Synopsis
1. India – Relief Features
I. Location of India
India is located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, extending from 8°N to 37°N latitude and 68°E to 97°E longitude.
The Tropic of Cancer (23 ½° N Latitude) divides India into two halves
II. Major Physiographic Divisions
The relief features of Indian landmass can be divided into six(6):
1. The Himalayas
2. The Indo-Gangetic Plain
3. The Peninsular Plateau
4. The Coastal plains
5. The Desert
6. The Islands
1. The Himalayas
Himalayas divided into three parallel ranges:
Greater Himalayas (Himadri)
Lesser Himalayas or Middle Himalayas (Himachal)
Shivaliks
Eastern Himalayas known as ‘Purvanchal’ and it regionally called as Patkai, Naga, Khasi, Jaintia, and Mizo hills.
2. The Indo-Gangetic Plain
Western part: It formed due to flow of river Indus and its tributaries.
Central part: It formed due by the flow of river Ganga and its tributaries
Eastern Part: It formed by the flow of river Brahmaputra.
3. The Peninsular Plateau
It is mainly divided into two parts:
Central Highlands
Deccan Plateau
4. The Thar Desert
It is on the leeward side of Aravali mountain ranges.
5. The Coastal Plains
Narrow coastal strips along the Arabian Sea (Western Coast) and Bay of Bengal (Eastern Coast).
Western Coastal Plains:
Konkan coast(Maharashtra-Goa)
Canara coast(Karnataka)
Malabar coast(Kerala).
Eastern Coastal Plains:
Utkal coast(Odisha)
Circar coast(Andhra Pradesh)
Coramandal coast(Tamilnadu).
6. The Islands:
There are two group of Islands.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
Lakshadweep Islands: