GEOGRAPHY

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 Unit - 1
India – Location,
Relief and
Drainage

Learning Objectives
� To understand the strategic importance of India’s absolute and relative location in
the world
� To know the distinct characteristics of major physiographic divisions of India
� To compare the regions of Great Indian Plains
� To understand the drainage system of India
� To differentiate the Himalayan and peninsular rivers

Introduction India and the World

India is the seventh largest country in the The Indian land mass has a central location
world. It is separated by the Himalayas from between, the East and the West Asia and the
the rest of the continent. India accounts for southward extension of the Asian continent.
about 2.4 % of the total area of the world with The Trans-Indian ocean routes which connect
an area of 32,87,263 [Link], many of the India the countries of Europe in the west and the
states are larger than several countries of the countries of East Asia provide a strategic central
world. location to India. Thus, it helps India to establish
close trade contact with West Asia, Africa
India’s Land and Water Frontiers and Europe from the western coast and with
India shares its 15,200 km long land Southeast, East Asia from the eastern coast.
frontier with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the
India: A Subcontinent
north-west, China, Nepal and Bhutan in the
north and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east. India along with the countries of Myanmar,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and
India’s longest border is with Bangladesh
Sri Lanka is called a subcontinent.
(4097 km)while the shortest border is with
Afghanistan.(106 km) This region possesses a distinct continental
characteristics in physiography, climate, natural
About 6,100 km long coastline of India
vegetation, minerals, human resources etc.
is washed on three sides of the country by the
Hence India is known as ‘subcontinent’.
Indian Ocean and its two arms namely the
Arabian sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal 1.1 Location and Extent
in the east. The total length of the coast line of
India including the islands is 7,516.6 km. India India extends from 8°4 'N to 37°6 'N latitudes
and Sri Lanka are separated by a narrow and and 68°7 'E to 97°25 'E longitudes. Hence India
shallow sea called Palk Strait. is located in the North and Eastern hemisphere

129

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 INDIA LOCATION IN THE WORLD N
W E
S
ARCTIC OCEAN

GREENLAND

A S I A
NORTH
AMERICA EUROPE

PACIFIC ATLANTIC PACIFIC

OCEAN OCEAN OCEAN
INDIA

AFRICA

SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN

AMERICA

AUSTRALIA

SOUTHERN OCEAN

Not to Scale
ANTARCTICA

The southernmost point of the country Indian Standard Time (IST)

