Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 : Physical features of India Notes.Here, you will get Physical features of India class 9 notes with full explanation of this chapter. Moreover, we also cover Important Questions and Answers of Chapter Physical features of India.
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Chapter Physical features of India class 9 Notes
In the first chapter,We understood that India is vast Country with varied Landforms.India is Large Landmass.This landmass is formed during different Geological Periods which ultimately influenced her Relief.In Chapter Physical features of India, we will understand what are physical features of India and why are they so important ?
Many Scientists have attempted to explain the formation of Physical features with the help of Theories such as "Theory of Plate Tectonics".The formation of the Physical features of India can be explained on the basis of Theory of Plate Tectonics.
Now, What is Theory of Plate Tectonics?
The Theory of Plate Tectonics suggests that the crust ( upper part) of the earth has been formed of Seven Major and Some minor Plates.The movement of the Plates led to building up of Stresses within the plates, ultimately leading to Folding, Faulting and volcanic Activity.
These Plate Movements are classified into three types - Convergent Boundary, Divergent Boundary and Transform Boundary.
Convergent Boundary : When some plates come towards each other, they form Convergent Boundary.
Transform Boundary : When Some plates move horizontally past each other, they form Transform Boundary.
Divergent Boundary : When some plates move away each other, they form Divergent Boundary.
Due to the movements of Plates, the position and size of continents have changed over millions of years.
1) The Peninsula Part was a part of the Gondwana Land. The Gondwana Land included South Africa, South America, Australia and India.
2) The conventional currents split the crust into a number of pieces resulted in the leading to the drifting of the Indo-Australian Plate towards North.Splitting of crust into the number of pieces also separated Indo-Australian Plate from Gondwana Land.
3) Drifting of Indo-Australian Plate towards north resulted in the collision of this plate with Eurasian plate.
4) Due to this collision, the sedimentary rocks which were accumulated in the Tethys were folded, ultimately leading to formation of Himalayas.
Formation of Northern Plains
1) After the formation of Himalayas, The Himalayas uplift out of the Tethys Sea, ultimately leading to subsidence of the Northern part of Peninsular Plateau.
2) This Subsidence of the Northern part of Peninsular Plateau becomes a large basin.
3) In Due course of time,this large Basin got filled with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing from the mountains in the North and the Peninsular Plateau.
4) A Large flat land with extensive alluvial soil deposits led to formation of the Northern Plains of India.
The Physical features of India can be grouped under the following divisions:
1) The Himalayan Mountains (Physical feature of India in the North)
2) The Northern Plains (Physical feature of India in the North)
3) The Peninsular Plateau (Physical feature of India in the South)
4) The Indian Desert (Physical feature of India in the North-West)
5) The Coastal Plains (Physical features of India on the Coastline)
6) The Islands (Physical features of India in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal)
Features:
1) The Himalayas are structurally fold Mountains and forms an unstable Zone.
2) The Himalayan Mountains also form an Arc,which have distance of about 2,400 Km.
3) Their Width decreases as we move from West to East.Example : Width in Kashmir = 400 Km and Width in Arunachal Pradesh = 150 Km.
4) The altitudes ( Height) of Mountains are greater in the Eastern half than those in Western half.
5) It consists three Parallel ranges in its Longitudinal extent. The three Parallel ranges are : Himadri, Himachal and Shivalik.
6) This Physical feature of India also protects our country from Warm winds from Tibet.
Features of Himadri or Inner Himalayas :
1) It has loftiest peaks with an average mean height of six thousand metres.
2) The folds of these Mountains are asymmetrical in nature.
3) The Core of Himadri is composed of granite and it is Perennially snow bound.
Features of Himachal or Lesser Himalayas
1) The Average Width is of 50 Km and altitude varies between 3700 and 4500 metres.
2) The Pir Panjal Range is the longest and the most important range.
3) The Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are also prominent ones.
4) The Himachal Range consists of the famous valley of Kashmir, the Kangra and Kullu Valley.
5) This Range is also famous for its hill stations.
Features of Shiwaliks
1) Width of 10-50 Km and altitudes between 900 and 1100 metres.
2) These ranges consists of unconsolidated sediments.
3) The valleys in this range are covered with thick gravel and alluvium.
4) The Longitudinal natural depression lying between lesser Himalaya and Shiwaliks are known as Duns. Example: Dehradun, Kotlidun and Patlidun.
Important Point to Remember : Himalayas also have been divided on the basis of regions from West to East. The following divisions:
1) Punjab Himalaya
2) Kumaun Himalaya
3) Nepal Himalaya
4) Assam Himalaya
1) Beyond the Dihang Gorge, the Himalayas bend to the south and extends towards eastern boundary of the India.They are known as Purvanchal or Eastern Hills.
2) These are mostly composed of strong sandstones which are Sedimentary Rocks.
