Physical Features of India -Extra Questions

Question 1.The Northern Plains has been formed by the interplay of three major river
systems, namely ________ .
Answer:The Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputr

Question 2.The formation of the Northern Plains of India is a result of extensive

Answer:Alluvial deposits

Question 3.The most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an
average height of 6,000 metres is known as the ________ .
Answer:Himadri

Question 4.Name the western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau.
Answer:The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

Question 5.The part lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers is the ________ .
Answer:Assam Himalayas

Question 6.Name the mountain ranges located in the eastern part of India.
Answer:Purvachal or the eastern hill and mountain.

Question 7.The valleys lying between Lesser Himalayas and the Shiwaliks are
known as the ________ .
Answer:Duns

Question 8.The hills of Purvachal or the Eastern hills are composed of ________ .
Answer:Sedimentary rocks

Question 9.Due to the deposition of silt, the rivers in their lower course split into
numerous channels, known as ________ .
Answer:Distributaries

Question 10.According to the ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics,’ what are the effects of the
movement of the plates?
Answer:Change in position and size of continents, and formation of ocean basins.

Question 11.What are barchans?

Answer:Barchans are crescent-shaped dunes found in the Indian desert.

Question 12.Which is the highest peak in India?

Answer:Kanchenjunga

Question 13.The largest delta in the world is ________ .

Answer:Sunderban Delta
Question 14.Which two hills are in the southeast of the Eastern Ghats?
Answer:Javadi Hills and Shevroy Hills

Question 15.What do we mean by the term ‘Bhangar’?

Answer:Bhangar is the older alluvial soil region lying above the floodplains and
presenting a terrace like feature.

Question 16.What is the name of the part of the Himalayas lying between the Kali
and the Teesta rivers?
Answer:The part of the Himalayas lying between the Kali and the Teesta rivers is
called Nepal Himalayas.

Question 17.The state of Meghalaya forms a part of which physiographic division of

India?
Answer:Meghalaya is a part of the eastern extension of the Peninsular Plateau.

Question 18.What do you understand by the term “peninsula”?

Answer:Peninsula is a landmass that is bounded by sea on three sides.

Question 19.Name the Indian state where Kanchenjunga is located.

Answer:Kanchenjunga is located in Sikkim.

Question 20.What do you understand by ‘duns’?

Answer:The longitudinal valley lying between lesser Himalayas and the Shiwaliks are
known as duns.

Question 21.What is the Peninsular Plateau composed of?

Answer:The Peninsular Plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Question 22.Which is the largest inhabited riverine island in the world?

Answer:Majuli, in the Brahmaputra river, is the largest inhabited riverine island in the
world.

Question 23.What do you mean by the word ‘Doab?

Answer:‘Doab’ is made up of two words— ‘do’ meaning ‘two’ and ‘ab’ meaning
‘water’.

Question 24.What is the shape of the Deccan Plateau?

Answer:The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the
river Narmada.

Question 25.The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains are called ________ .
Answer:Khadar
Question 26.The flow of rivers, the Chambal, the Sindh, the Betwa and the Ken, is
from ________ .
Answer:Southwest to northeast

Question 27.Which river drains the Chotanagpur Plateau?

Answer:The Damodar river drains the Chotanagpur Plateau.

Question 28.The Indian Desert lies towards the western margin of ________ .
Answer:Aravali hills

Question 29.The Lakshadweep islands covers a small area of ________ .

Answer:32 sq. km.

Question 30.How long and wide are the Himalayas?

Answer:The Himalayan region extends along the north of India. The Himalayas are
the longest and the highest mountain range in the world. The Himalayas are 2400
km long, 400 to 150 km wide from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh respectively.

Question 31.Which range of the Himalayas has hill stations?

Answer:The lower ranges or the Lesser Himalayas have beautiful hill stations such
as Srinagar, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling. Many people visit these hill
stations in summer, because these places are cooler than the plains.

Question 32.Name the three types of plate boundaries. Which one of them lies in the
Himalayan belt?
Answer:

 The three types of plate boundaries are Convergent, Divergent and Trans form.
 The Himalayas have been formed by the convergent boundary.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.How the Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west
to east?
Answer:

 Punjab Himalayas: These divisions have been demarcated by river valleys. The part of
Himalayas lying between Indus and Satluj has been traditionally known as Punjab
Himalaya, but it is also known regionally as Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya from
west to east respectively.
 Kumaon Himalayas: The part of the Himalayas lying between Satluj and Kali rivers is
known as Kumaon Himalayas.
 Nepal Himalayas: The Kali and Teesta rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas.
 Assam Himalayas: the part lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers is known as
Assam Himalayas.
Question 2.Which are the three main ranges of the Himalayas?
Answer:The Himalayas have three ranges which run almost parallel to each other.
The distance between these ranges is wider in the west and becomes narrow in the
east.
These ranges are—

 the Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Range

 the Middle Himalayas or the Himachal Range and
 the Inner or Great Himalayas or the Himadri.

