From the
north to the south these plains can be divided
into three major zones -
Bhabar
1.
The rivers, after descending
from the mountains deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km in
width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks.
2.
As a result of this,the streams
and rivers coming from the mountains deposit heavy materials of rocks and
boulders.
3.
All the streams disappear in
this bhabar belt.
Terai
1.
South of this belt, the streams
and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy and marshy region
2.
This was a thickly forested
region full of wildlife
3.
The forests have been cleared
to create agricultural land and to settle migrants from Pakistan after
partition.
Alluvial
Plains
1.
The alluvial plains can be
further divided into Khadar, Kankar and the Bhangar
Bhangar
1.
The largest part of the
northern plain is formed of older alluvium. They lie above the flood plains of
the rivers and present a terrace like feature.
Kankar
1.
The soil in this region
contains calcareous deposits
Khadar
1.
The newer, younger deposits of
the flood plains
2.
They are renewed almost every
year and so are fertile, thus, ideal for intensive agriculture.
4) The Indian Desert
1.
The Indian desert lies towards
the western margins of the Aravali Hills.
2.
It is a land of undulating topography
dotted with longitudinal dunes and barchans.
3.
Receives very low rainfall
below 150 mm per year.
4.
Arid climate with low
vegetating cover.
5.
This is also known as
Marusthali.
6.
Due to extreme arid conditions,
its surface features have been carved by physical weathering and wind actions .
7.
Some of the well pronounced
desert land features present here are mushroom rocks, shifting dunes and oasis
(mostly in its southern part).
8.
Most of the rivers in this
region are ephemeral.
9.
There are some streams which
disappear after flowing for some distance and present a typical case of inland
drainage by joining a lake or playa.
10.
The lakes and the playas have
brackish water which is the main source of obtaining salt.
11.
Luni is the only large
river in this region
12.
On the basis of the
orientation, the desert can be divided into two parts
13.
The northern part is sloping
towards Sindh and the southern towards the Rann of Kachchh.
Barchans (crescent shaped dunes)
Cover larger areas but longitudinal dunes become more prominent near
the Indo-Pakistan boundary.
5) The Coastal Plains (east &
west)
·
Peninsular plateau is flanked
by stretch of narrow coastal strips, running along the Arabian Season the west
and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
·
Lakshadweep Islands are located in the Arabian Sea.
·
These are coral islands located off the coast of Kerala.
·
The Andaman and the Nicobar Islands lie to the southeast of the
Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal.
The western
coast
1.
Sandwiched between the Western
Ghats and the Arabian Sea, is a narrow plain. It consists of three sections.
2.
The northern part of the coast
is called the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa),
3.
The central stretch is called
the Kannad Plain
4.
The southern stretch is
referred to as the Malabar Coast.
The plain
along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level
Northern Circar
·
In the northern part, it is
referred to as the Northern Circar
Coromandal
Coast
·
The southern part is known as
the Coromandal Coast.
·
Large rivers such as the
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri have farmed extensive delta
on this coast.
·
Lake Chilika is an important
feature along the eastern coast
·
The Chilika Lake is the largest salt water lake in
India. It lies in the state of Orissa, to the south of the Mahanadi delta.
6) The Islands
1.
The country has also two groups
of islands.
2.
Lakshadweep Islands group lying
close to the Malabar coast of Kerala
3.
This group of islands is
composed of small coral islands.
4.
It covers small area of 32 sq.
km.
5.
Kavaratti Island is the
administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep.
6.
This island group has great
diversity of flora and fauna.
7.
The Pitli Island, which is
uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary
Corals
1.
Coral polyps are short-lived
microscopic organisms, which live in colonies
2.
They flourish in shallow, mud
free and warm waters.
3.
They secrete hard rock like
substance
4.
The coral secretion and their
skeletons from coral deposits in the form of reefs:
5.
They are mainly of three kinds
·
Barrier reef
·
Fringing reef
·
Atolls
6.
The Great Barrier Reef of
Australia is a good example of the first kind of coral reefs. Atolls are
circular or horse shoe shaped coral reefs
Andaman
and Nicobar islands
1.
Elongated chain of islands
located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south
2.
They are bigger in size and are
more numerous and scattered.
3.
Divided into two broad
categories
·
The Andaman in the north
·
The Nicobar in the south
4.
It is believed that these islands are an
elevated portion of submarine mountains.
5.
These islands lie close to
equator and experience equatorial climate and have thick forest cover.
6.
India’s only active volcano is found on Barren
Island in Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands.
7.
Each region complements the
other and makes the country richer in its natural resources.
Conclusion
-
The northern mountains are the major sources of water and forest
wealth.
The northern
plains are the granaries of the country.
The plateau is a
storehouse of minerals, which has played a crucial role in the
industrialisation of the country.
The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and
port activities
No comments:
Post a Comment