The States of India and their Physical Features

India is a vast country, and in terms of the area, it is the seventh-largest country in the world. Geographically, India’s total area is 32.8 lakh square kilometre, the length from North to South is 3214 kilometres, and the breadth from East to West is 2933 kilometres.

India is surrounded on three sides by the Ocean, the Bay of Bengal in the East, the Arabian Sea in the West and the Indian Ocean in the South. These three oceans meet in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari. Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are the two groups of islands.

The States and Union Territories of India

There are 29 states and 7 union territories.

The names of the twenty-nine states and their capitals are listed below:

The names of the seven union territories and their capitals are listed below:

The Physical features and resources of India

India has all the major physical features of the earth. It has the high Himalaya mountains, northern and coastal plains, deserts, plateaus and islands. The land of India displays significant physical variation, and this is because of the difference in climate; the wildlife, flora fauna are different at different places.

The physical features of India can be grouped under the six following divisions:

• The Northern Mountains
• The Northern (Indo Gangetic) Plains
• The Peninsular Plateau
• The Indian (Thar) Desert
• The Coastal Plains
• The Islands

Major Crops and Vegetation

India is an agriculture-based country. Overall, 70 to 80 % of the population is dependent on agriculture. Different crops are widely grown in India.

This is mainly because of the climate, and different kinds of soils are found in different parts of our country.

The major crops and vegetation in India are:

• Food crops like rice, wheat, maize, millet, pulses are widely grown.
• Cash crops like cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco and oilseeds are also grown.
• Plantation crops like tea, coffee, coconut and rubber are grown.
• Horticulture crops like fruits and vegetables are grown.

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