*Assignment* *Geography* Classify India into broad physiological spectrum and explain in brief the phisical features of each division. class 7

• The Himalayan Mountains
• The Northern Plains
• The Peninsular Plateau
• The Indian Desert
• The Coastal Plains
• The Islands 

1. The Himalayan Mountains

• Location: These are young fold mountains that run along India's northern and northeastern border. They extend from the Indus River in the west to the Brahmaputra River in the east.
• Physical features:
  • They are the highest mountain range in the world and feature some of the tallest peaks, deep valleys, and gorges.
  • The range consists of three parallel ranges: the Greater Himalayas (Himadri), the Lesser Himalayas (Himachal), and the Outer Himalayas (Shivaliks).
  • Many of India's major rivers, like the Ganga and Brahmaputra, originate from glaciers in this region.
  • Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south, forming the Purvanchal or Eastern hills. 

2. The Northern Plains

• Location: Located to the south of the Himalayas, these plains stretch from the Indus in the west to the Brahmaputra in the east.
• Physical features:
  • This is a vast, flat, and fertile plain formed by the deposition of sediment from the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries.
  • The alluvial soil deposited here makes the region highly suitable for agriculture.
  • Based on variations in relief, the plains are divided into four regions: Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, and Khadar.
  • This region is also the most densely populated physiographic division of India. 

3. The Peninsular Plateau

• Location: This is a triangular-shaped tableland located to the south of the Northern Plains. It is one of the oldest and most stable landmasses in India.
• Physical features:
  • It is composed of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
  • The plateau has shallow valleys and rounded hills.
  • It is divided into two broad sections: the Central Highlands in the north and the Deccan Plateau in the south.
  • The plateau is flanked by the Western Ghats in the west and the Eastern Ghats in the east.
  • The region is a storehouse of minerals like iron, coal, and manganese. 

4. The Indian Desert

• Location: Also known as the Thar Desert, this arid region lies towards the western margins of the Aravalli Hills.
• Physical features:
  • It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
  • The region receives very low rainfall, less than 150 mm per year.
  • It has an arid climate with low vegetation cover, consisting mainly of thorny bushes.
  • Streams appear during the rainy season but soon disappear into the sand. The Luni is the only significant river in this region.
  • Crescent-shaped sand dunes called barchans are a prominent feature of the landscape. 

5. The Coastal Plains

• Location: These are narrow strips of plain land found along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
• Physical features:
  • Western Coastal Plain: This is a narrow plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is divided into three sections: the Konkan Coast (Mumbai-Goa), the Kannad Plain (Karnataka), and the Malabar Coast (Kerala). It is marked by estuaries, not deltas.
  • Eastern Coastal Plain: This is a wider and more level plain between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It is divided into the Northern Circar and the Coromandel Coast. It features large, fertile deltas formed by rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. 

6. The Islands

• Location: India has two main groups of islands:
  • Lakshadweep Islands: Located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala.
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Located in the Bay of Bengal.
• Physical features:
  • The Lakshadweep islands are small and are formed by coral deposits. They have a flat topography.
  • The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are larger and are believed to be the elevated portions of submerged mountains.
  • These islands have a tropical climate and are covered with thick forests.