General Awareness India at a Glance

India at a Glance

- India is the seventh largest country in the world with an area of 3287263 sq km, which is 2.42% of world's area.
- India is the second most populous country in the world with a population of 1.21 million (2011), which is 17.44% of the world.
- Indian sub-continent is located in the Northern and Eastern hemisphere.
- Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
- India shares the longest boundary with Bangladesh (4096 km), followed by China (3488 km), Pakistan (3323 km), Nepal (1751 km), Myanmar (1643 km), Bhutan (699 km), and Afghanistan (106 km).
- In India, the Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states (Gujrat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram).
- In the South, on the Eastern side, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait separates India from Sri Lanka.
- The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters.

Indian States Situated on the Border

The list of various Indian states situated on various borders is listed on the right.

India Facts

Some Interesting Facts about India:

Physical Features

Physiographic divisions of India are:

(a) The Himalayan Range of Mountains/Northern Mountains
(b) The Peninsular Plateaus
(c) The Indo-Gangetic Plains
(d) The Coastal Plains
(e) The Islands
(f) The Thar Desert

The Himalayas

- Himalayas means 'Abode of Snow' and they are also called the young fold mountains.
- The final mountain-building phase started at the end of the Tertiary period (about 7 million years ago) when the Shivalik Range, the foothills of the Outer Himalayas, were formed.
- It is one of the youngest fold mountain ranges in the world and comprises mainly of sedimentary rocks.
- It stretches from the Indus river in the West to the Brahmaputra river in the East.
- The Pamir Mountains, popularly known as the roof of the world is the connecting link between the Himalayas and the high ranges of Central Asia.
- It consists of three parallel ranges:
(a) Himadri (Greater Himalayas)
(b) Himachal (Lesser Himalayas)
(c) Shivalik (Outer Himalayas)

Inner Himalayas or Greater Himalaya (Himadri)

- Northern-most part of the Himalayan range is the world highest part with an average altitude of 6100 m above sea level.
- It includes world's highest peak, Mt Everest (8848 m) located in the border of Nepal and China. It is known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolangrna in China.
- Zanskar range is situated on the Western part of Greater Himalayas. It includes Nanga Parbat (8126 m Kashmir region) and Nepal Dhaulagiri (8172 m).
- Important Peaks include Mount Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Makalu, Dhaulagiri and Nanga Parbat.

Important Passes in Inner Himalayas

List of Important Passes in Inner Himalayas.

Middle Himalayas or Lesser Himalayas (Himachal)

- From West to East, Middle Himalayas are divided into the following ranges:
Pirpanjal range (Jammu & Kashmir), it is the longest range of the Middle Himalaya
Dhauladhar range (Himachal Pradesh)
Mussoorie range (Uttarakhand)
Nagtibba range (Uttarakhand)
Mahabharat range (Nepal)

Important Passes in Middle Himalayas

- Average height of the mountain 700-4500 km.
- Mountains and valleys are disposed in all directions.
- Important hill stations are Shimla, Ranikhet, Almora, Nainital, and Darjeeling.

Highest Peaks in India

List of Highest Peaks in India.

Himalayan Mountain Peaks

List of Himalayan mountain peaks.

Mountain Peaks in India

List of mountain peaks in India.

Outer Himalayas (Shivalik)

- Shivaliks are characterized by fault scraps, anticlinal crests and synclinical hills.
- Average elevation is 900-1200 km.
- It is the youngest part of the mountain.
- It forms the foothills and lie between lesser Himalayas and the great Indian plains.

Trans Himalayan Zones

- This zone lies to the North of the Greater Himalayas.
- Some important ranges of this zone are Karakoram and Ladakh, etc.
- The highest peak in this region is `K_2` or Godwin Austin or Qagir (8611 m in Pak occupied Kashmir). `K_2` is also the second highest peak of the world.
- Mt. Rakaposhi is the highest peak in Ladakh range and the steepest peak in the world.
- Siachen Glacier is 2nd longest glacier of the world (more than 72 km) and is located in Nubra valley (Ladakh). Baltoro, Biafo, Batura, and Hispar are the other important glaciers in this region.
- The Northern most point of LOC (NJ 9842) is located in the Karakoram ranges.

The Peninsular Plateau (Lava Plateau)

- Rising from the height of 150 m above the river plains up to an elevation of 600-1000 m is the irregular triangle known as the peninsular plateau.
- It is composed of the old crystallised, igneous and metamorphic rocks.
- Narmada, which flows through a rift valley divides the region into two parts: the Malwa plateau in the North and the Deccan plateau in the South. The Deccan plateau is the largest in India.