is Pygmalion Point or Indira Point (6°45'N The longitudinal difference between
Gujarat in the west and Arunachal Pradesh in
latitude) located in the Andaman and Nicobar the east is about 30°.
Islands. The southernmost point of main land Since Arunachal Pradesh is towards east, it
of India is Cape Comorin (Kanniyakumari). will have sunrise about two hours earlier than
The northern point is Indira Col. the sunrise at Gujarat which is in the west.
In order to avoid these differences, Indian
The north-south extent of India is 3,214 Standard Time is calculated. The local time of
km and it extends from Indira Col in Jammu the central meridian of India is the standard
time of India. India’s central meridian is
and Kashmir in the north to Kanniyakumari in
82°30’ E longitude. It passes through Mirzapur
the south. The east-west extension is 2933 km and roughly bisects the country in terms
and it stretches from Rann of Kutch (Gujarat) of longitude. The IST is 5.30 hrs ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the
east. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30′ N) passes Find out the following
through the middle of the country dividing „ West - East and North - South extension of
India.
it into two halves as northern temperate „ Area wise which is the smallest and the
and southern tropical lands. India has been largest state?
politically divided into 28 states and 8 union „ The states which do not have an international
border.
territories for administrative convenience.
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 The Northern Mountains that function as a
Amaravati is the capital of great wall is grouped into three divisions.
Andhra Pradesh. According to
1) The Trans-Himalayas
Andhra Pradesh Reorganization
Act, Hyderabad will be the 2) The Himalayas
capital for both the states of 3) Eastern Himalayas or Purvanchal hills.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana till 2024 (For
10 years from the act passed). The Aravalli Range is one
of the oldest fold mountain
1.2  
Major Physiographic ranges in the World.
Divisions of India
The majestic Himalayan
peaks in the north, the
beautiful beaches in the south,
the Great Indian Desert in the
west and the breathtaking
natural heritage in the east
make India a geographically
vibrant, colourful and truly incredible country.
There is a varied nature of physiographic
divisions in India. Though the country has many 1. The Trans-Himalayas
landforms based on the major differences, it is
It lies to the north of the Great Himalayan
divided into the following five physiographic
Range. It lies in Jammu and Kashmir and
divisions:
Tibetan plateau. As its areal extent is more in
1. The Northern Mountains Tibet, it is also known as Tibetan Himalayas.
2. The Northern Plains The Trans-Himalayas are about 40 km wide in
3. The Peninsular Plateau its eastern and western extremities and about
4. The Coastal Plains 225 km wide in its central part. They contain
5. The Islands the Tethys sediments. The rocks of this region
The Northern Mountains contain fossils bearing marine sediments
The Northern Mountains consist of the which are underlain by ‘Tertiary granite’. It
youngest and the loftiest mountain chains in the has partly metamorphosed sediments and
world. It was formed only a few millions years constitutes the core of the Himalayan axis.
ago and formed by the folding of the earth crust The prominent ranges of the Trans Himalayas
due to tectonic activity. It stretches for a distance are Zaskar, Ladakh, Kailash and Karakoram.
of 2,500 km from the Indus Gorge in the west 2. The Himalayas
to Brahmaputra Gorge in the east. The width of
the Northern Mountains varies from 500 km in It constitutes the core part of the northern
Kashmir to 200 km in Arunachal Pradesh. The mountains. It is an young fold mountain. It
Pamir Knot, popularly known as the “Roof of was formed by the movement of Eurasian land
the World” is the connecting link between the mass in the north and Gondwana land mass
Himalayas and the high ranges of Central Asia. in the south. The Tethys sea found between
From the Pamir, Himalayas extend eastward in these two land masses was uplifted by the
the form of an arc shape. The term “Himalaya” compression and the resultant landform was
is derived from Sanskrit. It means “The Abode the Himalayas. It consists of many ranges.
of Snow”. The main divisions of the Himalayas are the

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 AFGHANISTAN

INDIA
Ladakh
Leh
States and Union Territories
Jammu & Kashmir
CHINA N
Jammu
W E
PAKISTAN
S

DIU DAMAN

LEGEND
Country Capital
State Capital
Internaonal Border line
Thiruvanantha
State Border line
puram

Not to Scale

(i) The Greater Himalayas/The Himadri The Himalayas are about 25 km wide. Its average
(ii) The Lesser Himalayas /The Himachal height is about 6,000 m. The Greater Himalayas
(iii) The Outer Himalayas/The Siwaliks receive lesser rainfall as compared to the Lesser
(i) The Greater Himalayas or the Himalayas and the Siwaliks. Physical weathering
is less effective over the Greater Himalayas as
Himadri compared to the other ranges. Almost all the lofty
The Greater Himalayas rise abruptly like a peaks of the Himalayas are located in this range.
wall north of the Lesser Himalayas. The Greater The notable ones are the Mt. Everest (8,848 m)
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 t
ir Kno
s h Pam
Ku
Hi
nd
u
INDIA - PHYSICAL DIVISIONS N
W E
S

