Question

"The land of India displays great physical variations". Justify this statement with five examples.

Answer 1

(1) Southern India
(i) Geologically, the peninsular plateau constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on the earth's surface. It was supposed to be one of the most stable land blocks.

(ii) The Peninsular Plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently rising hills and wide valleys.

(2) Northern India
(i) The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent landforms.
(ii) From the view point of geology, Himalayan Mountains form an unstable zone.
(iii) The whole mountain system of Himalaya represents a very youthful topography with high peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers.
(iv) The Northern Plains are formed of alluvial deposits.

(3) Western India: The Thar Desert covers the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan where they receive less annual rainfall of 50 cms.

(4) Eastern India: The plains have several perennial rivers. It receives a good amount of rainfall. Mawsynram in the North-East records the highest rainfall in the world.