Question 3.Describe the “Theory of Plate Tectonics”.

Answer:Earth scientists have attempted to explain the formation of physical features
with the help of some theories based on certain evidences. One such Plausible
theory is the ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics’. According to this theory, the crust (upper
part) of the earth has been formed out of seven major and some minor plates. The
movement of the plates results in the building up of stresses within the plates and
the continental rocks above, leading to folding, faulting and volcanic activity

Question 4.Why is the soil in the Northern Plain fertile?

Answer:The soil of this plain has been formed by the sediments brought down by the
rivers from the Himalayas. Such plain is called an alluvial plain and it is very fertile.
This plain is one of the largest and most fertile plains of world. It is the most thickly
populated plain. This is also the major crop growing area in India. This plain is
drained by river Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The slope of this plain in
the west is south-west and in the east is south-east.

An area through which a river and its tributaries flow is called its basin.

Question 5.Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya range? Write a
brief note on this plateau.
Answer:The Malwa Plateau lies between the Aravali hills and the Vindhya range.
The Aravali hills lie to the west of the plateau and the Vindhya range lies to its south.
The part of the peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river, covering a
major area of the Malwa plateau, is known as the Central Highlands.

The Malwa plateau lies in Madhya Pradesh. It is composed of extensive lava flows.
There are rolling plains separated by flat-topped hills. The plateau is largely broken
in form of ravines near the Chambal Valley in its east.

Question 6.What do you mean Great Himalayas? Write its two characteristics.
Answer:The northern most range of the Himalayas is known as the Great or Inner
Himalayas or the Himadri.
(a) It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average
height of 6000 metres. It contains all prominent Himalayan peaks.
(b) Its folds are asymmetrical in nature and its core is composed of granite rock. It is
perennially snow bound, and several glaciers descend from this range.
Question 7.How was the Great Northern Plains of India formed?
Answer:The formation of the Himalayas due to upliftment of sediments out of the
Tethys Sea and subsidence of the northern flank of the Peninsular Plateau resulted
in the formation of a large basin. In due course of time this depression, gradually got
filled with deposition of sediments by the rivers flowing from the mountains in the
north and the peninsular plateau in the south. A flat land of extensive alluvial
deposits led to the formation of the northern plains of India.

Question 8.Write a short note on ‘coral polyps’.

Answer:Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic organisms, which live in colonies.
They flourish in shallow, mud-free and warm waters. They secrete hard rock like
substance. The coral secretion and their skeletons from coral deposits in the form of
reefs.
They are mainly of three kinds—barrier reef, fringing reef and atolls. The Great
Barrier Reef of Australia is a good example of the first kind of coral reefs. Atolls are
circular or horse shoe-shaped coral reefs.

Question 9.Write a short note on the Western Coastal Plains.

Answer:The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strips, running
along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The western
coast, sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, is a narrow
plain. It consists of three sections. The northern part of the coast is called the
Konkan (Mumbai-Goa), the central stretch is called the Kannad Plain while the
southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast.

Question 10.Why are the Himalayas called as young mountains?

Answer:The Himalayas were formed recently in the earth’s history as a result of
compression.
The sediments beneath the ocean were folded due to the compression and got
uplifted. Therefore, they are known as young fold mountains. These mountains are
still rising. The whole mountain represents a very youthful topography with high
peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers.

Question 11.Write any three features of the Shiwalik range.

Answer:The three features of the Shiwalik range are :
(a) This is the outermost range of the Himalayas.
(b) The average altitude varies from 900 to 1100 metres.
(c) These ranges are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers
from the main Himalayan ranges.

Question 12.Describe the river systems of the Northern Plains.

Answer:The three river systems in the Northern plains from east to west are the
Brahmaputra, Ganga and Indus. A large part of the Indus system lies in Pakistan.
The Indus and its tributaries – the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the
Satluj originate in the Himalayas. This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs.
The Ganga plain extends between the Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It spreads over
the states of Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, parts of Jharkhand and West
Bengal. It has tributaries like the Yamuna, Gomati, Ghaghara, Son, Gandak and
Kosi. The Brahmaputra Plain lies in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Question 13.“The northern plains have diverse relief features”. Explain.

Answer:Northern plains have great diverse relief features. According to the variations
in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions. The rivers,
after descending from the mountains deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to
16 km in width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. It is known as bhabar. All
the streams disappear in this bhabar belt. South of this belt, the streams and rivers
re-emerge and create a wet, swampy and marshy region known as terai. The largest
part of the northern plain is formed of older alluvium. It lies above the floodplains of
the rivers and presents a terrace like feature. This part is known as bhangar. The soil
in this region contains calcareous deposits, locally known as kankar. The newer,
younger deposits of the flood plains are called khadar.

Question 14.Write a short note on Deccan Plateau.