Shimla
NGE

Kai
Mussourie hR

las
AN RA

an
Garwal ge
Ranikhet
SULAIM

Almora iver
Nainital Tsangpo R

Purvanchal

Darjeeling
Guru
shikhar Mount Abu

Dhupgarh

Paradip
Konka
n coa

Vishagapanam
nam
lipata
chi
st

Ma

Arma Konda

Palani Hills

Not to Scale

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 and Kanchenjunga (8,586 m). Mt. Everest is brought by the Himalayan rivers. The altitude
located in Nepal and Kanchenjunga is located varying between 900 and 1100 metres average
between Nepal and Sikkim. This range is the elevation of this range is 1000 m. The width of
most continuous of all ranges. It is a region of Siwaliks varies from 10 km in the east to 50 km
permanent snow cover. So, it has many glaciers. in the west. It is the most discontinuous range.
Gangothri, Yamunothri and Siachen are some The longitudinal valleys found between the
of them. Siwaliks and the Lesser Himalayas are called
Duns in the west and Duars in the east. These
• The Himalayas are the home are the ideal sites for the development of
of several high peaks. settlements in this region.
• However, it holds the record
for having the maximum number 3. Purvanchal Hills
of highest peaks among any mountain These are the eastern off-shoot of
range in world. Himalayas. It extended in the north-eastern
• Out of 14 highest peaks in this world, the states of India. Most of these hills are located
Himalayas holds 9. along the border of India and Myanmar while
others are inside India. Dafla Hills, Abor Hills,
(ii) T  he Lesser Himalayas or The Mishmi Hills, Patkai Bum Hills, Naga Hills,
Himachal Manipur Hills, Mizo Hills, Tripura Hills, Mikir
It is the middle range of Himalayas. Height Hills, Garo Hills, Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills
of this range varies from 3,700 to 4,500 m. Its are the hills which are collectively known as
width varies up to 80 km. The major rocks of Purvanchal Hills.
this range are slate, limestone and quartzite. This
Importance of the Himalayas
region is subjected to extensive erosion due to
heavy rainfall, deforestation and urbanization. • The Himalayas block southwest monsoon
Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar and Mahabharat are winds and causes heavy rainfall to north
the mountain ranges found in this part. Major India.
hill stations of the Himalayas are located in this
• 
It forms a natural barrier to the sub-
range. Shimla, Mussourie, Nainital, Almora,
continent.
Ranikhet and Darjeeling are the familiar ones.
• It is the source for many perennial rivers
like Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra etc.
• The major passes in the Himalaya
are Karakonam Pass and Zojila Pass • The Northern Mountains are described as
(Ladakh), Shipkila Pass (Himachal the paradise of tourists due to its natural
Pradesh), Bomdila Pass (Arunachal beauty.
Pradesh), Nathula Pass and Jhelepla Pass • 
Many hill stations and pilgrim centres
(Sikkim). like Amarnath, Kedarnath, Badrinath,
• The Khyber Pass which connects Pakistan Vaishno Devi temple, Buddhist, Jain and
and Afganisthan, Bolan Pass in Pakistan Sikh centres are situated here.
are the important passes of the Indian • It provides raw material for many forest
subcontinent. based industries.
• It prevents the cold winds blowing from
(iii) T
 he Outer Himalayas/The the central Asia and protects India from
Siwaliks severe cold.
The Siwaliks extend from Jammu and • The Himalayas are renowned for the rich
Kashmir to Assam. It is partly made by the debris biodiversity.
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 The Great Northern Plains soil is dark in colour, rich in humus content,
This fertile plain lies to the south of the well drained and useful for agriculture.
Northern Mountains. This plain is one of the d) The Khadar Plains
most extensive stretches of the alluvium in The new alluvium tracts along the courses
the world and is deposited by the rivers Indus, of the rivers are known as the ‘Khadar’ or ‘Bet’
Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The lands. The Khadar tracts are enriched by fresh
length of the plain is about 2,400 km and the deposits of silt every year during rainy seasons.
width varies from 240 to 320 km. Its width The Khadar land consists of sand, silt, clay and
increases from east to west. It covers an area of mud. It is highly fertile soil.
over 7 lakh [Link]. e) Delta
The Great Plains of India is remarkably a Triangle-shaped fertile land at the mouth
homogeneous surface with an imperceptible of The Ganga and Brahmaputhra rivers is called
slope. They are formed mostly by the depositional as the Sundarban delta. It is the biggest and
processes of the Himalayan and Vindhyan fastest-growing delta. It is an area of deposition
rivers. These rivers deposit enormous quantity as the river flows in this tract sluggishly. The
of sediments deposited along the foothills and deltaic plain consists mainly of old mud, new
flood plains. The important characteristics mud and marsh. In the delta region, the uplands
features of sediment deposition in the plains are called ‘Chars’ while the marshy areas are
areas as follows. called ‘Bils’.
On the basis of deposition of sediments by
a) The Bhabar Plain various rivers and topographical characteristics,
This plain is made up of gravels and the Northern Plains of India are divided into
unassorted sediments deposited by the the following four major regions:
Himalayan rivers. The porosity of this plain is 1) R ajasthan Plains: It is located to
so high that most of the small streams flow over the west of Aravalli Range. It covers
this region disappear. Its width varies from an area of about 1,75,000 [Link].
8 to 15 km. It is wider in the western plains Rajasthan plain is formed by the deposition
(Jammu Division) than in the east (Assam). of the river Luni and the long vanished river
This plain is not suitable for cultivation, only big Saraswathi. There are several salt lakes in
trees with large roots thrive in this region. Rajasthan. The Sambhar salt lake (Pushkar
Lake) near Jaipur is the prominent one.
b) The Tarai Tract
The Thar desert, also known as the Great
It is a zone of excessive dampness, thick Indian desert is a large arid region in the
forests and rich wild life. This tract lies to the north western part of the Indian subcontinent
south of Bhabar plains. The width of this belt that covers an area of 2,00,000 km2 and
is 15-30 km. The Tarai is wider in the eastern forms a natural boundary between India and
parts of the Great Plains, especially in the Pakistan. It is the world’s 7th largest desert.
Brahmaputra Valley due to heavy rainfall. In
The desert lies in the western part of the
many states, the Tarai forests have been cleared
Aravalli Range and covers 2/3 of Rajasthan
for cultivation.
state. There are two major divisions in the
c) The Bhangar Plains Thar desert. They are known as the actual
The Bhangar plains represent the upland desert region (Marusthali) and the semi
alluvial tracts of the Great Plains of India, desert region (Bhangar). Many different
formed by the older alluviums. The Bhangar types of sand dunes and salt lakes (Dhands)
land lies above the flood limits of the rivers. This are seen here.

