Physiographic Divisions of India: The Himalaya

Physiographic Divisions of India: The Himalaya|Geography|Frontier IAS

India has a unique culture and is one of the oldest and greatest civilizations in the world. In this article, we have provided a summary of the Physiography of India as a quick revision, which can be helpful in the preparation of various competitive examinations.

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Physiography of India:

• India, being a vast country, lies in Northern and Eastern hemisphere.
• One important latitude passes through it i.e. Tropic of Cancer (23°30’N) and it bifurcates India into two halves.
• Tropic of cancer passes through the following states- Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram.

Tropic of cancer passing through 8 states.

• Mainland extends between 8°4’N and 37°6’N latitude and 68°7’E and 97°25’E longitude.
• North-south extent- 3214 km
• West-East extent- 2944 km
• Standard meridian of India passes through (82°30’E) which is situated in Naini, Allahabad (U.P.).It also passes through M.P, Chhatisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Time of India is ahead of Greenwich Mean Time by 5 hours and 30 minutes because IST is based on 82°30’E longitude.

• Area- 3,287,263 square km
• In terms of area, India is the 7th largest country in the world i.e. 2.4% of the total geographic area.
• Coastline-7500 km approx.
• Islands- Andaman & Nicobar group and Lakshadweep
• North- Young fold mountains
• South- Peninsular Plateau
• West- Desert
• East- Purvanchal

Neighbour Countries of India:

• Afghanistan- India shares smallest boundary with Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• China
• Nepal
• Bhutan
• Bangladesh- India shares longest boundary with Bangladesh
• Indian Subcontinent-India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives

Physiographic divisions of India:

India is divided into six physiographic divisions:

• Northern mountain complex
• Northern Plain
• Peninsular Plateau
• Indian Desert
• Coastal Plains
• Islands

1. Northern Mountain complex

•      Trans-Himalayas
•      Greater Himalayas
•      Lesser Himalayas (Himachal)
•      Outer Himalayas (Shivalik)
•      Purvanchal

2. Northern plains

•      The Ganga Plains
•      Brahmputra Plains

3. Peninsular Plateau

•       Central Highlands
•       Chhotanagpur Plateau
•       Deccan Plateau

4. Coastal Plains

•      Western coastal plains- Malabar coast
•      Eastern coastal plain- Coromandel coast

Trans Himalayas:

• Created due to the collision with the Eurasian plate.
• Northern most area in the country in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
• Extension of Tibetan plateau around the Himalayas.
• The Zaskar, the Ladakh, the Kailas and the Karakoram are the main ranges.
• Average elevation =3000 m above mean sea level.
• Average width= 40 km at the extremities and about 225 km in the central part.
• Northern most range is Great Karakoram Range also known as the Krishnagiri range.

 The Himalayas:

• Himalayas are formed due to C-C collision between Indian plate and Eurasian plate which began 50 million years ago and continues even today.
• Himalayas are developed in 3 phases-

1. Great Himalayas (Oligo-Eocene period)

2. Middle Himalayas (Miocene period)

3. Outer Himalayas (Pleistocene period)

 Properties of Himalayas:

• Himalayas are fold mountain which are formed mainly of sedimentary rocks of marine origin. (Tethys Sea)
• Himalayas are not single mountain but a series of ranges which is bordered on North-West by the Karakoram and Hindu-Kush ranges, on North by Tibetan Plateau and in South by Indo Gangetic plains.
• Himalayas can be divided North-South as well as West to East.

North-South division of Himalaya:

• Great Himalayas
• Middle/ Lesser Himalayas (Himanchal)
• Outer Himalayas (Shivaliks)

1. Himadri or Greater Himalaya:

• Northernmost region of the Himalayas
• Highest and most continuous range of Himalaya
• Average height- 6000 km
• All important peaks are situated in this region
• Highest peak of the world -Mount Everest(8852)
• Snow-bound area and a number of important rivers originate from this region

 Important peaks of Greater Himalaya:

1. Mount Everest
2. Kanchenjunga
3. Nanga Parbat
4. Nanda Devi
5. Kamet
6. Namcha Barwa

Important Passes of Greater Himalaya:

• Karakoram- it is situated in Ladakh region of J & K, highest pass of the India
• Burzil- situated in Greater Himalayas of J and K. It connects Srinagar and Gilgit.
• Zoji la- situated in Zaskar range in J and K. Srinagar-Leh highway passes through it
• Pir Panjal- situated in Pir panjal range
• Banihal-Situated in Ladakh region. Jawahar tunnel is here.
• Shipki la- in Zaskar range, Himachal Pradesh
• Bara Lacha la- in Zaskar, Himachal Pradesh
• Mana la- in Kumaon range, Uttarakhand.
• Niti La, Thaga la and Lipu lekh- in Kumaon range, UK
• Nathu la and Jelep la-Sikkim

 2. Himanchal or Lesser Himalayas:

• Middle Himalayas
• width-80 to 100 km
• Average height- 1300-1500 m
• Main rocks- quartzites, limestone and slate
• Alpine grasslands are located which are known as marg i.e. Sonmarg, Gulmarg
• Famous for its scenic beauty and hill stations like Kullu-Manali, Mussoorie, Darjeeling etc.

Important ranges:

1. Pir panjal range
2. Dhauladhar range
3. Mahabharat range

Valleys:

1. Kangra valley
2. Kullu valley
3. Kashmir valley

 3. Shiwalik or Outer Himalayas:

• Southernmost Himalayas
• Width- 10 to 50 km
• Height- 900 to 1200 m
• This is not a continuous range
• Most recent part of the himalayas
• Between Shiwalik and Himachal there are number of valleys like Kathmandu valley
• Western side- Duns or Duar like Dehradun, Kotli dun and Patli dun and Haridwar (Dehradun largest of them)
• Lowermost part is called Terai region which is marshy area with dense forests.

Division on the basis of Rivers:

• Besides the longitudinal divisions, the Himalayas have also been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. These divisions have been demarcated by river valleys.

West-East:

1. Indus-Satluj- Kashmir/Punjab Himalayas
2. Satluj-Kali- Kumaon Himalayas
3. Kali-Kosi-Nepal Himalayas
4. Kosi-Teesta- Sikkim Himalaya
5. Teesta-Dihang-Assam Himalayas

Purvanchal hills:

• Southward extension of Himalayas running along the north-eastern edge of India.
• At the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas take a sudden southward bend and form a series of comparatively low hills which are collectively called as the Purvanchal.
• Purvanchal hills are convex to the west.
• Run along the India-Myanmar Border extending from Arunachal Pradesh in the north to Mizoram in the south.

Main hills are:

• Patkai hills
• Naga hills
• Barail range
• Mizoram hills

Geological History of India: Geography- Frontier IAS

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