PT2- KEYNOTES

SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHY GRADE 9

Chapter 1: India Size and Location
Location of India
➢ India’s mainland extends between 8°4'N and 37°6'N latitudes, and 68°7'E and 97°25'E
longitudes.
➢ India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere in the continent of Asia.
Size of India

➢ ❑ Area in sq. km - 3.28 million sq. km.

➢ ❑ The total area as % - 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world.
➢ ❑ Rank in the world as per Size- seventh-largest country
➢ ❑ land boundary -15,200 km
➢ ❑ total length of the coastline - 7,516.6 km.
Standard Meridian
➢ There is a two-hour time lag From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh.
➢ Time along the Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E) passing through Mirzapur (in Uttar
Pradesh) is taken as the standard time for the whole country.
The position of India
➢ The Deccan peninsula which protrudes into the Indian Ocean.
➢ It has helped India to establish close contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from th
western coast and Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
India’s contact with the world
(i) India’s contributions to the world
➢ Ideas, philosophies (Upanishads, Ramayana, Panchtantra) and mathematics (Indian
numerals and decimal system).
➢ The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken away from India to different
countries through land routes.
(ii) Influence of other countries on India
➢ India’s architecture was influenced by Greek sculpture and architectural styles from West
Asia.
Suez Canal
➢ Before 1869, ships from Europe to India had to make a detour journey via (the Cape of
GoodHope) African coast.
➢ The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 reduced India’s distance from Europe by 7000
km.
Neighbouring Countries of India
North-Western side:
• Afghanistan & Pakistan
Northern side:
• China, Nepal, Bhutan.
Eastern side:
• Bangladesh & Myanmar
Southern side:
• Maldives Sri Lanka
Indian Ocean
➢ Indian Ocean is named after India as no other country has a long coastline on the Indian
Ocean as India.
➢ The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, extensions of the Indian Ocean, lie to the west
and east of the Indian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean lies to its south.
Chapter 2- The Physical Features of India
The Himalayan Mountain
Great or Inner Himalayas
➢ The Northern most range
➢ It is the most continuous section.
➢ The average height of these ranges is 6000 meters.
Lesser or Middle Himalayas
➢ To the south of Himadri.
➢ The average height ranges between 3700 and 4500 meters.
➢ This region is well-known for its hill stations.
The Outer Himalayas
➢ The outermost range of the Himalayas is called the Outer Himalayas.
➢ They are discontinuous ranges.
➢ Their average height is between 900 and 1100 metres.
The Northern Plains
➢ Area of northern plains - 7 lakh sq. Km,
➢ Length - 2400 km long
➢ Breadth - 240 km to 320 km broad.
The Divisions of Northern Plains from West to East
➢ Punjab Plain-mostly lies in Pakistan
➢ Ganga Plain Is spread in Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
➢ The Brahmaputra Plain-mostly in Assam
Divisions of Northern Plains according to differences in Relief
➢ Bhabar — located at the foot of Shivalik, a narrow 8 to 16 km wide belt of pebbles.
➢ Terai — located next to Bhabar, a wet and marshy area with wildlife and forests.
➢ Bangar — Older alluvium plain which rises above the level of the flood plains.
➢ Khadar — Younger alluvium of the flood plain.
The Peninsular Plateau
The Peninsular plateau consists of two broad divisions:
The Central Highlands
The Deccan Plateau

