as well as deciduous
play an important role in shaping the climate of the forests. They have trees like beech, birch, maple and oak.
continent. These relief features leave the central plains — Tropical forests are found in Central America, Eastern
open to the influence of both the cold winds from the parts of Mexico and the West Indies. Here, rainfall is very
North and the warm winds from the South. heavy and the temperature is always high. The common
trees of this forest are palm, mahogany and log wood.
106 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Grasslands are found in the interior plains of North

—
America. They are known as the prairies. The prairies are
Physical Features
known for tall and nutritious grasses. This zone has very South America can be divided into four physical regions,
cold winters and hot summers. Rainfall is light, occur which are as follows:
mostly in summer.
The Western Coastal Strip
— The extreme South-West part of the United States and
— There is a narrow strip of lowland along the Pacific coast
North-Western Mexico receive very scanty rainfall. They
in the Western part of South America between the
form a rocky and sandy desert. Winters are cold and
oceans and Andes. It stretches from North to South with
summers are hot here. The natural vegetation consists of a
great variations in its width ranging from 80 km to 8 km.
variety of cactus plants and thorny bushes.
It is the longest coastal plain in the world. The coastline
— The mediterranean type of climate is found on the West of South America is smooth and regular. The
coast of California. Here, summers are hot and dry and South-Western coast of the continent has fiords or deep
winters are mild with moderate rainfall. Trees consist of inlets of the sea into mountainous land.
olive, pine, orange and cork oak.
The Western Mountains
Drainage Pattern — Along the Western part of South America, mountains
— Drainage pattern of North America can be grouped run from the Caribbean sea to the very Southern tip of
according to the seas the rivers drained into. River St South America i.e. Magellan’s strait. These are called
Lawrence falls into the Atlantic ocean. It is the busiest the Andes. They formed the second highest mountain
inland water way in North America. The Hudson river flows systems in the world next to the Himalayas. They are
through the Appalachian mountain. It is joined to the Great fold mountains.
Lakes by the Erie canal. — There are three main ranges in the Andes. Two of them
— Swift flowing rivers from the Appalachians have been used on the Eastern side are very high. These ranges come
for hydro-electric power generation. St Lawrence and the closer at a few points and separated again. In between
Great Lakes provide the largest inland waterways in the these ranges, there are high plateaus. The Bolivian
world as they link the highly industrialised parts of USA and plateau is one of them. Lake Titicaca, one of the largest
Canada. lakes of South America, is located in this plateau region.
— The Mackenzie river flows Northward to the Arctic ocean — The Andes have several lofty peaks. Mount Aconcagua is
and passes through a very thinly populated forested region. the highest peak of Andes. It is 7021 m high above sea
The Mississippi river flows Southwards through level. Being a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Andes
well-developed farmlands. It is used to carry goods such as have several volcanic peaks. Some of them are active,
cotton, timber and petroleum.
which others are dormant or extinct. Mount Cotopaxi in
Ecuador and Mount Chimborazo are the highest active
South America volcanoes in the world.
— It is the fourth largest continent and roughly triangular in
shape. It is 12% of Earth’s land, covering an area of
The Central Plains
17819000 sq km. Its latitudinal extent is from 12° 28’ N to — They lie between the Andes and the Eastern highlands.
55° 59’ S and longitudinal extent from 28° 51’ W to 82° W. The Central plains mainly consist of the basins of
The 60° meridian divides the continent length-wise into two Orinoco, the Amazon and the Plata. At the river mouths,
halves. Its East-West extent is 4990 km and North-South there are inlets which are used as harbours.
extent is 7640 km.
— It lies to the South of North America. It is surrounded by
The Eastern Highlands
the Caribbean sea in the North, Atlantic ocean in the East, — The Guyana highlands in the North and the Brazilian
Antarctic ocean in the South and Pacific ocean in the West. highlands in the South along the Eastern coast form the
Most part of the continent lies in the Southern hemisphere. Eastern highlands. The river Amazon separates them.
The equator passes through the Northern part of the They are made of hard old rocks and have steep cliffs
continent. The Tropic of Capricorn runs roughly through the along the East coast and slope, gently towards the
middle. So, about two-third of the continent, lies in the Central plains. Towards the Central lowlands, the Eastern
tropical belt South of the equator. It lies to the West of highlands is known as the plateau of Matogrosso.
Prime Meridian.
Magbook ~ Continents 107

llanas. In the South, in Central Brazil they are

Drainage System known as campos. In this region, there is a
Four major drainage basins are found in South America. They are : distinct dry period and the rain occurs mainly in
The Amazon Basin summer.
— The Amazon is the largest river in the world as it discharges the — In the lowlands of Northern Argentina and
greatest volume of water. It rises in the Andes and after flowing Western Paraguay, it is dry during winter and
through the entire width of Brazil falls into the Atlantic ocean. It is wet during summer. Rains are heavy. This region
6280 km long. The major tributaries of this river are river Caquetá, is covered with thick forests and grasslands,
the Jurua, the Madeira and the Negro etc. locally known as the Gran Chaco.
— Parts of Southern Peru and Northern Chile have a
The Plata Basin
typical hot desert type of climate. This region is
— It is second in size to that of Amazon, having an area which is more
known as the Atacama desert. Its natural
than 4.1 million sq km. Main rivers like Paraguay, Uruguay and the
vegetation consists of scrubs, prickly pear and
Parana form the basin of this Plata river.
cactus. Further South, that is in central Chile,
The Orinoco Basin there is the mediterranean type of climate. This
— It is the third largest drainage system of South America having its region has rainy winters and warm and dry
drainage area of 947940 sq km. It rises in the Guiana highland and summers. Its vegetation consists of evergreen
traverses 2740 km to meet the Atlantic ocean. The Angel Falls is forests with trees having thick and shining leaves,
the highest water fall in the world which is situated on river Churn, which are able to resist to summer droughts.
which is a tributary of river Caroni, which is further a tributary of — In the extreme South, i.e. in the Southern Chile,
river Orinoco. there is the oceanic or marine type of climate.
Rainfall occurs here all the year around. As the
San Francisco Basin region lies in the temperate zone, the climate is
— It is about 2914 km in length flows within Brazil. It originates cool. Its vegetation consists of mixed forests
North-West of the city of Belo Horizonte. where beech and pine are the valuable trees.
— South of the tropical grasslands of Southern
Climate and Vegetation Brazil lies the region of temperate grassland.
— The climate is generally hot due to its situation in the tropic zone. This region has a warm climate with rain all
The Amazon basin which lies close to the equator has an equatorial through the year, although, it rains more in
type of climate. It is hot and wet all the year round. Therefore, this summer than in winter. These grasslands in
region is covered with equatorial rain forests locally known as the Central Argentina are known as the pampas.
selvas. Further South, on the Eastern side of Andes, the
— On either side of the Amazon, forests lies the belt which has the desert of Patagonia lies. Its climate is dry
Savanna type of climate. This is the region of grasslands. In the because it lies in the rain-shadow area of the
North, in the Orinoco river basin, they are locally known as the Western mountains.
 Self Check
Build Your Confidence
1. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? 7. Consider the following statements
[IAS 2013] 1. Bosphorus strait divides Asia and Europe and is situated
Geographical Feature Region
in Turkey.
(a) Abyssinian plateau : Arabia
2. Ural mountain is the geographical division between
(b) Atlas mountains : North-Western Africa
European Russia and Asian Russia.
(c) Guiana highlands : South-Western Africa
(d) Okavango basin : Patagonia 3. The largest island in the world—Greenland is an
autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, but
2. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of physiographically, a part of the continent of North
the given continents in the decreasing order of their America.
percentage of Earth’s land? [IAS 2005] 4. Africa is the second largest continent in terms of both
(a) North America, Africa, South America, Europe area and population.
(b) Africa, North America, South America, Europe Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct?
(c) North America, Africa, Europe, South America (a) 2 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 4
(d) Africa, North America, Europe, South America (c) Only 2 (d) All of these
3. Which one of the following can one come across if one 8. Arrange the following major and famous mountains in
travels through the strait of Malacca? [IAS 2010] European continent from East to West.
(a) Bali (b) Brunei 1. Alps mountain 2. Pyrenees mountain
(c) Java (d) Singapore 3. Carpathian mountain 4. Caucasus mountain
4. Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia Codes
does not open out to the Mediterranean sea? [IAS 2015] (a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 4, 3, 1, 2
(a) Syria (b) Jordon (c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) Lebanon (d) Israel
9. Consider the following statements about the Great
5. Consider the following countries Plains of USA
1. Australia 2. Namibia 1. Great plains of USA is situated between Rocky mountain
3. Brazil 4. Chile and Appalachian mountain.
Which of the above countries does the Tropic of Capricorn 2. Mississippi and Missouri river system drains the Great
pass? Plains from North to South.
(a) Only 1 (b) 2, 3 and 4 3. Great Plain is devoid of any mineral resources like Ganga
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these Plain of India.
4. It is extensively cultivated for rice and wheat.
6. Match the following [IAS 2009]
Which of the statements given above are correct?
List I List II (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 4 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
(Geographic Feature) (Country) 10. Consider the following statements regarding South
A. Great Victoria Desert 1. Australia American continent
1. Llanos is the fertile plain of Savanna climate situated in
B. Grand Canyon 2. Canada
Eastern Brazil.
C. Lake Winnipeg 3. New Zealand 2. Patagonia desert is a hot desert situated in the Western
D. Southern Alps 4. USA margin of South American continent.
3. Pampas is the temperate grassland of South America
Codes
that is famous for pastoral industry.
A B C D
4. Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland of any kind lies in
(a) 1 2 4 3
Central South America.
(b) 1 4 2 3
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(c) 3 2 4 1
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4
(d) 3 4 2 1
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these

1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (d) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (b)
Chapter eleven
India : Physical Aspects
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives,
Geographic Profile Bhutan, Sri Lanka and sometimes, even
India is a country of great geographical Afghanistan. Indian Standard Time is
The land of India is —
extent. It stretches from the calculated on the basis of 82.5° E
characterised by great longitude. It passes near Allahabad. It is
snow-capped Himalayas in the North to
diversity in its physical Sun-drenched coastal villages of the 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich
features. The North has a South, the humid tropical forests on the Mean Time (GMT).
vast expanse of rugged South-West coast, the fertile
topography consisting
Brahmaputra valley on its East to the Geological Structure
Thar desert in the West.
of a series of mountain — The geological structure, which includes
— Lying entirely in the Northern
ranges with varied hemisphere, the mainland extends the arrangement and deposition of rocks
peaks, beautiful valleys between 8°4’ N and 37°6’ N latitudes in the Earth’s crust, plays a dominant role
and 68°7’ E and 97°25 ’ E longitudes and in determining the relief of land and
and deep gorges. The nature of soil.
measures about 3214 km between North
South consists of stable It also helps in knowing about the vast
and South extreme latitudes and about —
tableland with highly 2933 km between East and West mineral wealth buried beneath the Earth’s
dissected plateaus, extreme longitudes. surface. Some rocks are badly deformed
denuded rocks and — It has a land frontier of about 15200 km. and metamorphosed, while others are
The total length of the coastline of the recently deposited alluvium that has yet
developed series of to undergo diagenesis.
mainland, Lakshadweep islands and
scarps. In between these Indian rocks can be divided into following
Andaman and Nicobar islands is —
two, lies the vast 7516.6 km. categories based on their formation in
North-Indian plain. — Countries having a common border with different periods of the Geological Time
India are Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Scale (GTS):
North-West, China, Bhutan and Nepal to
the North, Myanmar to the far East and
The Archaean Rock
Bangladesh to the East of West Bengal. System
Sri Lanka is separated from India by a — These are the oldest rocks of the Earth
narrow channel of sea formed by the crust. They have been found at the
Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. bottom of the stratified (sedimentary)
— The country can be divided into six deposits in all countries of the world.
zones, mainly North, South, East, West, — They are often called as the fundamental
Central and North-East zone. It has 29 complex or the basement complex. They
states and 7 union territories. form the foundation of all ancient
— The terms ‘Indian sub-continent’ and plateaus and core of all remove folded
‘South Asia’ are often used mountain ranges of the world, including
interchangeably. It includes India, Great Himalayas.