Answer:The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the
river Narmada. The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north, while the
Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions. The
Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards. An extension of
the Plateau is also visible in the northeast, locally known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-
Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills. It is separated by a fault from the
Chotanagpur Plateau. Three prominent hill ranges from the west to the east are the
Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills. The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats
mark the western and the eastern edges of the ‘ Deccan Plateau respectively.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.Write in detail about the Himalayan mountains.
Answer:

 The Himalaya mountains lie between the Indus river and the Brahmaputra river which
covers a distance of about 2,400 kilometres. They consist of three parallel ranges-the
Himadri, the Himachal and the Shiwaliks from north to south. The Himadri or the Great
Himalayas is the highest of all with an average height of more than 6,000 metres
above sea level. It contains some of the world’s highest peaks, such as Mt. Everest in
Nepal (8,848 metres high, the highest peak in the world), Kanchanjunga, Nanga
Parbat, Nanda Devi, Dhaulagiri, Makalu and Annapurna. Kanchenjunga (8,598
metres) in Sikkim is the highest peak of the Himalayas in India.
 To the south of the Himadri is the Himachal, also called the Middle or Lesser
Himalayas. The range is mainly composed of highly compressed and altered rocks.
The altitude varies between 3,600 and 4,500 metres and the average width is of 50
km. Many important hill stations such as Shimla, Manali, Kullu, Mussourie, Nainital
and Darjeeling are situated in the Himachal range.
 The southern-most range, which is rather discontinuous, is the Shiwalik. The extend
over a width of 10-50 km and have an altitude varying between 900 and 1100 metres.
There are a number of broad longitudinal valleys called duns, especially in the
Kumaon Himalayas of Uttarakhand. Dehradun is situated in one such valley. There
are many passes like the Shipki La, Nathu La and the Bomdi La in the Himalayas.
Question 2.What is the significance of the Northern Plains?
Answer:The significance of the Northern Plain are :

 This plain is made up of the alluvial soil brought down by the rivers. This soil is very
soft and fertile. Major crops such as wheat, rice, sugarcane, pulses, oil seeds, etc. are
grown here. This plain is the ‘food bowl’ of India.
 The land of this plain is soft, levelled and flat. Therefore, wells, tubewells and canals
can be dug for irrigation. Due to proper irrigation, it is the largest producer of
foodgrains in india.
 This plain gets sufficient rainfall. There are many rivers, streams and lakes. There is
also rich vegetation. These factors affect the climate. The climate of the Northern
Plains is very cold in winter and very hot in summer.
 This is one of the most thickly populated plain of the world. The most thickly populated
states of India, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, lie in this plain.

Question 3.What is the significance of Himalayas?

Answer:The significance of Himalayas is as follows :
(a) The Himalayas stand like a mighty mountain wall in the north of India. They ‘
separate the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia.
(b) They have vast snowfields and glaciers which are the source of numerous
perennial rivers. These rivers provide water for irrigation, navigation and generation
of hydel power.
(c) The Himalayas act as a climatic barrier. They protect the Northern Plains from
freezing cold winds. They also stop and deflect the rain-bearing winds.
(d) The forests in the Himalayas provide a suitable habitat for wildlife. They also
have many wildlife sanctuaries.
(e) The Himalayas also have many beautiful hill stations like Shimla, Mussoorie,
Nainital and Darjeeling, which attract tourists.

Question 4.How do different physiographic regions of India complement each other?

Answer:A detailed account of the different physiographic units highlights the unique
features of each region :
(a) Each region complements the other and makes the country richer in its natural
resources.
(b) The mountains are the major source of water and forest wealth.
(c) The Northern Plains are the granaries of the country. They provided the base for
early civilizations.
(d) The plateau is a storehouse of minerals, which has played a crucial role in the
industrialization of the country.
(e) The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port activities.
Thus, the diverse physical features of the land have immense future possibilities of
development.
Question 5.Which part of the Himalayas is known as Purvachal? Write a short note
on the Purvachal Himalayas.
Answer:The eastern hills and mountains of the Himalayas running along the eastern
boundary of India are known as Purvachal. They are in the northeastern states of
India.

The Brahmaputra marks the eastern-most boundary of the Himalayas. Beyond the
Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the south and spread along the
eastern boundary of India. They are known as the Purvachal or the Eastern hills and
mountains. These hills running trough the north-eastern states are mostly composed
of strong sandstones, which are sedimentary rocks. Covered with dense forests,
they mostly run as parallel ranges and valleys. The Purvachal comprises the Patkai
hills, the Naga hills, the Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.

Important Questions
Question 1.Which are the two main causes of rock displacement?
Answer:Folding, faulting and volcanic activity.

Question 2.Mention the three types of plate movements.

Answer:

 Convergent,
 Divergent,
 Transform.

Question 3.Name any four factors which are responsible for creating and modifying
the relief to its present form.
Answer:

 Weathering,
 Erosion,
 Deposition,
 Geological activities like earthquake, volcanic eruption etc.

