Location, Extent and Physical Features

Himalayas are active fold mountains. The offshoots of the eastern Himalayas are known as Darjeeling Himalaya, Sikkim Himalaya, Bhutan Himalaya, and Arunachal Himalaya.

(i) The rivers of south India are less suitable for irrigation than the rivers of north India because rivers of north India are perennial as they are snow fed but the rivers of south India are seasonal as they are rain fed.

(ii) The Peninsular Plateau of India is considered to be a part of Gondwanaland hundreds of millions of years ago because due to the tectonic movements, the Indo Australian plate drifted after being separated from the Gondwana land towards the north. Moreover, the rocks that make up the plateau match those in Africa in age, type and the layer sequence in which they occur.

(iii) The Narmada and Tapi do not form deltas because they flow through hard rocks and are not able to form distributaries before they enter the Arabian sea.

The Northern Plains were formed by the deposits brought in by the three major rivers- Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries. Alluvium was deposited at the foothills of the Himalayas for millions of years. These deposits are now the fertile Northern Plains.

Two rivers of the Peninsular Plateau that flow towards the Arabian Sea are Narmada and Tapi. Two rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal are Mahanadi and Godavari.

(i) Less land is available for agriculture on the West Coast than on the East Coast because eastern coastal plains are wider than the Western Coastal Plains. Moreover, the deltas formed by rivers like Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari are very fertile and useful for agriculture.

(ii) Access through the Western Ghats is difficult because they have a high elevation of about 900-1600m. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only.

(iii) The Peninsular Plateau of India is rich in mineral resources as it is covered with basaltic lava and lava sheets which are rich in minerals.

(i) The four parts of the Peninsular Plateau of India are-

1. The Central Plateaus
2. The Eastern Plateaus
3. The Kathiawar and Kutch
4. The Deccan Plateau

(ii) The landforms that form the boundaries of the Peninsular Plateau are-

1. Aravali range in the north-west
2. Bundelkhand plateau in the extreme north
3. Western ghats in the west
4. Eastern ghats in the east

Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas is the source of the river Ganga. This river enters the plains at Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

(i) The Northern Plains of India are one of the most densely populated regions of the world as they are endowed with fertile soil, numerous rivers and favourable climate.

(ii) The Deccan Plateau is an example of a dissected plateau because several seasonal rivers flow across the Deccan plateau.

(iii) A number of glaciers descend from the Himadri such as the Gangotri and the Yamunotri. They lie in Uttarakhand. These glaciers are the perennial source of water for fast-flowing rivers Ganga, Yamuna and their tribuataries. This create ideal conditions for adventure sports like river rafting.

(i) Two left bank tributaries of the Ganga are Gomti and Ghaghra.

(ii) Yes, Ganga is a perennial river as it has water flowing throughout the year. It is fed by rain in the rainy season, melting of ice in summer season and snow in winter season.

The only significant river of the Rajasthan Plains is Luni. The largest river island in the world is Majuli.

(i) Most of the rivers in South India flow into the Bay of Bengal because the peninsular plateau gently slopes from west to east. Hence, the rivers flow from higher altitude to lower altitude and fall into Bay of Bengal.

(ii) The Rann of Kutch is not cultivated because it is a marshy lowland covered with salty water.

(iii) The Rajasthan Plains are an area of inland drainage because the rivers of the area do not have sufficient water to reach the sea and dry up or disappear into the sand.

(i) Cultivation is done in small patches in this area with the water provided by small streams which originate from the Aravali during the rainy season.

(ii) The fertile tracts of these plains are known as Rohi.