Question

Which are the major physiographic divisions of India ? Distinguish between Eastern and Western Himalayas.

Answer 1

The major physiographic divisions of India are:

(i) The Himalayan Mountains

(ii) The Northern Plains

(iii) The Peninsular Plateau

(iv) The Indian Desert

(v) The Coastal Plains

(vi) The Islands

The Himalayans Mountain Ranges are young fold mountains that extend across the northern borders of India. The mountains run in an east-west direction, forming an arc of about 2400 km. Their width varies from 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh to 400 km in Kashmir. The mountains consist of three parallel ranges and several valleys between them. The northern most ranges are the loftiest with an average height of more than 6000 metres and are known as Himadri. To the south of Himadri lie the lesser Himalayas or the Himachal. Their altitude varies from 3700 to 4500 metres. The Shiwaliks are the southern most range of the Himalayas with an altitude of 900 to 1100 metres.

Western Himalayas

Eastern Himalayas

They cover the areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, Uttarakhand etc. Ganga, Indus, Yamuna are the major rivers which run through them. The area receives relatively less rainfall.

They cover the areas of Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam and eastern Bhutan etc The region is drained by Brahmaputra river. The precipitation is extremely high.