3) These mostly run as Parallel ranges due to Dense forest in the Eastern Part of India
Examples: Patkai Hills, Naga Hills, Manipur Hills and Mizo Hills.
Features of Northern Plains
1) These Plains has been formed by the three Major river System- Indus,Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers along with their tributaries.
2) Consists of Alluvial soil.
3) The Plain is about 2400 Km long and 240 to 320 wide.It Spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq.km.
4) The largest part of the Northern Plains is formed of older alluvium.
The rivers in their lower Course split into number of channels due to the deposition of silt.These are generally called Distributaries.
Northern Plains is divided into three sections:
Punjab Plains: The Western Part of the Northern Plains. Formed by the Indus and it's tributaries. Major part of this plain lies in the Pakistan.
Important Point to Remember: Doab is made up of two words- "do" meaning two and "ab" meaning water. Similarly, Punjab means Punj(five) and ab(water).
Ganga Plains: The Ganga plain spreads between Ghagger and Teesta Rivers.
Brahmaputra Plains: This Plain particularly lies in Assam.
The Northern Plains can be divided into four regions:
Bhabar: The zone of soil which spreads along the Shiwaliks foothills.The soil in this region contains lots of pebbles.
Terai: A wet,swampy and Marshy region.This was a thickly forested region with full of wildlife.
Important Point to Remember: Dudhwa National Park is located in the Terai Region.
Bhanger:It is a old alluvium and contains kanker nodules with Calcium carbonates.
Khadar: The newer alluvium which do not contain kanker nodules.This region is mostly fertile,thus ideal for intensive Agriculture.
Features of Peninsular Plateau
1) It is the Tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and Metamorphic rocks.
2) Formed Due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwanaland.
3) Consists of broad and shallow valleys and rounded Hills.
4) It Consists of the two broad divisions- the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
5) The Peninsular Plateau contains mostly Black Soil.
6) The rocks found in the Peninsular Plateau are Igneous Rocks due to Volcanic Origin.
7) The Aravali Hills highly Eroded Hills and are known as Broken Hills.
Features of Central Highlands
1) The Vindhyan Range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the South and Aravalis on the northwest.
2) The Central Highlands are narrower in the East but wider in the West.
3) The Chota Nagpur Plateau marks the eastward extension , drained by the Damodar River.
Features of Deccan Plateau
1) It is the Triangular landmass that lies South to the Narmada River.
2) The Satpura Range lies in the North while the Mahadev, the Kaimur Hills and the Maikal range lies in East to the Deccan Plateau.
3) The Deccan Plateau is higher in the West.
4) The Deccan Plateau is separated by the fault from the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
5) The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats Mark the western and eastern boundary of the Deccan Plateau respectively.
Features of Western Ghats
1) The Western Ghats lies parallel to the Western coast and can be crossed through Passes only.
2) They are Continuous.
3) Average Elevation= 900-1600 metres.
4) The Western Ghats cause orographic rain.
5) The Height of the Western Ghats increases from the North to South.
6) The highest peak in the Western Ghat - Anai Mudi (2637 metres).
Features of Eastern Ghats
1) These are discontinuous, irregular and dissected by the rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal.
Related Notes:
Chapter India Size and Location Notes
2) The Highest peak in the Eastern Ghat- Mahendragiri ( 1501 metres ).
Features of Indian Desert
1) The Indian Desert lies towards the Western margins of the Aravali Hills.
2) It has extreme climate with low vegetation cover.
3) Streams disappear into the sand as they do not have enough water to reach the Sea.
4) Luni River, the only large river in this region.
5) Barchans ( Cresent shaped dunes ) cover larger Areas in the Indian Desert.
Features of Coastal Plains
1) The Western coast, between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is a Narrow Plain. It consists of three sections.
2) Northern part of coast = Konkan,Central part = Kannad, Southern part of this coast = Malabar
3) The Plains along the Bay of Bengal :
Northern part = Northern Circar
Southern part = Coromandal Coast
4) The Lake Chilika is the largest salt water lake in India and an important feature along the eastern Coast.
Features of the Lakshadweep Islands
1) The Lakshadweep Islands are group of islands and composed of small coral islands.
2) Earlier, Lakshadweep Islands were known as Laccadive,Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep islands.
3) Lakshadweep Islands- small Area of 32 Sq Km.
4) The Pitli Island is uninhabited and has a bird Sanctuary.
Features of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
1) They are bigger in size and are scattered.
2) It is considered that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains.
3) They are close to Equator,thus, experiences equatorial climate.
4) These Islands has thick forest cover.
Fact to Remember: India's only active volcano is found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Features of Corals
1) Corals are microscopic organisms which live in colonies.
2) They grow in mud free and warm water.
3) They secrete substance like Hard Rock.
4) There are three types of reefs: Barrier Reef, Fringing Reef and atolls.
5) The Great Barrier Reef of Australia is a good example of coral reefs.