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 2) Punjab - Haryana Plains: It lies to the north- is located in Anaimalai. The general slope of
east of the Great Indian Desert. This plain is this plateau is towards east. The Great Plateau
found over an area of about 1.75 lakh [Link]. is a part of the Gondwana (very ancient one)
The Punjab - Haryana plains are formed by land mass. Due to the old age, the rivers in this
the deposition of the rivers Sutlej, Beas and region attained their base level and developed
Ravi. This plain acts as water - divide (doab). broad and shallow valleys.
The two major watershed it divides are The river Narmada divides the plateau
Yamuna – Sutlej and Ganga – Yamuna. region of India broadly into two parts. The
3) Ganga Plains: It extends from the Yamuna region lying to the north of the Narmada is
River in the west to Bangladesh in the east. called the Central Highlands and the region
The total area covered by this plain is about lying to the south of Narmada is called the
3.75 [Link]. River Ganga and its tributaries Deccan Plateau. All the major rivers (Mahanadi,
such as Ghaghra, Gandak, Kosi, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri etc.) lying to the
Chambal, Betwa etc. constitute this plain south of the Vindhyas flow eastwards and fall
by their sediments and make a great plain into the Bay of Bengal. Narmada and Tapti
in India. It is the largest plain of India. The are the two rivers situated to the south of the
general slope of the entire plain (upper, Vindhyas flow westward. Their movement
middle and lower Ganga plains) is towards towards west is due to the presence of
east and south-east. a rift valley in the region.
4) Brahmaputra Plains: It is located mainly a) Central Highlands
in the state of Assam. It is a low - level plain
The Central Highlands extend between the
located in the eastern part of the Great Plains
river Narmada and the Northern Great Plains.
of India and is formed by the deposits of
The Aravallis form the west and northwestern
river Brahmaputra. It covers an area of about
edge of the Central Highlands. These hills extend
56,275 [Link]. These plains create alluvial
from Gujarat, through Rajasthan to Delhi in the
fans and marshy tracts.
northwesterly direction for a distance of about
The Peninsular Plateaus 700 km. The height of these hills is about 1,500 m
in southwest while near Delhi the height is
The plateau region lies to the south of
hardly 400 m. Gurushikhar with 1,722 m is the
the Great Northern Plains. This is the largest
highest peak in this range.
physiographic division of our country.
It covers an area of about 16 lakh [Link] (about The Western part of the Central Highland
half of the total area of the country). It is an old is known as the Malwa Plateau. It lies to the
rocky plateau region. The topography consists of southeast of Aravallis and to the north of
a series of plateaus and hill ranges interspersed Vindhyachal Range. The rivers Chambal, Betwa
with river valleys. and Ken drain the Malwa Plateau before they
join the river Yamuna. The part of the Central
Aravalli Hills mark the north-western
Highlands which extends to the east of Malwa
boundary of the plateau region. Its northern and
Plateau is known as Bundelkhand and its
north-eastern boundaries are marked by the
further extension is known as Bagelkhand. The
Bundelkhand Upland, Kaimur and Rajmahal
eastern part of the Central Highlands which
Hills. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats
lies in the north-eastern part of the Indian
mark the western and eastern boundaries
Plateau is known as Chhota-Nagpur Plateau.
respectively. The altitude of a large portion of
It covers much of Jharkhand, adjacent parts of
the plateau is more than 600 m from mean sea
Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
level. The peak of Anaimudi is the highest
This region is very rich in mineral resources
point in the plateau. Its height is 2,695 m and
particularly iron ore and coal.
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 b) Deccan Plateau 1. The Western Coastal Plain
This physiographic division is the largest It lies between the Western Ghats and the
part of the plateau region of India. The shape Arabian Sea. It extends from Rann of Kutch in
of this plateau is roughly triangular. One of the north to Kanniyakumari in the south and
the sides of this triangle is marked by the line its width varies from 10 to 80 km. It is mainly
