Physiography Of India

India occupies 2.4% of the total world area and is the seventh-largest country in the world. India is referred to as the "epitome of the world" as all that exists in the world is found within the unique physiography of the Indian subcontinent. This country has diverse physiography, ranging from tall snow-capped mountains to valleys to plains to the sun-kissed coastal villages in its southern part. There are raging rivers as well as calm streams found within India.

The country experiences extreme heat and snowfall, barren deserts, flourishing humid forests, extreme drought, and heavy rainfalls. Traveling around the length and breadth of India is a stunning experience where one feels like they have traveled the entire world. Here is a short summary on the physiography of India that will help students understand the diverse physiography of our country.

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Surrounding Parts Of India

The neighboring countries with which India shares its borders include Pakistan and Afghanistan on the north-west side, Nepal, Bhutan, and China on the northern side, Myanmar and Bangladesh towards the east side, and Srilanka on the south. Srilanka and India are separated by a narrow sea channel which is formed by the Gulf of Myanmar and Palk Strait.

The country is primarily divided into six zones which are East, West, North, South, Central, and Northeast zones. India comprises 28 states and six union territories.

Longitude And Latitude Details

India lies latitudinally on the Northern hemisphere and longitudinally on the Eastern hemisphere. Extending lengthwise from 8°4′ north and 37°6′ North and widthwise from 68°7′ East and 97°25′ East, India covers a north-south extension of 3214 kilometers and east-west extension of 2933 kilometers.

The tropic of cancer passing through center divides the country into two halves (northern and southern India) at 23°30′ North. The tropic of cancer touches four states in India: Rajasthan, Gujrat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Mizoram.

There’s a time gap of 2 hours between India’s easternmost and westernmost areas since there is a difference of 30 degrees between the Eastern and Western longitudes.

The standard meridian falls in the country’s middle at 82°30′ East longitude and sets the IST, which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). The standard meridian crosses India near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh through a city called Mirzapur.

Physiographic Divisions In India

The summary on Indian physiography cannot be complete without talking about the various divisions of this subcontinent.

• Northern Mountain Structures - The Himalayas are oriented from North-west to the southwest direction in the Northwestern region of India. In contrast, they are oriented in the North-South direction in Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram. The Himalayas are not just a physical divide but also divide the country’s climate, culture, and drainage. The Himalayas are subdivided into the following parts:

• Kashmir Himalayas - They form the Karkoram, Zaskar, Ladakh, and Pir Pinjal ranges. The Kashmir valley has the Karewa formation, which creates an extremely conducive environment for cultivating the zafran variety of saffrons. This region has freshwater lakes like Dal and Wular and saltwater lakes like Tso Moriri and Pangong Tso.

• Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas- This part of the Himalayas lies between the Kali river in the East and Ravi river in the West. The Ganges and Indus river systems drain this area of the Himalayas. The striking features of this part of the Himalayas are formations of "Shivaliks" and "Duns (valleys)."

• Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalayas - The Nepal Himalayas lie in the West and Bhutan Himalayas on the East of this part of the Himalayas. It is a small but significant part and consists of a fast-flowing river, Tista. The Kanchenjunga peak belongs to this part. There are no Shivalik formations here; instead, they have "duar formations" that promote tea development.

• Arunachal Himalayas - This area spreads from Bhutan Himalayas’ East until Diphu pass in the East. The mountain peaks of this region are Namcha Barwa and Kangtu. It is a biodiverse-rich area where indigenous communities preserve biodiversity. The rugged topography of this area doesn’t allow any linkages for inter-valley transportations, and most interactions happen across duar regions. Brahmaputra river flows in this area.

• Eastern Mountains and Hills - The main part is the Barak river in Mizoram and Manipur. The large Loktak lake in Manipur is at the center of the mountains that surround the lake.

• The Northern Plains - Northern plains begin where the Himalayan mountain ranges end. These plains continue to the peninsular plateau. The alluvial deposits of three rivers form this region; Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra. These plains extend from East to West and cover a distance of 3200 kilometers. This region is rich in natural vegetation due to sediments from the rivers. That is the reason the states falling in this area are famous for agriculture like Punjab. Dense and deep forests are another remarkable feature of the Northern plains. They are divided into three main zones from North to South - Tarai (luxurious vegetation), Bhabhar (a narrow belt running parallel to Shiwalik), and alluvial plains(lies towards the south of Tarai and marked by depositional and erosional landforms such as sand bars and meanders. It is further divided into Bhangar and Khadar).

• The Peninsular Plateau - This is India's most stable and oldest landmass, and it starts after the end of the Northern plains. It is characterized by block mountains, tors, spurs, rift valleys, series of hummocky hills, bare rocky formations, and quartzite dykes that form a wall and offer natural water storage sites. In its northwestern and western regions, this part has huge volumes of black soil. The area starts from the Indo-Gangetic plains, extends till Jaisalmer in the West, and ends in the narrow South point of India. Western Ghats (mountain ranges), one of the UN World Heritage Sites, lies on the western side of the plateau. The plateau is further divided into three groups: Central highlands, Deccan plateau, and Northeastern plateau.

• Indian Desert - Indian desert, also known as the Thar desert, lies on the Northwestern part of Aravali hills. This is the 9th largest desert in the world and receives rainfall of 150 mm annually. The Thar desert has semi-arid-type vegetation with thorny bushes. There are very few small rivers, Luni being the only significant river in the Indian desert. The desert has an undulating topography with barchans and longitudinal dunes dotting the region. Because of low rainfall and meager vegetation, the Indian desert is also known as Marusthali.

• Coastal Plains - India has a beautiful coastline as oceans and seas surround it on three sides. These plains lie parallel to the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea and are divided into Eastern and Western coastal plains (based on active geomorphic processes and location). 

• Western coastal plain - This plain starts from the Rann of Kutch and extends till Kanyakumari. The rivers on this coast do not form a delta. The coast is narrow in the center and broader in the north and south parts. It is divided into four divisions:

• Kachchh and Kathiawar Coast (in Gujrat)

• Malabar coast (in Kerala and it has backwaters).

• Konkan coast (in Maharashtra)

• Goan coast (in Karnataka)

• Easter coastal plain - This plain extends along the Bay of Bengal and is broader than the Western coastal plain. There are fewer harbors and ports in this coastal plain as it is an emergent coast. This coast has deltas in Godavari, Mahanadi, Kaveri, and Krishna.

• The Islands of India - India has two major island groups, one in the Bay of Bengal and another in the Arabain sea. Andaman & Nicobar islands lie in the Bay of Bengal and are an island group of 204 islands. Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands lie in the Arabian sea and are a group of 43 islands. 

Fun Facts About Physiography Of India Summary

Let us check some of the most interesting parts in this summary on the physiography of India:

• Millions of years ago, there existed Gondwana land, which covered India, South Africa, Australia, and South America. The Peninsular plateau region was part of this land. The landmass shifted over hundreds of years, and ocean currents broke this landmass into smaller multiple pieces.

• Due to compressional forces and collision of the Eurasian plate and Indo-Australian plate, the landmass folds to become Himalayas.

• Tibetan plateau lies as a median mass between Himalayas in the South and Kunlun mountains in the North. The folding of land did not affect this formation.

• Himadri or the Greater Himalayas have average peaks of 6000 meters above sea level.

• Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands are built completely on coral deposits.

Hope the article helps you understand the physiography of India summary in detail.