Question 4.What is convergent boundary?

Answer:It is a boundary which is formed due to the movement of plates towards
each other.

Question 5.What is transformed boundary?

Answer:It is a boundary which is formed when two plates move horizontally passing
each other.

Question 6.What is divergent boundary?

Answer:It is a boundary which is formed when two plates move away from each
other.
Question 7.What was the Gondwanaland?
Answer:It was an ancient super continent located in southern hemisphere which
included the present day South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.

Question 8.Which continents of today were part of the Gondwanaland?

Answer:

 South America,
 Africa,
 Australia,
 Asia.

Question 9.What is Khadar?

Answer:The younger alluvium of the flood plains is known as the Khadar.

Question 10.Name some of the depositional features formed by the rivers in the
plain.
Answer:Flood plains, levees, channel bars and bluffs.

Question 11.What is distributary?

Answer:The rivers in their lower course split into numerous channels due to the
deposition of silt. These channels are known as distributries. For example, Hoogly,
Meghna is a distributary of river Ganga.

Question 12.What is meant by doab?

Answer:The land between two rivers is locally known as the doab.

Question 13.What is the Terai Zone?

Answer:It is a zone next to the Bhabar zone which is wet and marshy. It has a thick
forest cover and a variety of wildlife.

Question 14.What is a Bhangar? HOTS

Answer:The older alluvium soil of the northern plains is called the Bhangar.

Question 15.Name the part of the Himalayas lying between the Indus and Satluj
rivers.
Answer:Punjab Himalayas lies between the Indus and Su’tluj rivers. From west to
east, this is also known as Kashmir Himalaya and Himachal Himalaya respectively.

Question 16.Name the most continuous range of Himalayas consisting of the lofty
peaks.
Answer:Himadri or Greater or Inner Himalayas.
Question 17.Name the mountain range which bounds Central Highlands on the north
west.
Answer:Aravalli Hills.

Question 18.How long are east-west distances covered by the Himalayas?

Answer:2,400 km.

Question 19.Which river marks the easternmost boundary of the Himalayas?

Answer:The Brahmaputra.

Question 20.Name the part of the Himalayas lying between Teesta and Dihang
rivers.
Answer:Assam Himalayas.

Question 21.Which part of Himalayas is located between Kali and Satluj rivers?
HOTS
Answer:Kumaon Himalayas.

Question 22.Which is the most important and longest mountain range of Himachal
Himalaya?
Answer:The Pir Panjal range forms the longest and the most important range.

Question 23.Name the three parallel ranges of the Himalayas and give their other
names.
Answer:

 The Himadri (Greater Himalayas),

 The Himachal (Lesser Himalayas),
 The Shiwaliks (Outer Himalayas).

Question 24.Why are the Himalayas called the young fold mountains?
Answer:The Himalayas are not very old, they are of recent birth. So they are called
the young fold mountains.

Question 25.Which is the highest peak of India?

Answer:Kanchenjunga (8,598 m).

Question 26.Which is the northernmost range of Himalayas?

Answer:The Himadri.

Question 27.Which is the outermost range of Himalayas?

Answer:The Shiwalik.

Question 28.Which is the highest peak of the world? Where is it situated?

Answer:Mount Everest (8848 m) located in Nepal is the highest peak in the world.
Question 29.Which is the highest peak of the Deccan Plateau?
Answer:The Anaimudi hill in Kerala.

Question 30.How is the northern plain divided on the basis of the differences in the
relief?
Answer:

 Bhabhar,
 Terai,
 Bhangar,
 Khadar.

Question 31.Name some hill stations of the Himachal range.

Answer:Mussoorie, Chakrata, Nainital, Ranikhet and Almora.

Question 32.In which hill does the Narmada river rise?

Answer:Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh.

Question 33.In which state Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills are located?
Answer:Meghalaya.

Question 34.Name the Himalayan range lying between Himadri and Shiwaliks.
Answer:Himachal or lesser Himalayans.++++++++++++++++++++

Question 35.Name two famous valleys in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Answer:Kullu and Kangra.

Question 36.What is the northern and southern extension of the western coast
called?
Answer:Northern → Konkan coast, Southern → Malabar coast.

Question 37.Which plateau lies between the Aravalli and the Vindhya ranges? HOTS
Answer:The Malwa Plateau.

Question 38.Name some of the important passes of the Himalayas from west to
east.
Answer:Shipkila, Nathula and Bomdila.

Question 39.What are Duns?

Answer:These are broad valleys between Himachal and the Shiwalik ranges.

Question 40.What are duns made up of? Give an example of the duns.
Answer:Duns are made up of gravel and alluvial soil. The Dehradun valley is an
example of duns.
Question 41.Name any two hills which comprise the ‘PurvanchaT.
Answer:The Patkai, Naga, Manipur and the Mizo hills, (any two)

Question 42.Why are the Northern Plains primarily an agricultural belt?

