PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISION OF INDIA
India can be divided into six physio-graphic regions.
1) The Northern Mountains (The North and North-eastern Mountains)
2) The Peninsular Plateau
3) Indo Gangetic Plains
4
Indian Deserts
5)
The Coastal Plains (East & West)
6)
Island
1)
The Northern Mountains (The
North and North-eastern Mountains)
1.
The Himalayas consist of a
series of parallel mountain ranges.
2. The general orientation of these ranges is from northwest to the southeast direction in
the north-western part of India
3.
Himalayas in the Darjeeling and
Sikkim regions lie in an east west direction
4.
While in Arunachal Pradesh they
are from southwest to the northwest direction
5.
In Nagaland, Manipur and
Mizoram, they are in the north south direction
6.
The approximate length of the
Great Himalayan range, also known as the central axial range, is 2,500 km from
east to west
7.
Their width varies between 160-400 km from
north to south.
8.
Himalayas are not only the
physical barrier; they are also a climatic, drainage and cultural divide.
On the basis of relief, alignment of ranges
and other geomorphologic features the Himalayas can be divided into the
following sub-divisions
(i) Kashmir or North-western Himalayas
(ii) Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas
(iii) Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas
(iv) Arunachal Himalayas
(v) Eastern Hills and Mountains
(i)Kashmir
or North-western Himalayas
Comprise a series of ranges such as
1.
Karakoram
2.
Ladakh
3.
Zaskar
4.
Pir Panjal
Figure (1) - Western Himalaya
1.
The north-eastern part of the
Kashmir Himalayas is a cold desert, which lies between the Greater Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges
2. Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range, lies the world famous valley of Kashmir
and the famous Dal Lake.
3.
The Kashmir Himalayas are also
famous for Karewa
formations, which are useful for the cultivation of Zafran, a local
variety of saffron.
4.
This region is drained by the
river Indus, and its tributaries such as the Jhelum and the Chenab.
5.
The Kashmir and north-western
Himalayas are well-known for their scenic beauty and picturesque landscape
6.
Famous places of pilgrimage such as Vaishno
Devi, Amarnath Cave, Charar -e-Sharif, etc. are also located here and large
number of pilgrims visit these places every year
7.
Srinagar, capital city of the
state of Jammu and Kashmir is located on the banks of Jhelum River.
8.
Srinagar, capital city of the
state of Jammu and Kashmir is located on the banks of Jhelum River.
9.
An Interesting Fact
10.
In Kashmir Valley, the meanders
in Jhelum River are caused by the local base level provided by the erstwhile
larger lake of which the present Dal Lake is a small part.
11.
The Himachal and Uttaranchal
Himalayas
12.
This part lies approximately
between the Ravi in the west and the Kali (a tributary of Ghaghara) in the east
13.
It is drained by two major
river systems of India, i.e. the Indus and the Ganga.
14.
Tributaries of the Indus
include the river Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj
15.
The tributaries of Ganga
flowing through this region include the Yamuna and the Ghaghara.
16.
The northernmost part of the
Himachal Himalayas is an extension of the Ladakh cold
Some
Important facts of this region
Karewas
Karewas
are the thick deposits of glacial clay and other materials embedded with
moraines.
Important
passes of the region are
1.
Zoji La on the Great Himalayas
2.
Banihal on the Pir Panjal
3.
Photu La on the Zaskar
4.
Khardung La on the Ladakh
range.
Important fresh lakes
1.
Dal
2.
Wular
Salt water lakes such as
1.
Pangong Tso
2.
Tso Moriri
‘Valley of flowers’
1.
The famous ‘Valley of flowers’
is also situated in this region.
2.
The places of pilgrimage such as the Gangotri,
Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib are also situated in this
part.
3.
The region is also known to
have five famous Prayags (river confluences)
(ii) Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas
Figure (2)- Himalayan Mountain Complex : Cross Sectional View from South to North
Great
Himalaya or Himadri
1.
Northern most range is known as
the Great or Inner Himalayas or the ‘Himadri’.
2.
‘Himadri’. It is the most continuous range consisting of the
loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres.
3.
The folds of Great Himalayas
are asymmetrical
in nature.
4.
The core of this part of
Himalayas is composed
of granite.
It is perennially snow bound, and a number
of glaciers descend from this range. The Himalayan Mountains are divided into
three main parallel ranges.
Bhotia’s
1.
In the Great Himalayan range,
the valleys are mostly inhabited by the Bhotia’s.
2.
These are nomadic groups who
migrate to ‘Bugyals’ (the summer glasslands in the higher reaches) during
summer months and return to the valleys during winters.
Himachal or lesser Himalaya
1.
The range
lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged mountain system and is known as Himachal
or lesser Himalaya.
2.
The altitude varies between 3,700 and 4,500 metres and the average width is of 50 Km.
3.
The Pir Panjal range forms the
longest and the most important range
4.
The Dhaula Dharand the
Mahabharat ranges are also prominent ones.
5.
This range consists of the
famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
6.