110 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Distribution in India The Archaean rocks are found enormously The Dravidian Rock System
in the Peninsular India— Odisha, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Chota Nagpur plateau, Meghalaya plateau, (Palaeozoic : 600-300 Million Years Age)
Bundelkhand from North of Vadodra (Baroda) to the Aravallis — This system consists of the following:
of Rajasthan and the whole length of the Himalayas with the —Cambrian rocks Best developed in North-West
exception of Sikkim. Himalayas, Spiti valley, Kullu and Lahaul (Himachal
— Archaean systems are devoid of any form of life, they are all Pradesh) Baramulla (Kashmir) and Kumaun hills
(Uttaranchal). Sandstone, shales and dolomite are the
azoic or unfossiliferous.
main rocks.
The Dharwar System —Ordovician rocks Developed in spiti valley, Lidder valley,
Kumaon region. Quartzite, sandstone, grits and
— In The state of Karnataka is the district of Dharwar where these limestones are the main rocks.
rocks were first studied. —Devonion rocks Developed in Spiti valley and Kumaon.
— These are the most ancient metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. Quartzite is the main rock.
— The major rocks of the Dharwar system are hornblende, schist, —Carboniferous rocks Developed Spiti valley, Kashmir,
quartzite, slates and dolomite. Shimla, Pir-Panjal, Kumaon, Chotanagpur plateau and
— They are highly metalliferous and rich in iron ore, manganese, Chhattisgarh. Sandstone, limestone, clay, shale and coal
are the main rocks.
lead, zinc, gold, silver, mica, copper, precious stones and
building material. The Dharwar rocks are also found in Bellary
and Mysore (Karnataka).
Gondwana System
— First discovered in Gond region of Madhya Pradesh,
— Kolar Gold Fields are located in Kolar district of Karnataka,
consists of sandstones, shales and clay. They also
where mining is done to the depth of more than 3.5 km, which
have rich deposits of iron ore, copper, uranium,
is one of the deepest in world.
antimony, sandstone, slate and conglomerates.
— These rocks are also found in Jharkhand, Bastar
— The Gondwana rocks are found in the Damodar
(Chhattisgarh), Sundergarh, Keonjhar (Odisha), Jajpur,
valley, Mahanadi valley and along Godavari from
Palanpur (Rajasthan) and Meghalaya plateau.
Nagpur to its delta. Most of the good quality of coal
The Cuddapah System deposits (bituminous and anthracite) are found in
this area. About 98% of the coal of India is found in
— These rocks are typically found in the Cuddapah district of them. In the Himalayas, they are found in Kashmir,
Andhra Pradesh. Apart from Cuddapah district, they are also Darjeeling and Sikkim.
found in Kurnool district (Andhra Pradesh), Chhattisgarh,
Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Kalahandi and Keonjhar (Odisha) and The Deccan Trap
Aravallis.
(Cretaceous Period)
— The Cuddapah rocks are rich in iron, copper, manganese,
— Sprawling over Kachchh, Kathiawar, Gujarat, Madhya
cobalt, nickel, asbestos, jasper and quartzites.
Pradesh, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
— These rocks are also generally without fossils. The metallic It is made of lava deposits and has a thickness of
contents in the ores of Cuddapah are low and at places about, 3000 m and covers over 5 lakh sq km of area.
uneconomical for extraction.
— It is the result of intense volcanic activity, in which
The Vindhyan System large quantity of basaltic lava outpoured slowly
(placid or Hawaiian type), which assumed such a
— The Vindhyan system extends from Sasaram and Rohtas in
great thickness. Basalt obtained from here are used
Bihar to Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. The mountains form the
for building road.
boundary line between the Ganga plain and the Deccan
plateau. — The regur soil developed on it, Which is good for
cotton cultivation.
— They are also found in Bastar, Bhima valley (Karnataka) and
Kurnool district (Andhra Pradesh). Recent Formations (Pleistocene)
— The metallic minerals are not found in them, but are rich in — The Indo-Gangetic plain, Valley of Kashmir, Dun
durable stones like flagstone, ornamental stones, valley, Brahmaputra valley (massive beds of clay,
diamondiferous (well known diamond mines of Panna and sandy or calcareous silt, mud and sand). Recent
Golconda), limestone, pure glass making sand, red sandstone, formations are divided into Bhangar-old alluvium and
sandstone, building material and raw material for cement and Khadar–new alluvium.
chemical industries.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 111

The width of the mountain chain decreases from the

Physiography of India —
West to East, but its height goes on increasing in the
The Indian mainland can be divided into five physiographic units same direction.
