OUR COUNTRY - INDIA

3. Give an account of the Peninsular Plateau

3. Give an account of the Peninsular Plateau. The Peninsular Plateau, also known as the Deccan Plateau, lie to the south of the Northern Plains. It has an average height of 300m to 760m and slopes down from west to east. The Peninsular Plateau has distinct areas; the Malwa Plateau in the north and the Deccan Plateau in the south. The Malwa Plateau is bounded by the Aravalli Range in the north-west while the Vidhya Range marks its southern boundary. To the south of the Vindhyas lies the Deccan Plateau. The Peninsular Plateau is drained by several big rivers, such as the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Narmada and Tapi.

1. What do you understand by the term "Indian Subcontinent"? Why is it called so?

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh together forms the Indian subcontinent. It is called so because it is cut off from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas in the north and adjacent mountain ranges in that run along the west and the east.

4. Write an account of the Coastal Plains

The Coastal Plains are narrow plains that run along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east. It border the Peninsular Plateau. The eastern coastal plains are wider than the western coastal plains. The eastern coastal plains are known as the Northern Circars in the north and Coromandel Coast in the south. The western coastal plains are known as the konkan coast in the north and the Malabar Coast in the south.

What are the three sections of the Great Northern Plains?

The Ganga Plain, the Indus Plain and the Brahmaputra plain are the three sections of the Great Northern Plains.

Which three hills lie between India and Bangladesh?

The Garo, Khasi and Jaintia are the three hills that lie between India and Bangladesh.

What are the two groups of islands in India?

The islands that lie to the south-west and south-east of the main land are the two groups of islands in India.

Name the main physical divisions of India

The main physical divisions of India are: The Northern Mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Coastal Plains and Islands and the Great Indian Desert

How many states and union territories are there in India?

There are 29 states and 7 union territories in India.

6. Compare and contrast: Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats It runs along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau. It runs along the eastern flank of the Peninsular Plateau. These are continuous chain of high mountains, with the Sahyadris in the north, the Nilgiris, Anaimalai, and cardamom hills in the south. These are discontinuous low ranges that run north-east to south-west

2. Describe the main features of the Himalayan ranges

• The Himalayas are the highest mountain ranges in the world thatstretches from about 2,400 km from Kashmir in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. • The mountain chain is made up of three parallel ranges, which are, the Greater Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas and the Outer Himalayas. • The Greater Himalayas also called Himadri, are the highest mountains, with an average height of above 4,877m. The Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, and Nanda Devi are the highest peaks found in Himadri. • The Lesser Himalayas, also called Himachal, has an average height of 3,600m and 4,500m. This range is marked by fast flowing rivers and streams. • The Outer Himalayas or the Sivalik form the lowest range with an average height of 900m to 1,500m. They have flat valleys or duns in between which are highly populated.

5. Write a note on the Great Northern Plains?

• The Northern Plains lie between the Himalayas in the North and the Peninsular Plateau in the south. These plains are formed by the river systems of the Ganga, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra. • The Ganga Plain forms the main part of the Northern plains. It is drained by the river Ganga and its tributaries, such as the Yamuna, Gandak, Gomti, Kosi, and Son. • The Indus plain forms the western part of the Northern Plains, drained by river Indus and its tributaries, Ravi, Beas and Satluj. • The Brahmaputra Plain forms the north-eastern part of the Northern Plains. This plain is drained by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries such as the Subansiri and Dhansiri.