Answer:The Northern Plains have a thick soil cover composed of fine silt or alluvium
brought down by the Himalayan rivers. This alluvial soil is very fertile. Hence, this is
primarily an agricultural belt.

Question 43.Name the major rivers of North India.

Answer:The Indus, the Sutlej, the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Kosi, the Teesta and ; the
Brahmaputra are the major rivers of North India.

Question 44.What is the width of the northern plains?

Answer:Its width varies from 240 to 320 kilometres. It gets narrower towards the
east.

Question 45.By which name, the coastal plain is known as in:

(i) Northern part
(ii) Southern part
Answer:
(i) Nortern part — Northern Circar.
(ii) Southern part — Coromandal Coast.

Question 46.What is ‘barchan’?

Answer:It is crest shaped sand dune with cusps of the crescent pointing downward.

Question 47.Mention any two characteristics of the Aravalli Hills.

Answer:

 The Aravalli Hills are eroded hills.

 They extend from Gujarat to Delhi in a southwest — northeast direction.

Question 48.What is the local name of the Western Ghats in:

(i) Maharashtra and Karnataka.
(ii) Along Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
(iii) Tamil Nadu.
Answer:
(i) Sahyadri,
(ii) Anaimalai and Cardamom hills,
(iii) Nilgiri.

Question 49.Name any two peaks of the Western GhaEST

Answer:

 Anaimudi (2,695 m),

 Doda Betta (2,637 m).
Question 50.What are the two divisions of Peninsular Plateau?
Answer:The Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.

Question 51.Which physical feature marks the Western and the Eastern edges of the
Deccan Plateau?

Answer:The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.

Question 52.Which type of rainfall is received by the Western Ghats?

Answer:Orographic rain.

Question 53.Where are the Lakshadweep Islands situated?

Answer:In the Arabian Sea.

Question 54.Name the island group of India having a coral origin.

Answer:The Lakshadweep Islands.

Question 55.What are Coral polyps?

Answer:Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic organisms which live in colonies.

Question 56.Where are the Andaman Islands situated?

Answer:In the Bay of Bengal.

Important Questions Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.Explain the theory of Plate Tectonics. HOTS
Answer:According to this theory, the crust of the earth has been formed out of seven
major and some minor plates. The movement of these plates led to folding, faulting
and volcanic activity. These are classified in three categories:

 Convergent Boundary: When plates come .towards each other, also called folding
movement.
 Divergent Boundary: When plates move away from each other, also called faulting
movement.
 Transform Boundary: In the event of coming together, they may collide or may slide
under each other.

Question 2.What is the difference between a tributary and a distributary?

Answer:A Tributary: A tributary is that river which joins the main river, and increases
the volume of water. It is generally found in the upper or the middle course of a river.
For example, the Yamuna is the main tributary of the river Ganga.

A Distributary: It is that river which originates from a main river. It is formed near the
river’s mouth before it falls into the sea. It is found in the lower course of the river.
For example, the Hooghly is the main distributary of the Ganga.
Question 3.Name the three major divisions of Himalayas from the north to south.
Answer:The three major divisions of Himalayas from north to south are:

 The northernmost range which is known as the Great Himalayas or Inner Himalayas or
Himadri. It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks. It has an
average height of 6000 meters. It consists of all the prominent Himalayan peaks.
 The southern range of Himadri which is known the Himachal or the lesser Himalayas
lies to the South of Himadri. It forms the most rugged mountain system. The ranges
are mainly composed of highly compressed and altered rocks. The altitude varies
between 3700 and 4500 meters and its average width is 50 kms.
 The outermost range of the Himalayas is known as Shiwaliks. Its height varies
between 900 meters and 1100 meters. This range is composed of unconsolidated
sediments brought down by rivers from the main Himalayan ranges. These are also
called foothill ranges. They represent the southernmost divison of Himalaya.

Question 4.Name the southernmost range of Himalaya. Mention any four features of
this range.
Answer:The southernmost range of Himalayas is called Shiwaliks.
Features:

 The outermost range of the Himalayas is called the Outer Himalayas or Shiwaliks.
 They extend over a width of 10-15 km.
 Their altitude varies between 900-1100 metres.
 They are discontinuous ranges and are composed of unconsolidated sediments,
gravel and alluvium brought down by the rivers from main Himalayan ranges located
farther north.
 Longitudinal valleys known as Duns lie between the lesser Himalayas and Shiwaliks.
e.g., Dehradun, Kote Dun, Path Dun. (any four)

Question 5.How is Himadri range different from Himachal range? Mention any three
differences.
Answer:

Himadri Himachal

Himachal is not so high as Himadri. Its

This range is the highest of Himalayas with an
(i) average height is between 3,700 and
average height of 6,000 metres.
4,500 metres.

(ii)
This range contains loftiest peaks. Example: This range contains hill stations Example:

Kanchenjunga and Nanda Devi. Shimla and Nainital.

(iii) This range is always covered with snow. It snows here in winter.