as follows: The Greater Himalayas or the
(i) The Great Himalayas of North Higher Himalayas
(ii) The Great Plains of North India
(iii) The Peninsular Plateau — This is the highest range of Himalayas. The average
(iv) The Coastal Plains height of this range is 6000 m whereas its width is
(v) The Islands 120-190 km. Most of the world’s important peaks are
located in this range. Major peaks are Mount Everest
The Great Himalayas of North (8848 m), Kanchenjunga (8586 m), Mount Nanga
— Regarding the evolution of Himalayas, the Geosynclinal Parbat, Nanda Devi, Kamet and Namcha Barwa. The
Theory of Kober and the Plate Tectonics Theory of Harry highest peak of the world is Mount Everest, located in
Hess are considered most acceptable. this range (in Nepal).
According to the Plate Tectonic Theory of Harry Hess — Moreover, the Greater Himalayas are separated from the
—There was a marginal sea called Tethys sea in place of the Lesser Himalayas by the main central thrust.
Himalayas and it separated the Angara land in the North and
The Lesser Himalayas or the
Gondwana land in the South. The Indian plate was attached to
the Gondwana land. About 70 million years ago, the Indian
Middle Himalayas
plate in the South moved in the North-Eastern direction towards — The average height of this range is 3700 - 4500 m and
the Eurasian plate. About 20-30 million years ago, these two its average width is 80-100 km. This range includes the
landmasses got very close, due to which the sediments in the peaks such as Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mussoorie, Nag
Tethys sea got folded and Himalayas were evolved. Tibba and Mahabharat.
—By about 10 million years before present, all the ranges of
— The Lesser Himalaya is famous for its scenic and healthy
Himalayas got fully developed. The Greater Himalayas were
hill stations, e.g. Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Mussoorie and
formed in the Eocene and Oligocene periods of the Cenozoic
era. The Lesser Himalayas were formed due to folding of the Darjeeling etc. Moreover, the Lesser Himalayas are
Potwar sediments in the Miocene period. The Shiwaliks were separated from the Shiwaliks by the main boundary
formed in the Pliocene period due to the sediments brought fault.
from the Greater and the Lesser Himalayas.
Shiwaliks (The Outer Himalayas or the
—The evolution process continued in the Pleistocene and
Sub-Himalayas)
Holocene period of the Neozoic or Quaternary era. Himalayas
are in fact young mountains, which are still in the evolutionary — This range is 10-50 km wide and 900-1200 m high.
process. The earthquakes in this region, continuous change of Unlike above two ranges, this range is not continuous.
course by the Himalayan rivers and the lake deposits called This is the most recent part of Himalayas.
Karewas found in the Pir Panjal range at a height of 1500-1850 — Between Shiwalik and Himachal, there are several
m indicate towards the on-going process of the evolution of
valleys, e.g. Kathmandu valley. In the Western side,
Himalayas.
these valleys are called as Duns and Duars in Eastern
The Trans-Himalayas side. e.g. Dehradun and Haridwar. Since, these valleys
— These ranges have been formed even before the formation have fertile soils, so they are densely populated. The
of Himalayas. These are especially found in the Western lower parts of Shiwalik are called Terai. It is a marshy
part of Himalayas. area covered with thick forest covers. To the South of the
Terai region is found the Great Boundary Fault, which
— It includes the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar ranges etc.
extends from Kashmir to Assam.
Mount K2 or Mount Godwin Austen (8611 m) is the highest
peak of India, situated in the Karakoram range. Moreover, The Eastern Hills or Purvanchal
Trans-Himalaya is separated from the Great Himalaya by — These highlands consists of hill ranges which passes
the Suture zone. through Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and states having
— The Himalayas extends from Nanga Parbat in the West to common border with Myanmar (Burma).
Namcha Barwa or Mishmi hills in the East. There are two — In the North, lies a high mountainous land called Dapha
syntaxial bends like Hair-pin Turns. Bum (highest point 4578 mts). The Patkai Bum starts
— These bends have been formed due to the pressure exerted from the Southern end of the Dapha Bum, after running
by the Peninsular plateau in the North-Eastern direction. for some distance along the Indo-Burma boundary. It
These ranges have convex slope towards the Peninsular merges into Naga range. Saramati (3826 metre) is the
Plateau and concave slope towards the Tibetan Plateau. highest peak of the Naga range.