Some Plateaus of Peninsular India

The Central Highland

- The Central Highlands of the plateau lie to the North of the Narmada river covering a major area of the Malwa plateau.
- Central highlands in India are made of the Malwa Plateau, Deccan Plateau, and Chota Nagpur Plateau.
- The Malwa Plateau in the west, the Deccan Plateau in the south (covering majority of the Indian peninsula) and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east are the most important regions of Indian subcontinent and the central highlands in India.

The Deccan Plateau

- The Deccan Plateau is a large triangular plateau, surrounded by the Vindhyas to the north and flanked by the Eastern and Western Ghats.
- The Deccan covers a total area of 1.9 million sq km.
- It is mostly flat, with elevations ranging from 300 to 600 m (1,000 to 2,000 ft).
- It slopes gently from west to east and gives rise to several peninsular rivers such as the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri, and the Narmada, which drain into the Bay of Bengal.
- This region is mostly semi-arid as it lies on the lower side of both Ghats.
- Much of the Deccan is encompassed by thorn scrub forest scattered with small regions of deciduous broad leaf forest.
- Climate in the Deccan ranges from hot summers to mild winters.

Meghalaya Plateau

- The hilly Meghalaya plateau lies in the south of the Brahmaputra valley. In fact it covers the entire Meghalaya state.
- It is a high plateau with Garo, Khasi and Jayanti Hills.
- These hills run in the east-west direction with several peaks. Among them Shillong Peak (1,916 m) and Nokrek Peak (1,515 m) are important.
- The Meghalaya plateau was once a part of the Deccan plateau and it is formed of hard ancient rocks.
- A series of waterfalls, such as Beadon, Bishop, Elephant, and Mawsmai are found along the Meghalaya plateau edge.

The Bundelkhand Upland

- Bundelkhand Uplands (24°-26°30' N and 78° 10' - 81° 30' E) is bounded by the Yamuna river in the north, the Vindhyan Plateau in the south, the Chambal in the north-west and Panna-Ajaigarh ranges in the south-east.
- It comprises of five districts (Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpurand, and Banda) of Uttar Pradesh and four districts (Datia, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, and Panna) of Madhya Pradesh.
- The region mainly consists of crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Telangana Plateau

- Telengana Plateau is situated in western Andhra Pradesh, southeastern India.
- Comprising the northeastern part of the Deccan plateau, the Telengana Plateau has an area of about 57,370 square miles (148,000 square km), a north-south length of about 480 miles (770 km), and an east-west width of about 320 miles (515 km).
- The plateau is drained by the Godavari River taking a southeasterly course; by the Krishna River, which divides the peneplain into two regions; and by the Penneru River flowing in a northerly direction.
- The plateau’s forests are moist deciduous, dry deciduous, and tropical thorn.

Karnataka Plateau (Mysore Plateau)

- Karnataka Plateau also known as the Mysore Plateau, is an upland region of Karnataka state, southern India.
- The plateau has an area of about 73,000 square miles (189,000 square km) and an average elevation of about 2,600 feet (800 metres).
- The name of the plateau is derived from Karnad (Land of Black Soil).
- The Karnataka Plateau is composed of ancient volcanic rocks, crystalline schists, and granites of Precambrian age.
- The major streams draining it include the Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri (Cauvery), Tungabhadra, Sharavati, and Bhima.
- The Sharavati has the highest waterfall in India, known as Jog Falls (830 feet). The falls are one of the most important sources of hydroelectric power in the country.

Hill Ranges of the Peninsular India

- Five Hill Ranges of Indian Peninsular Plateau are:
1. The Arvali Range,
2. The Vindhyan Range,
3. The Satpura Range,
4. The Western Ghats,
5. The Eastern Ghats.


1. Aravali Range
- One of the major physiographic elements of the Peninsular India - the Aravali runs from the north-east to south-west direction for 800 km between Delhi and Palanpur in Gujarat.
- The Aravalis represent the relict of the world’s oldest mountain formed as a result of folding at the close of the Archaean era.
- Today what we see of the Aravalis are the eroded remnants of these mountains; their mere stumps laid bare by repeated cycles of erosion.

2. Satpura Range

- ‘Sat’ in Sanskrit means seven and ‘pura’ means mountains. Therefore, the Satpura range is a series of seven mountains.
- It runs in an east-west direction south of the Vindhyas and in between the Narmada and the Tapi, roughly parallel to these rivers.
- These hills appear to be affected by tectonic disturbances. There are evidences that parts of the Satpuras have been folded and upheaved.
- No other east-west tectonic mountain of Peninuslar India is as high as the Satpura.