This region is well known for
its hill stations
Shiwaliks
1.
The outer most range of the
Himalayas is called the Shiwaliks.
2.
They extend over a width of
10-50 Km and have an altitude varying between 900 and 1100 metres.
3.
These ranges are composed of
unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers from the main Himalayan ranges
located farther north.
4.
Covered with thick gravel
called Alluvium.
5.
The longitudinal valley lying
between lesser Himalaya and the Shiwaliks are known as Duns.
6.
Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun and Patli
Dun are some of the well-known Duns.
7.
The word shiwalik has its
origin in the geological formation found in and around a place called Sivawala
near Dehra Dun
8.
Which was once a headquarter of
the Imperial Survey and which subsequently established its permanent
headquarters at Dehra Dun.
9.
Dehra Dun is the largest of all
the duns with an approximate length of 35-45 km and a width of 22-25 km.
Some of the important hill stations
1. Dharamshala
2. Mussoorie
3. Shimla
4. Kaosani
The cantonment towns and health
resorts
1. Shimla
2. Mussoorie
3. Kasauli
4. Almora
5. Lansdowne
6. Ranikhet
The two distinguishing features of
this region
1. The ‘Shiwalik
2. ‘Dun formations’
Some important duns
1. Chandigarh-Kalka
dun
2. Nalagarh dun
3. Dehra Dun
4. Harike dun
5. The Kota dun
(iii)The
Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas
1.
They are flanked by Nepal
Himalayas in the west and Bhutan Himalayas in the east.
2.
It is relatively small but is a
most significant part
3.
Known for its fast-flowing
Rivers such as Tista
4.
It is a region of high mountain
peaks like Kanchenjunga
(Kanchengiri), and deep valleys.
5. The higher reaches of this region are inhabited by Lepcha tribes while the southern part, particularly the Darjiling Himalayas,
has a mixed population
of Nepalis, Bengalis and tribals from Central India.
6.
The British, taking advantage
of the physical conditions such as
·
Moderate slope
·
Thick soil cover
·
High organic content
·
Well distributed rainfall
throughout the year
·
And mild winters,
7.
Introduced tea plantations
8.
In place of the Shiwaliks here,
the ‘duar
formations’ are important
9.
Which have also been used for
the development of tea gardens
(iv) The Arunachal
Himalayas
1.
These extend from the east of
the Bhutan Himalayas up to the Diphu pass in the east.
2.
The general direction of the
mountain range is from southwest to northeast.
3.
Some of the important mountain
peaks of the region are Kangtu and Namcha Barwa.
4.
These ranges are dissected by
fast-flowing rivers from the north to the south, forming deep gorges.
5.
Bhramaputra flows through a
deep gorge after crossing Namcha Barwa.
6.
Some of the important rivers
are
·
The Kameng
·
Subansiri
·
The Dihang
·
The Dibang
·
The Lohit.
7.
An important aspect of the
Arunachal Himalayas is the numerous ethnic tribal community inhabiting in these
areas.
8.
Some of the prominent ones from
west to east are
·
The Monpa
·
Daffla
·
Abor
·
Mishmi
·
Nishi
·
The Nagas
9.
Most of these communities
practise Jhumming.
(v) The Eastern Hills and Mountains
1.
These are part of the Himalayan
mountain system having their general alignment from the north to the south
direction
2.
They are known by different
local names
3.
In the north, they are known as
Pataki Bum, Naga Hills,
4.
In the south as Mizo or Lushai
hills.
5.
Most of these ranges are
separated from each other by numerous small rivers.
6.
The Barak is an important river
in Manipur and Mizoram.
7.
The physiography of Manipur is
unique by the presence of a large lake known as ‘Loktak’ lake at the centre,
surrounded by mountains from all sides.
8.
Mizoram which is also known as
the ‘Molassis basin’ which is made up of soft unconsolidated deposits.
9.
Most of the rivers in Nagaland
form the tributary of the Brahmaputra.
10.
While two rivers of Mizoram and
Manipur are the tributaries of the Barak River, which in turn is the tributary
of Meghna;
Figure (3) - Eastern Himalaya
Some Highest Peaks of the Himalayas
Peak Country Height in metres
Mt. Everest Nepal 8848
Kanchenjunga India 8598
Makalu Nepal 848
Dhaulagiri Nepal 8172
Nanga Parbat India 8126
Annapurna Nepal 8078
Nanda Devi India 7817
Kamet India 7756
Namcha Barwa India 775
Gurla Mandhata Nepal 7728
THE HIMALAYAS AND OTHER PENINSULAR MOUNTAINS
1.
The
Himalayas along with other peninsular mountains are young, weak and flexible in
their geological structure
2.
They are
still subjected to the interplay of exogenic and endogenic forces,
3.
Resulting
in the development of faults, folds and thrust plains.
4.
These
mountains are tectonic in origin, dissected by fast-flowing rivers which are in
their youthful stage.
5.
Various
landforms like (are indicative of these stages)
a)
Gorges
b)
V-shaped
valleys
c)
Rapids
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