joining Kanniyakumari with Rajmahal Hills characterised by sandy beaches, coastal sand
and this line passes through the Eastern Ghats. dunes, mud flats, lagoons, estuary, laterite
The second arm is marked by the Satpura Range, platforms and residual hills. The northern part
Mahadeo Hills, Maikal Range and the Rajmahal of the West Coastal Plain is known as Konkan
Hills. The third arm is marked by the Western Plain. The middle part of this plain is known
Ghats. The area of this Plateau is about 7 lakh as Kanara. The southern part of the plain is
[Link] and the height ranges from 500 to 1000 known as Malabar coast which is about 550
m above sea level. km long and 20-100 km wide. This part of the
coast is characterized by sand dunes. Along the
1. The Western Ghats coast, there are numerous shallow lagoons and
The Western Ghats forms the western backwaters called Kayals and Teris. Vembanad
edge of the Peninsular Plateau. It runs parallel is a famous backwater lake found in this region.
to the Arabian Sea coast. The northern part of 2. The Eastern Coastal Plain
this range is called as Sahyadris. The height of
the Sahyadris increases from north to south. It lies between the Eastern Ghats and the
Anaimudi is a sort of tri-junction of the Bay of Bengal and stretches along the states
Anaimalai Range, the Cardamom Hills and the of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh
Palani Hills. Kodaikanal is a beautiful hill resort and Tamil Nadu. These plains are formed by
situated on the Palani Hills. the alluvial fillings of the littoral zone by the
east flowing rivers of India. The coastal plain
2. The Eastern Ghats consists mainly of the recent alluvial deposits.
Eastern Ghats run from southwest This coastal plain has a regular shoreline with
to northeast form the eastern edge of this well-defined beaches. The coastal plain between
Plateau. This range is also called as Poorvadri. Mahanadi and Krishna Rivers is known as the
The Eastern Ghats join the Western Ghats Northern Circars and the southern part lies
between Krishna and Kaveri rivers is called
at the Nilgiri hills, bordering Karnataka and
Coromandal coast. Among the backwater lakes
Tamil Nadu. The Eastern Ghats are not
of this coast, lake Chilka (Odisha) is the largest
continuous like the Western Ghats. The rivers
lake in India located to the southwest of the
of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Pennar and
Mahanadi Delta, the Kolleru Lake which lies
Kaveri have dissected this range at many places.
between the deltas of Godavari and Krishna and
The Coastal Plains the Pulicat Lake lies in the border of Andhra
The Peninsula Plateau of India is flanked Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the well known
by narrow coastal plains of varied width lakes in the east coastal plain.
from north to south. They were formed by The Islands
the depositional action of the rivers and the
erosional and depositional actions of the sea- India has two major island groups namely
waves. The Indian coastal plains are divided Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. The
into the following two divisions: former group consists of 572 islands and are
located in Bay of Bengal and the latter one has
1) The Western Coastal Plains
27 islands and are located in Arabian Sea. The
2) The Eastern Coastal Plains. islands of Andaman and Nicobar are largely
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 tectonic and volcanic origin. India’s only active drainage basin. The drainage pattern of an area
volcano is found on Barren Island in Andaman is the result of the geological structure of the
and Nicobar group of Islands. respective areas. The drainage system of India
is broadly divided into two major groups on
a) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
the basis of their location. They are Himalayan
These islands are located in an elevated rivers and the Peninsular rivers.
portion of the submarine mountains. Since
Rivers
these islands lie close to the equator, the climate
remains hot and wet throughout the year and
Himalayan Peninsular
has dense forests. The area of the island group is Rivers Rivers
about 8,249 [Link]. The entire group of islands
is divided into two. They are Andaman in the ¾ Indus ¾ Mahanadi ¾ Cauvery
north and the Nicobar in the south. These ¾ Ganga ¾ Godavari ¾ Narmada
island groups are of great strategic importance ¾ Brahmaputra ¾ Krishna ¾ Tapti

for the country. Port Blair is the administrative

capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Himalayan Rivers
The Ten Degree Channel separates Andaman These rivers are found in North India and
from Nicobar group. The southernmost tip, the originate from the Himalayas. So, they are also
Indira Point is a part of Nicobar Island. called as Himalayan rivers. These are perennial
rivers.
b) Lakshadweep Islands
a) The Indus River System
This is a small group of coral islands located
The Indus River is one of the largest rivers of
off the west coast of India. It covers an area of
the world. It originates from the Northern Slope
32 sq. km. Kavaratti is its administrative capital.
Lakshadweep islands are separated from the of the Kailash Range in Tibet near Manasarovar
Maldive Islands by the Eight Degree Channel. Lake at an elevation of about 5,150 m. Its length
The uninhabited “Pitt Island” of this group has is about 1,114 km (Only 709 km is in India).
a bird sanctuary. Earlier, it had three divisions The river has a total drainage area extending
namely Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi. 11,65,000 [Link], in which 321,289 [Link], areas
It was named as Lakshadweep in 1973. are drained in India. The river flows through
the Ladakh and Zaskar ranges and creates deep
c) Offshore Islands
gorges. The river runs through Jammu and
Besides the two group of islands, India has Kashmir, turns south near Chillar and enters
a number of islands along the Western Coast, Pakistan. Its major tributaries are Jhelum,
Eastern Coast, in the delta region of Ganga and Chenab (Largest tributary of Indus), Ravi, Beas
in the Gulf of Mannar. Many of these islands and Sutlej. It enters into with the Arabian Sea.
are uninhabited and are administered by the
adjacent states. b) The Ganga River System
The Ganga River system is the largest
1.3  Drainage System of drainage system of India. It extends over an area
India of 8,61,404 sq km. The Ganga plain is the most
A drainage system is an integrated system densely populated place in India and many
of tributaries and a trunk stream which collects towns are developed on the banks of this river.
and drains surface water into the sea, lake or The river Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from
some other body of water. The total area drained the Gangotri Glacier in Uttar Khasi District of
by a river and its tributaries is known as a Uttarkhand state, at an elevation of 7,010 m.
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 Ind N
us India W E
Wular Rivers & Lakes
Lake S
lum b Beas
us