3. Vindhyan Range

- The Vindhya runs more or less parallel to the Narmada Valley in an east-west direction from Gujarat to Bihar for a distance of over 1,200 km.
- The general elevation of the Vindhyan Range is 300 to 650 m and it rarely goes above 700 m.
- Most parts of the Vindhayan Range are composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rocks of ancient age.
- The western part of this range is covered with lava.
- The Vindhya-Kaimur scarp exceeds 610 m at a few places only.
- This range acts as a watershed between the Ganga system and the river systems of south India and forms the northern boundary of the Deccan.
- The rivers Chambal, Betwa, and Ken rise within 30 km of the Narmada.

4. Eastern Ghats

- Bordering the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau, the Eastern Ghats run almost parallel to the east coast of India leaving broad plains between their base and the coast.
- In striking contrast to the continuous eminence of the Western Ghats, it is a chain of highly broken and detached hills starting from the Mahanadi in Orissa to the Vagai in Tamil Nadu.
- The hills constituting the Eastern Ghats have neither structural unity nor physio-graphic continuity. In fact, they almost disappear between the Godavari and the Krishna.
- Depending upon the relief and structure, the Eastern Ghats can be divided into northern and southern parts, the dividing boundary lying somewhere south of the Godavari valley.
- Between the Godavari and the Krishna rivers, the Eastern Ghats lose their hilly character and the saddle between these two rivers is occupied by Gondwana formations.
- Further south, the Eastern Ghats merge with the Western Ghats.

5. Westem Ghats

- Forming the western edge of the Deccan tableland, the Western Ghats run in north-south direction, parallel and close to the Arabian Sea coast, from the Tapi valley (21° N latitude) to a little north of Kanniyakumari (11° N latitude) for a distance of 1,600 km.
- As the name implies, the Western Ghats are, down to Malabar, steep-sided, terraced, flat-topped hills or cliffs presenting the mesa-like stepped topography facing the Arabian Sea coast.
- The northern section of the ghats from 21° N to 16° N latitudes i.e. from Tapi valley to a little north of Goa is made of horizontal sheets of Deccan lavas forming a formidable wall looking over the West Coastal Plain.
- Kalasubai (1,646 m), Salher (1,567 m) about 90 km north of Nashik, Mahabaleshwar (1,438 m) and Harishchandragarh (1,424 m) are important peaks.
- The Middle Sahyadri runs from 16°N latitude upto Nilgiri hills. This part is made of granites and gneisses and presents rougher topography. This area is covered with dense forests.
- The average height is 1200 m but many peaks exceed 1500 m. The Vavul Mala (2,339 m.), the Kudremukh (1,892 m) and Pashpagiri (1,714 m) are important peaks. The Nilgiri Hills which join the Sahyadris near Gudalur rise abruptly to over 2,000 m and marks the junction of the Western Ghats with Eastern Ghats.
- South of the Palghat Gap there is an intricate system of steep and rugged slopes on both the eastern and western sides of the Ghats. Anai Mudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak in the whole of southern India.

The Great Plains

- The Great plain of Northern India lies on the south of the Himalayas.
- It is bounded by the Himalayas on the north and the Deccan plateau on the south.
- The plain stretches for about 2,400 km from east to west and 200 to 400 km from north to south.
- It covers an area of about 5,80,000 sq km.
- Great Plains of India is also called the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra plains.
- The plain was formed as a result of filling of marine depressions by detrital materials brought by water. Plains were formed after the upliftment of Himalayas. Majority of the plain consists of Alluvial soils.
- The fertile alluvial plain helps in growing crops to feed human population as well as cattle.

Difference between Bhangar and Khadar

Bangar Region is the higher part of the plains, where the floodwater cannot reach. Bangar region is made up of old alluvium and it contains pebbles and coarser sediments. These plains are less fertile. In this region, whenever the high lands are created by stones and sand, it is locally called as ‘Bhur’. For example: Bhurs are found in the upper parts of Ganga-Yamuna doab.

Khadar Region is made up of new alluvium. In this region, floods bring new alluvium every year. Khadar region is mainly found along the river banks and contains fine particles or clay's so Khadar region is fertile region.

Difference between Terai and Bhabar

Terai Region is a marshy tract and zone of excessive dampness with the thick grown of forests and high biological diversity. The speed of river flow in Terai region is slow. Disappeared rivers of Bhabar region again appeared in terai region that’s why this region is a flood prone region. In Terai region mostly rice is grown. E.xamples of Terai - Sitapur, Rampur, Philibhit, and Bareilly region of Uttar Pradesh.

