Northern Plains

NORTHERN PLAINS
The northern plains are an important physical division of

India. It is also known as Indo - Gangetic plains.
Location and Extent

 The Northern Plains are situated to the south of the
himalayas
 .It is formed by the silt deposited by the Himalayas
and its tributaries.
 These plains are the largest alluvial tract in the world.
 These plains extend approximately 3200 km from
west to east.
 The average width of these plains varies between 150
and 300 km.
Formation of Northern Plains
 The Northern Plain was formed by the deposits

brought in the three major Himalayan
rivers(Ganga,Indus and Brahmaputra) and their
tributaries.
 These rivers resulted in the transport and deposition
of smaller fragments of rock in the foothills of the
Himalayas.
 Alluvium has been deposited in the foothills of the
Himalayas for millions of years now.
 These deposits are the fertile Northern Plains.
 The northern plain is one of the largest and most
fertile plain of India. It is one of the World’s most
intensively farmed areas.
 They are located between the Himalayan rivers in the
north and the Peninsular Plateau in the south.
 Due to its suitable farming properties, it is highly
populated.
 The land is generally flattish.
 The northern plains have the Indus river system in the
west and the Ganga Brahmaputra river system in the
east.
 The Northern Plains is divided into four regions -
Bhabar,Terai,Bhangar and Khadar.
 The water table in this region is very high.
Physiographic Divisions
The Northern Plains can be divided into three major
zones.
1. The Bhabar
 It lies along the foothills of the Shiwaliks from the Indus
to the Tista.
 It is about 8-16 kms wide.

 The rivers descending from the himalayas deposit their
loads along the foothills in the form of alluvial fans.
 The most unique feature of bhabar is its
porosity(allowing liquid and gas to pass through slowly)
 It is porous due to deposition of a huge number of
pebbles and rock debris across the alluvial fans.
 It is not so suitable for agriculture

2.The Tarai
 It lies to the south of Bhabar and runs parallel to it.
 It is around 20-30kms wide.
 It has comparatively finer alluvium and is covered by
forests.
 This area receives high rainfall and has excessive
humidity.
 It has underground streams which makes the ground
marshy(waterlogged).
 Most parts of Tarai are suitable for agriculture.
 It is suitable for the cultivation of
wheat,maize,rice.sugarcane,etc.
3.The Alluvial Plains

The alluvial plains can further be divided into the
Khadar and the Bhangar.
i.The Khadar
 It contains the new alluvial deposit along the course of
the river.
 It is enriched by the fresh deposits of silts every year.
 The land silt consists of mud,clay and sand.
 It is suitable for extensive cultivation.

ii.The Bhangar
 It covers large parts of the northern plains.
 It's the older alluvium along the river beds.
 This area lies above the flood limits of the river.
 It is rich in humus and gives high yield.
 The soil contains calcium carbonate nodules called
‘Kankars’ which are impure in nature.

REGIONAL DIVISIONS
It is divided into three major parts
 The Indus and its tributaries
This includes the jhelum,the Chenab,the Ravi,the
Beas,the Sutlej - originate in the Himalaya.This part of the
Northern plain is also called as Punjab Plain.
 The Ganga Plain
The Ganga plain lies in between the Ghagar and the Tista
river.
 The Brahmaputra Plain
It lies in the state of Assam.
Significance of this region

 It supports over 40 percent of the total population of the
country.
 Punjab,Haryana and the western part of Uttar Pradesh
is known as the granary of India.
 The rivers here have gentle gradients which makes
them navigable over long distances.
 The sedimentary rocks of plains contain petroleum and
natural gas deposits.
THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

The Peninsular Plateau
The Peninsular Plateau is a tableland composed of old
crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks. It was formed
due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwana land.
One of the distinct features of the Peninsular Plateau is
the black soil area known as Deccan Trap.
This plateau consists of 2 divisions:
1. The Central Highlands:
 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 eastward extensions of this plateau are locally

known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.
2. The Deccan Plateau:
 It is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of
the river Narmada.
 An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the
northeast, which is known as the Meghalaya.
The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the

western and the eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau,
respectively.
Western Ghats Eastern Ghats
Western Ghats lie The Eastern Ghats stretch

parallel to the western from the Mahanadi Valley
coast. to the Nilgiris in the South.
They are continuous They are discontinuous

and can be crossed and irregular. They can be
through passes only. dissected by rivers
draining into the Bay of
Bengal.
They are higher than Their average elevation is

the Eastern Ghats. 600 metres.
Their average
elevation is 900–1600
metres.
Anamudi is the Mahendragiri (1,501

highest peak in the metres) is the highest
Western Ghats. peak in the Eastern Ghats.
The Indian Desert

The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the
Aravali Hills.
 It is a sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
 This region receives very low rainfall, below 150 mm
per year.
 It has a dry climate with low vegetation cover.
The Coastal Plains
 A coastal plain is a flat, low-lying piece of land next to
the ocean.
 To the east and west of the peninsular plateau, 2
narrow strips of plain lands are found, which are
respectively called Eastern Coastal Plain and
Western Coastal Plain.
Eastern Coastal Plain
 The Eastern Coastal Plains is a wide stretch of
landmass lying between the Eastern Ghats and the
Bay of Bengal.
 In the northern part, it is referred to as the Northern
Circar, 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 an extensive
delta on this coast. Lake Chilika is an important
feature along the eastern coast.
Western Coastal Plain
The western coast is sandwiched between the Western
Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is a narrow plain and
consists of 3 sections, as mentioned below:
 The northern part of the coast is called
the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa)
 The central stretch is called the Kannad Plain
 The southern stretch is referred to as the Malabar
coast
The Islands
 An island is a piece of sub-continental land that is
surrounded by water.
 Lakshadweep Islands group is composed of small
coral islands which were earlier known as Laccadive,
Minicoy and Amindive.
The entire group of islands is divided into 2 broad
categories:
1. The Andaman in the north
2. The Nicobar in the south
These islands lie close to the equator and experience an
equatorial climate, and have thick forest cover.
The diverse physical features of India have immense
future possibilities for development because of the
following reasons.
 The 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 India.
 The coastal region and island groups provide sites for
fishing and port activity
MAP WORK

Northern Plains

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NORTHERN PLAINS

The northern plains are an important physical division of

Location and Extent

Formation of Northern Plains

 The Northern Plain was formed by the deposits

 It is about 8-16 kms wide.

3.The Alluvial Plains

 It's the older alluvium along the river beds.

 This area lies above the flood limits of the river.

 It is rich in humus and gives high yield.

 The soil contains calcium carbonate nodules called

‘Kankars’ which are impure in nature.

It lies in the state of Assam.

Significance of this region

THE PENINSULAR PLATEAU

 The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north

 The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally

The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats lie The Eastern Ghats stretch

They are continuous They are discontinuous

They are higher than Their average elevation is

Anamudi is the Mahendragiri (1,501

The Indian Desert

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