Question 6.Differentiate between Western Himalayas and Eastern Himalayas.

Answer:

S. No. Western Himalayas Eastern Himalayas

These are spread over Jammu &

These are spread over West Bengal, Sikkim,
(i) Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.
Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

(ii) The Western Himalayas are very high. These are of medium height.

The Indus and the Sutlej are main

rivers which pass throught the Western The Brahmaputra is the main river which passes
(iii)
Himalayas and fall into the Arabian through these and falls into the Bay of Bengal.

Sea.

The average annual rainfall is less

(iv) The average annual rainfall is more than 200 cm.
than 100 cm.

Srinagar, Shimla, Manali are the

Darjeeling and Shillong are the famous hill
(v) famous hill stations found in the
stations found in the Eastern Himalayas.
Western Himalayas.

Question 7.Write about the main features of the Shiwaliks.

Answer:
  It is the outermost range of the Himalayas.
 The average altitude of the Shiwalik range varies between 900 m and 1,100 m above
the sea level, and extends over a width of about 10-50 km.
 This range is made of unconsolidated material such as mud, silt and soft rocks and is
prone to earthquakes and landslides.
 Some narrow valleys are found between the Shiwaliks and the Himachal. They are
called ‘duns’. For example, Dehradun, is situated in one such valley.

Question 8.How did the northern plains come to existence? Write two points briefly.
Also mention two features of these plains.
Answer:
(i) The northern plains have been formed by the interplay of the three major river
systems, i.e., the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
(ii) The northern plain is formed of the alluvial soil brought by these rivers.
Features:

 These plains are very fertile.

 These are densely polulated.

Question 9.Why are Northern Plains agriculturally productive parts of India? Explain.
Answer:

 The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalaya over
millions of years, formed this fertile plain. It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sQuestion
km.
 The plain being about 2400 km. long and 240 to 320 km. broad, is a densely
populated physiographic division.
 With a rich soil cover combined with adequate water supply and favourable climate, it
is agriculturally a very productive part of India.

Question 10.Which three river systems form the northern plains of India? Mention
main features.
Answer:The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river
systems—the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
Features:

 The river Indus and its tributaries form the western part of the northern plain which is
referred to as the Punjab plains. The larger part of this plain lies in Pakistan.
 The Ganga plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers. It spreads over the
states of North India; Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, partly Jharkhand and West Bengal.
 The Brahmaputra plain particularly lies mainly in Assam. It forms the largest riverine
islands in the world.

Question 11.State any three differences between Himadri range and Shiwalik range.
Answer:

Himadri Range Shiwalik Range

(i) It is the innermost or northernmost range of
It is the outermost range of Himalayas.
Himalayas.

(ii) Its average height is 6,000 metres. Shiwalik

Its height varies between 900 and 1100 metres.
Range

These ranges are composed of uncon¬solidated

(iii) The core of this part of Himalayas is
sediments brought down by rivers from the main
composed of granite.
Himalayan ranges located farther north.

Question 12.What is a delta? Name some deltas of the Indian sub-continent.

Answer:The triangular deposition of sediments at the mouth of a river is known as a
delta.

 The Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta.

 The Mahanadi Delta.
 The Godavari Delta.
 The Krishna Delta.
 The Kaveri Delta.

Question 13.What are Purvanchal hills? Mention any two features of these hills.
Answer:Mountains along the eastern boundary of India are called the Purvanchal.
There are medium heights. Some of the important mountains of Purvanchal are:

 The Patkoi Bum and the Naga Hills in the North.

 The Mizo Hills in the South.
 The Jaintia, the Khasi and the Garo hills from east to west.

Features:

 They comprise of sandstone and sediments.

 They are covered with dense forests.
 They comprise of Patkoi Hills, Manipur hills etc. (any two)

Question 14.Distinguish between Central highlands and Deccan Plateau on the

basis of rivers that flow and hill ranges.
Answer:

Central Highlands Deccan Plateau

(i) The Central Highlands are wider in the west
The Deccan plateau is a triangular land mass.
but narrower in the east.

(ii) The rivers draining this region are the The rivers draining this region are the Tapi, the

Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken. Krishna, the Godavari and the Kaveri.

(iii) The hills lying in this region are the Vindhya The hills lying in this region are the Mahadev, the

range and the Aravalli hills. Kaimur and the Maikal.

Question 15.Give an account of the Deccan Plateau.

Answer:An account of Deccan Plateau of India:

 It is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The Satpura
range flanks its broad base in the north while the Mahadev forms its eastern
extensions.
 The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
 An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the north-east. It is locally known as the
Meghalaya, Karbi Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills.
 It is separated by a fault from the Chhotanagpur Plateau. Three prominent hill ranges
form the West to East are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills. The Western
Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the Western and Eastern edges of the Deccan
Plateau respectively. The Western Ghats lie parallel to the western coast and Eastern
Ghats, lie parallel to the eastern coast.