Bhabhar Region is 8-16 km wide region lying along the foothills of Himalayas between Indus and Teesta rivers. It contains pebbles and stones which are extremely impervious in nature. Small river and streams disappear underground on reaching this region.

Doabs

List of Doabs from South to North.

The Coastal Plains

- The coastal plains of India are located along the Arabian Sea coast in the west and along the Bay of Bengal coast in the east.
- According to their location to the east or west of the peninsula, they are
(a) East coastal plain
(b) West coastal plain

Eastern Coastal Plains

- The east coastal plain begins from the north with the plains formed by the Subarnarekha River to extend to the south till Kanyakumari.
- It stretches for nearly 1500 km, with nearly a width of 100 km to the east of this plain lies the extensive blue waters of the Bay of Bengal and to the west of the plain lies the remnants of Eastern Ghat hills.
- Compared to the Western Coastal Plain, the East Coastal Plain is wider.
- The East coastal plains show the presence of many sand dunes, lagoons, and varieties of marshland.

Western Coastal Plains

- It stretches from the Rann of Kachchh in the north to Kanyakumari in the South.
- To the East it is bounded by the steep slopes of the Western Ghat and to the west lays the Arabian Sea.
- Compared to the East Coastal Plain, this West coastal plain is narrower.
- Subdivisions of the West Coastal Plains:
1. The Coastal Plains of Gujarat
2. The Coastal Plains of Karnataka
3. The Coastal Plain of the Konkan
4. The Coastal Plains of Malabar
5. Lagoons

Difference between Eastern and Western Coastal Plains

1. The large rivers make wide deltas on the Eastern Coastal Plains. But the short swift rivers do not make any deltas on the West Coast.
2. The Eastern Coastal plain lies along the east coast of India and is washed by the Bay of Bengal. But the Western Coastal Plain lies along the west coast of India and is washed by The Arabian Sea.
3. The Eastern Coast is smooth and unfit for making ports. But the Western Coast is broken and indented and suitable for ports. It has a large number of ports.
4. This Coastal plain receives comparatively low rainfall. But the Western Coastal plain receives heavy rainfall.
5. The Eastern Coast is sandy with alluvium and slopes gently towards the sea. Sand dunes and marshy lands are also found. In some Coastal strips lagoons are formed. But the Western Coast is relatively rocky with sand and sand dunes. It slopes abruptly down to the sea. There is no lagoon on the northern part. It has many estuaries on the Konkon Coast. But the southern part especially the Malabar Coast has the beautiful scene of back-water country with a series of lagoons.

Islands

- There are over a thousand islands in India. However, there are two prominent groups of islands (archipelago) in India – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Lakshadweep Islands.
- There are a total of 1,208 islands (including uninhabited ones) in India.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

- The Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago consists of over 345 islands, islets, and rocky outcrops.
- The Andaman is a closely knit group of about 203 islands.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the seven union territories of India, are a group of islands at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.
- These islands run like a narrow chain in the north-south direction extend between 6°39′ N and 13°34′ N latitudes.

Lakshadweep Islands
- This group of islands is in the Arabian Sea to the West of Kerala.
- Although "Lakshadweep' means 'a hundred thousand islands' in Sanskrit and Malayalam, it is a small group of about 36 islands.
- Some of the islands are very small and have no population. Only ten islands have population.
- These islands form a separate Union Territory.

Drainage in India

- The flow of water through well-defined channels is known as drainage and the network of such channels is known as drainage system.
- About 77% of the drainage area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal.
- The rest of the 23% comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi, and the Periyar systems discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.
- Major drainage patterns:
Dendritic
Radial
Centripetal
Trellis

The Himalayan Rivers
The Himalayan river system is divided into thee major
river system

(i) Indus River System

• The Indus, also known as Sindhu, is the Western most of Himalayan rivers in India. It is one of the largest river basins of the world covering an area of 1165000 sq km (in India it is 321289 sq km) and a total length of 2880 km (in India 1114 km).
• It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region near Mansarovar lake. In Tibet, it is known as Singi Khamban or Lion's mouth. In Jammu and Kashmir, its Fiimalayan tributaries are Zanskar, Dras, Gartang, Shyok, Shigar, Nubra, Gilgit etc. Its most important tributaries, which join Indus at various places are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.