e
Jh na
In d

e
ChRavi
lej
Sut
Ya

Sambar salt Gh putra

m

l agh a
Ga

Lake ba Brahm
un

Luni m Ga
ara
ng

a
a

Kosi
Ch nd
a

n ak
So
Su
b
Hugli
M thi

ar
i

na
ah
a

re Sundarbans
barm

Narmada Ma kh
ha a
Sa Tap na
th
Pen i
ga nga
Chilka
Lake
Go
da
va

Krishn
r
i

a Kolleru
a
dr

Lake
a
bh
ga

Pennaru
n
Tu

Pulicat Lake

Kavery LEGEND
Vembanad River
Lake Vaigai
Lake

Not to Scale

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 The length of the river Ganga is about 2,525 km. are solely fed by rain. These rivers flow in valleys
Its major tributaries from the north are Gomti, with steep gradients. Based on the direction of
Gandak, Kosi and Ghaghra and from south are flow, the peninsular rivers are divided into the
Yamuna (the largest tributary of Ganga), Son,
1. West flowing rivers
Chambal etc. The river Ganga is known as the
River Padma in Bangladesh. The combined 2. East flowing rivers
river of Ganga and Brahmaputra creates the East Flowing Rivers
World’s largest delta known as Sundarbans in
Bangladesh before joining the Bay of Bengal. a) Mahanadi
The river Mahanadi originates near
Sihawa in Raipur district of Chattisgarh and
flows through Odisha. Its length is 851 km.
Seonath, Telen, Sandur and Ib are its major
tributaries. The main stream of Mahanadi gets
divided into several distributaries such as Paika,
Ganga River - Haridwar Birupa, Chitartala, Genguti and Nun. All these
c) The Brahmaputra River System distributaries form the Delta of Mahanadi
which is one of the largest deltas in India. The
The river Brahmaputra originates from Mahanadi empties its water in Bay of Bengal.
the Chemayungdung Glacier of the Kailash
Range to the east of Lake Manasarovar in Tibet b) Godavari
at an elevation of about 5,150 m. The total area Godavari is the longest river (1,465 km)
is about 5,80,000 [Link] but the drainage area with an area of 3.13 lakh [Link] among the
found in India is 1,94,413 [Link] This river Peninsular rivers. It is also called Vridha Ganga.
is known as Tsangpo (Purifier) in Tibet. The It originates in Nasik district of Maharashtra,
length of this river is about 2,900 km (900 km
a portion of Western Ghats. It flows through
in India). It enters into India through a gorge in
the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh namely Dihang. It has many
before joining Bay of Bengal. Purna, Penganga,
tributaries. Tista, Manas, Barak, Subansiri are
some of them. This river is called as Jamuna Pranitha, Indravati, Tal and Salami are its major
in Bangladesh. After it joins the river Ganga in tributaries. The river near Rajahmundry gets
Bangladesh, the river is called as Meghna. divided into two Channels called Vasistha and
Gautami and forms one of the largest deltas in
Characteristics of Himalayan India. Kolleru, a fresh water lake is located in
Rivers the deltaic region of the Godavari.
1. Long and wide
c) Krishna
2. Perennial in nature
3. Unsuitable for hydro power generation The river Krishna originates from a spring
4. Middle and lower courses are navigable at a place called Mahabaleshwar in the Western
Ghats of Maharashtra. Its length is 1,400 km
Peninsular Rivers and an area of 2.58 lakh [Link]. It is the second
The rivers in South India are called the longest Peninsular River Bhima, Peddavagu,
Peninsular rivers. Most of these rivers originate Musi, Koyna and Thungabhadra are the major
from the Western Ghats. These are seasonal tributaries of this river. It also flows through
rivers (non–perennial). They have a large Andhra Pradesh and joins in Bay of Bengal, at
seasonal fluctuation in volume of water as they Hamasaladeevi.
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 d) Kaveri b) Tapti
The river Kaveri originates at Talakaveri, The Tapti is one of the major rivers of
Kudagu hills of Karnataka. Its length is 800 km. Peninsular India with the length of about 724
The river Kaveri is called Dhakshin Ganga or km. It covers an area of 65,145 [Link]. Tapti
Ganga of South. In Karnataka, the river bifurcates River rises near Multai tank in the Betul district
twice, forming islands of Srirangapatnam and of Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of about 752
Sivasamudram. While entering Tamil Nadu, m. It is one of only the three rivers in Peninsular
the Kaveri continues through a series of twisted India that run from east to west - the others
wild gorges until it reaches Hogenakkal Falls being the Narmada and the Mahi. The major
and flows through a straight, narrow gorge near tributaries are Vaki, Gomai, Arunavati, Aner,
Salem. The Kaveri breaks at Srirangam Island Nesu, Buray, Panjhra and Bori. It outfalls into
with two channels, river Coleroon and Kaveri. the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Cambay.
At last, it empties into the Bay of Bengal at
Poompuhar. In which river the Gerosappa (Jog) fall
is found?
West Flowing Rivers
a) Narmada Characteristics of South Indian
This river rises in Amarkantak Plateau in Rivers
Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of about 1057 m
1. Originate from Western Ghats
and flows for a distance of about 1,312 km.
It covers an area of 98,796 [Link] and forms 2. Short and narrow
27 km long estuary before outfalling into the 3. Non-perennial in nature
Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Cambay.
It is the largest among the west flowing rivers 4. Suitable for hydro power generation
of Peninsular India. Its principal tributaries are 5. Not useful for navigation
Burhner, Halon, Heran, Banjar, Dudhi, Shakkar,
Tawa, Barna and Kolar.