Question 16.Compare the main features of the Western Coastal Plain and Eastern
Coastal Plain.
Answer:

Western Coastal Plain Eastern Coastal Plain

(i) The plain is located between the Western The plain is located between the Eastern Ghats
Ghat and the Arabian Sea coast. and the coast of Bay of Bengal.

(ii) It is a narrow plain with an average width of It is comparatively broader plain with average

about 64 km. width of around 80-100 km.

(iii) There are several lagoons especially in the

Very few lagoons are formed.
southern part.

(iv) Kandla, Mumbai, Marmagao, Cochin are the Tuticorin, Chennai, Paradeep, Vishakha- patnam

main ports. are the major ports on the eastern coast.

(v) No big delta is formed. Large deltas are formed.

Question 17.Name the four major states which are the parts of the eastern coastal
plains. Mention the two divisions of these coastal plains.
Answer:The plains extend from the state of Tamil Nadu in the southern part to the
state of West Bengal in the northern region of India. Other states include Andhra
Pradesh and Odisha. The three main divisions into which the eastern coastal plains
can be divided are Utkal Plains, Tamil Nadu Plains and the Andhra Plains.
(i) Utkal Plains: This is the coastal stretch of the state of Odisha and consists of the
Mahanadi delta. The famous feature of the region is the Chilka Lake lying on the
south of the Mahanadi Delta.

(ii) Tamil Nadu Plains: The plains extend from the Pulicat Lake to Kanyakumari. The
prominent feature of the region is the Kaveri delta, the fertile soil and irrigational
facilities of which make it a granary in South India.

(iii) Andhra Plains: The plains extend from the Utkal Plains on the North to Pulicat
Lake in the south. The delta formation by the rivers Kaveri and Godavari happens to
be the important feature of the region.

Question 18.Describe any three features of coastal plains of India.

Answer:
  The Peninsular plateau is flanked by a strip of narrow coastal strips running along the
Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
 The western coast, sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, is a
narrow plain. It consists of three sections. The northern part of the coast is called the
Konkan (Mumbai-Goa), the central stretch is called the Kannad Plain while the
southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar coast.
 The plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level.
 In the northern part, it is referred to as the Northern Gircar, while the southern part is
known as the Coromandel Coast.
 Large rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri have
formed extensive delta on this coast. Lake Chilka is an important feature along the
eastern coast.

Question 19.Name two island groups possessed by India. Mention one feature of
each.
Answer:

 The Andaman and Nicobar Islands: This group of island is composed of small coral
islands.
 Lakshadweep Islands: These are bigger in size and are more numerous and
scattered.

Question 20.Write a note on corals.

Answer:

 Corals are small, sedentary marine animals with a calcareous homy skeleton.
 These thrive in warm shallow water and grow into large colonies called coral reefs.
 They secrete hard rock like substance. The coral secretion and their skeletons form
coral deposits in the form of reefs.
 They are mainly of three kinds: barrier reef, fringing reef and atolls.
 The Great Barrier Reef of Australia and Lakshadweep Islands are a good example of
the first kind of coral reefs.

Question 21.Explain the formation of the Peninsular Plateau. Write any four of its
distinct features.
Answer:The Peninsular Plateau was formed due to the breaking and drifting of the
Gondwana land. It is a tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous and
metamorphic rocks.

 It has broad and shallow hills, valleys and rounded hills.

 It consists of the two broad divisions namely, the Central Highland and Deccan
Plateau.
 It has black soil area known as Deccan Trap which is of volcanic origin.
 The flow of rivers is westward.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.“The land of India displays great physical variations”. Justify this
statement with five examples. HOTS
Answer:Physical variations of land of India are:
  Geologically, the Peninsular Plateau constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on the
earth’s surface. It was supposed to be one of the most stable land blocks.
 The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent landforms.
 From the yiew point of geology, Himalayan Mountains form an unstable zone.
 The whole mountain system of Himalaya represents a very youthful topography with
high peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers.
 The Northern Plains are formed of alluvial deposits.
 The Peninsular Plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently
rising hills and wide valleys, (any five)

Question 2.“Each physiographic region of India complements the other and makes
the country richer in its natural resources.” Justify this statement with five examples.
Or
‘The diverse physical features of India are of immense value’.
Justify the statement by giving suitable examples.
Answer:Importance of diverse physical features of India is as follows:

 The northern mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth.
 The northern plains are the granaries of the country. They provide the base for early
civilisations.
 The plateau is a storehouse of minerals which has played a crucial role in the
industrialisation of the country.
 The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port activities.
 The deserts are the storehouse of solar energy.

Question 3.Explain the three types of plates and write the effects of movements of
plates.
Answer:The plate movements are classified into three types:

 Some plates come towards each other and form convergent boundaries.
 Some plates move away from each other and form divergent boundary.
 At times, they may also move horizontally pass each other and form transform
boundary.