(ii) The Ganga River System

• The Ganga system is the second major drainage system of India. It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3900 m) in the Uttarakhand. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi, meets the Alaknanda, hereafter, it is known as the Ganga.
The Alaknanda has its source in the Satopantb glacier above Badrinath. The Alaknanda consists of the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga, which meet at Joshimath or Vishnu Prayag.
• The other tributaries of Alaknanda such as the Pindar joins it at Kama Prayag, while Mandakini or Kali Ganga meets it at Rudra Prayag. It is 2525 km long of which 1450 km is in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, 445 km in Bihar and 520 km in West Bengal.
• The left bank tributaries of Ganga are Ramganga, Gomti, Kali or Sharda, Gandak, Kosi, Mahanadi. The right bank tributaries of Ganga are Yamuna and Son. Yamuna joins the Ganga at Allahabad.
• Kosi is called as 'Sorrow of Bihar' while Damodar is called as 'Sorrow of Bengal' as these cause floods in these regions. Hooghly is a distributary of Ganga flowing through Kolkata.

(iii) The Brahmaputra River System

• It is one of the largest river of the world. It is known as Tsangpo in Tibet, Dihang or Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, Brahmaputra in Assam and Jamuna in Bangladesh. Brahmaputra forms largest number of riverine islands. Majuli is the largest riverine island in the world.
• The combined stream of Ganga and Brahmaputra forms the biggest delta in the world, the Sunderbans, covering an area of 58752 sq km. Its major part is in Bangladesh. Brahmaputra is volume wise largest river of India, whereas lengthwise Ganga is the longest in India.
Tributaries of river are Manas, Subanshri, Dibang, Lohit.

The Himalayan Rivers System

The Himalayan river system is divided into three major river systems, which are discussed below:

The Indus System

- The Indus also known as Sindhu, is the Westernmost of Himalayan rivers in India.
- The total length of the Indus River system is 2,880 km (in India 1,114 km).
- The Indus originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain range.
- In Tibet, the Indus is known as Singi Khamban or the Lion’s mouth.
- Major tributaries of Indus are the Shyok, the Gilgit, the Zaskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the Gasting, and the Dras in the upper part.
- In the lower part, the Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab, and the Jhelum are the major tributaries of the Indus.

The Ganga System

- The Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
- However, the river, when it originates from the Gangotri glacier is known as the Bhagirathi.
- At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi merges with another river, i.e., the Alaknanda; and from here, it is known as the Ganga.
- The Alaknanda originates from the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath.
- The major tributaries of the Alaknanda are the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga; these two rivers meet at Joshimath/Vishnu Prayag.
- The total length of the Ganga in India is 2,525 km, which is shared by Uttarakhand (110 km), Uttar Pradesh (1,450 km), Bihar (445 km), and West Bengal (520 km).
- The Ganga river system is the largest river system in India.

The Brahmaputra System

- The Brahmaputra originates from the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar Lake.
- In Tibet, the Brahmaputra is known as the Tsangpo (means ‘the purifier’).
- The Brahmaputra enters into India near the west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Major left bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra are Lohit, Dibang or Sikang, Burhi Dihing, and Dhansari.
- Major right bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra are the Subansiri, Kameng, Manas, and Sankosh.
- The Tista joins the Brahmaputra on its right bank in Bangladesh and from here, the river is known as the Yamuna.
- Finally, the Brahmaputra merges with the river Padma and falls in the Bay of Bengal.

East Flowing Rivers (or Delta Forming Rivers)

- East flowing rivers do not form estuaries except some small rivers.
- East flowing rivers fall in the Bay of Bengal.
- East flowing rivers form Delta.

East Flowing Rivers

List of East Flowing Rivers:

West Flowing Rivers (or Estuaries Forming Rivers)

List of West Flowing Rivers:

Comparison of Delta and Estuary

Delta

- When a river meets an ocean or a sea with so many distributaries, they are forming a triangular shape due to silt deposits, is called a delta.
- A delta is formed in coastal areas having plains and visiting by low tides.
- Coastal areas having delta formations are good for agriculture and have artificial harbors.

Estuary

- When there are no distributaries of a river and it meets an ocean or a sea in a single line, then the lower course of the river is called an estuary.
- An estuary is formed in coastal areas of high tides and rift valleys.
- The coastal areas near estuaries are suitable for natural harbors.

Highest Waterfalls of India

List of Highest Waterfalls in India:

Important Indian Towns on Rivers

List of important Indian towns on rivers:

River Projects and their Beneficiary States

Important river projects and their beneficiary states:

 
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