SUMMARY
„ India has been physiographically divided into five divisions. They are Northern
Mountains, Northern Great Plains, The Plateau region, Coastal Plains and Islands.
„ Northern Mountains are classified into three divisions as Trans-Himalayas, Himalayas
and Eastern Himalayas.
„ Northern Great Plains are divided into four as Rajasthan Plains, Punjab-Haryana Plains,
Gangetic Plains and Brahmaputra Plains.
„ The Plateau region of India has two divisions namely the Central Highlands and the
Deccan Plateau.
„ Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are the two major island groups of India.
„ The Drainage System of India is classified into the north Indian (Himalayan) and
Peninsular rivers.
„ Narmada, Tapti, Mahi and Sabarmathi rivers confluence with the Arabian Sea.
„ Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery are the major east flowing rivers and drain
into Bay of Bengal.

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 6. _____________ Plains are formed by the
EXERCISE older alluviums.
a. Bhabar
I Choose the correct b. Tarai
answer c. Bhangar
1. The north-south extent of d. Khadar
India is
7. Pulicat Lake is located between the
a. 2,500 km states of
b. 2,933 km a. West Bengal and Odisha
c. 3,214 km b. Karnataka and Kerala
d. 2,814 km c. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
2. _________ River is known as ‘Sorrow of d. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
Bihar’. II Match the following
a. Narmada 1. Tsangpo — Tributary of
River
b. Godavari
Ganga
c. Kosi 2. Yamuna — Highest peak in
d. Damodar India

3. A landmass bounded by sea on three sides 3. New alluvium — River

is referred to as _________. Brahmaputra in
Tibet
a. Coast
4. Mt. Godwin
b. Island Austen (K2) — Southern part
of East Coastal
c. Peninsula
Plain
d. Strait 5. Coromandel
4. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar Coast — Khadhar
separates India from _______ III Give Reasons
a. Goa
1. 
The Himalayas are called young fold
b. West Bengal mountains
c. Sri Lanka 2. North Indian Rivers are perennial
d. Maldives 3. South Indian Rivers are east flowing.
5. The highest peak in South India is IV Distinguish between the following
a. Ooty
1. The Himalayan rivers and Peninsular rivers.
b. Kodaikanal
2. Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
c. Anaimudi
3. Western Coastal Plains and Eastern Coastal
d. Jindhagada Plains.
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 V Answer in brief 3. Assume that you are travelling from West
Bengal to Gujarat along the beautiful
1. Name the neighbouring countries of India. coasts of India. Find out the states which
2. Give the importance of IST. you would pass through?
3. Write a short note on Deccan Plateau. 4. Find out the states through which the river
Ganga flows.
4. State the west flowing rivers of India.
5. Prepare a table showing the major rivers
5. Write a brief note on the island group of
in India and find out it’s tributaries, origin,
Lakshadweep.
length and area.
VI Answer in a paragraph
REFERENCE BOOKS
1. Explain the divisions of Northern Mountains
and its importance to India.
1. Husain, M. (2015). Geography of India
2. Give an account on the major peninsular (6th Edition). McGraw Hill Education,
rivers of India. New Delhi.
3. Give a detailed account on the basin of the
2. Siddhartha, K. and Mukherjee, S. (2013).
Ganga.
Geography through Maps (11th Edition).
VII Map exercises Kisalaya Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

 ark the following in the outline map of

M 3. 
Singh, G. (1976). A Geography of
India India. Atma Ram & Sons Publications,
New Delhi.
1. 
Major mountain ranges – Karakoram,
Ladakh, Zaskar, Aravalli, Western Ghats, 4. Singh, S. and Saroha, J. (2014). Geography
Eastern Ghats. of India (1st Edition). Access Publishing
2. Major rivers – Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi, Godavari,
Krishna & Kaveri.
INTERNET RESOURCES
3. 
Major plateaus – Malwa, Chotanagpur,
Deccan.
1. [Link]
VIII Activities
2. [Link]
1. Observe the Peninsular Plateau map of
3. [Link]
India and mark the major plateau divisions
of India. 4. [Link]
2. 
Prepare a table showing the major text_books/chapter%[Link]
West flowing and East flowing rivers of
peninsular India.

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