When two plates come together, they are known as convergent plates. They are also
known as constructive plates. When two plates move far away from each other, they
are known as divergent plates. When two plates coming towards each other collide
or burst pass, they are known as transform plate. The movement of plates causes
volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, formation of mountains etc.

Question 4.Distinguish between Bhabhar and Terai.

Answer:

Bhabhar Terai

(i) It lies to the south of Shiwalik range. The belt exist to the south of Bhabhar area.
(ii) The width ranges between 8 to 16 km. It is almost parallel to the Bhabhar.

(iii) The area is highly coarse in nature due to The area has got highly fine sediments due to the deposition

many pebbles and ‘kankars’ found over here made by several streams.

(iv) Vegetation found here is very less. Very dense vegetation is found in Terai region.

(v) Main feature is that river disappears in the Since the river re-emerges back in this region, the area becomes

Bhabhar region because big pores present in it. highly swampy and marshy.

Question 5.Describe any five features of northern plains of India.

Answer:Features of northern plains of India are:
(i) The northern plains have been formed from the alluvium deposited by the
mountain rivers.
(ii) They are located between the Himalayan rivers in the north and the Peninsular
Plateau in the south.
(iii) They turned the soil on the surfaced land fertile for growing a rich harvest of
variety of crops. This led to the development of the Indus river valley civilization.
(iv) They are made up of deposits of alluvium and cover an area of 7 lakh sQuestion
km.
(v) They are densely populated physiographic division of India and are believed to be
highly productive in terms of agriculture.
(vi) The North Indian plains have the Indus river system in the west and the Ganga,
Brahmaputra river system in the East.
(vii) The first include Jhelum, Chenab, Rabi, Beas. The Indus flows into the Arabian
Sea.
The second includes Ganga-Brahmaputra which combines with Meghna at the point
when it drains into the Bay of Bengal. They form the world’s largest and fastest
growing delta.
On the basis of difference of relief, they are divided into four parts—Bhabhar, Terai,
Bhangar and Khadar.
(viii) The northern plain is divided into three sections— Punjab plain, Ganga plain
and Brahmaputra plain. The Ganga plain has diverse relief features. It has four belts:
  Bhabhar is a belt of pebbles extending from 8-16 kms in width in which stream
disappears.
 Terai is a wet, swampy, marshy region with thick forests and wildlife.
 Bhangar is a terrace-like feature made of old alluvium. It contains calcareous deposits
called Kankar.
 Khadar is the flood plain which renewed everywhere and is very fertile.

Question 6.Which is the oldest land mass of India? Name its two broad divisions and
explain any three features of each.
Answer:The Great Peninsular Plateau lies to the south of the great plains and is , the
oldest land mass of India. It is triangular in shape. The river
Narmada divides it into two parts:

 The Cental Highlands and

 The Deccan Plateau.

The Central Highlands:

 It is made up of hard igneous and metamorphic rocks.

 It comprises the Malwa Plateau, the small plateau of Bundelkhand and the Chhota
Nagpur Plateau while the Western Ghats extend to the west of the Deccan Plateau.
 Chambal, Sind and Betwa are three important rivers which flow through the Central
Highlands.
 It has been’drained by tributaries of Yamuna and Ganga.
 Bundelkhand in southern UP and Baghelkhand in northern Madhya Pradesh.

The Deccan Plateau:

 It is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of river Narmada.

 It is higher in the west and slopes gendy eastwards.
 It is the largest unit of the Peninsular Plateau of India.
 Satpura range, Mahadev hills, Maikal range covers northern edge.
 It is the oldest block made up of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Question 7.Describe any five features of the Central highlands of India.

Answer:Features of Central Highlands:

 The part of the Peninsular Plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river covering
major area of the Malwa Plateau is known as the Central Highland.
 The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Central Highland on the south and the
Aravallis on the northwest. The further westward extension gradually merges with the
sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan.
 The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and
Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating the slope.
 The Central Highlands are wider in the West but narrower in the East.
 The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand and
Baghelkhand.

Question 8.Describe the features of Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats in reference to
height, slope, continuity, rivers and vegetation.
 Features Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Ghats are lower in height than

Their height is 900 to 1,100 m. The highest
the Western Ghats. It ranges from 600 to
(i) Height peak of this region is from Anaimudi with a
900 m. Mahendragiri is the highest peak in
height of 2,659 km.
Eastern Ghats.

They have steep slop as height increases from

(ii) Slope They have a gentle slope.
North to South.

They are continous and can be crossed They are irregular and discontinous and
(iii) Continuity
through passes only. dissected by the rivers.

They stretch from Mahanadi valley to

They lie parallel to Western Coast and are
(iv) Rivers Niligiris in South. The rivers flow through
source for some rivers.
easily.

Western Ghats have tropical evergreen

Eastern Ghats have scrub vegetation due
(v) Vegetation forests. They are evergreen to deciduous
to overgrazing and deforestation.
forests.