➢ The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats mark the western and the eastern edges of the
DeccaPlateau.
➢ Anai Mudi (2,695 metres) is the highest peak in the Western Ghats.
➢ Mahendragiri (1,501 metres) is the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats.
The Indian Desert
The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravalli hills.
Luni is the only large river in this region.
Crescent -shaped sand dunes known as Barchans.
The Coastal Palins
The coastal plains in India run across the Arabian Sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the
east.
The Western Coastal Plain
The western coast is a narrow strip of land which is located between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea. The western coast consists of three sections.
1. The central part is called the Kannad plain
2. The southern stretch is known as the Malabar coast.
3. The northern part of the coast is known as the Konkan (Mumbai-Goa).
The Eastern Coastal Plains
The eastern coastal plains are located between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. Many
rivers such as the Krishna and Godavari have formed deltas in this region. Lake Chilika, the
largest saltwater lake in India, lies on the eastern coast.
The eastern coastal plains are known as the Northern Circar in the northern part and as the
Coromandel Coast in the southern part.
The Islands
➢ The Andaman and the Nicobar Islands lies to the southeast of the Indian mainland in the
Bay of Bengal.
➢ Andaman and Nicobar has its own rich culture and traditions. The island has large
number of beaches and tourists are attracted by these. Port Blair is the capital of
Andaman Nicobar Islands.
➢ The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south. It is believed that these islands
are an elevated portion of submarine mountains.
➢ The Lakshadweep Islands group lying close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. This group of
islands is composed of small coral islands. Earlier they were known as Laccadive,
Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973, these were named as Lakshadweep.
➢ It covers small area of 32 sq km. Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of
Lakshadweep.
 Chapter 3: Climate
Climate and Weather
➢ Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a
long period of time (more than thirty years).
➢ Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point in time.
➢ The elements of weather and climate are the same, i.e. temperature, atmospheric pressure,
wind, humidity and precipitation.
Monsoon
➢ The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word ‘mausim’ which literally means
season.
➢ ‘Monsoon’ refers to the seasonal reversal in the wind direction during a year.
Climate of India
➢ The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type.
➢ In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the south and the southeast.
➢ Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are perceptible regional variations in
climatic conditions within the country.
➢ The two important elements – temperature and precipitation.

Temperature
➢ In summer, the mercury occasionally touches 50°C in some parts of the Rajasthan desert,
whereas it may be around 20°C in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.
➢ On a winter night, the temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low as
minus 45°C.
➢ Thiruvananthapuram, on the other hand, may have a temperature of 22°C.
➢ In certain places, there is a wide difference between day and night temperatures.
➢ In the Thar Desert, the day temperature may rise to 50°C, and drop down to near 15°C
the same night. On the other hand, there is hardly any difference in day and night
temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or in Kerala.
Precipitation
➢ There are variations not only in the form and types of precipitation but also in its amount
and seasonal distribution.
➢ While precipitation is mostly in the form of snowfall in the upper parts of the Himalayas,
it rains over the rest of the country.
➢ The annual precipitation varies from over 400 cm in Meghalaya to less than 10 cm in
Ladakh and western Rajasthan. Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to
September. But some parts like the Tamil Nadu coast get a large portion of its rain during
October and November.
In general, coastal areas experience fewer contrasts in temperature conditions. Seasonal contrasts
are more in the interior of the country.
There is a decrease in rainfall generally from east to west in the Northern Plains. These
variations have given rise to variety in the lives of people – in terms of the food they eat, the
clothes they wear and the kind of houses they live in.
Climatic Control
There are six major controls of the climate of any place. They are latitude, altitude, pressure and
wind system, distance from the sea (continentality), ocean currents and relief features.
1. Latitude
• Due to the curvature of the earth, the amount of solar energy received varies according to
latitude. As a result, air temperature generally decreases from the equator towards the
poles.
2. Altitude
• As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes
less dense and temperature decreases. The hills are therefore cooler during summers
3. The pressure and wind system
• The pressure and wind system of any area depend on the latitude and altitude of the
place. Thus it influences the temperature and rainfall pattern.
4. Distance from the sea
• The sea exerts a moderating influence on climate. As the distance from the sea increases,
its moderating influence decreases and the people experience extreme weather
conditions. This condition is known as continentality (i.e. very hot during summers and
very cold during winters).
5. Ocean currents
• Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate of the coastal areas. For
example, any coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing past it, will be warmed or
cooled if the winds are onshore.
6. Relief
• High mountains act as barriers for cold or hot winds. Himalayas protect the subcontinent
from extremely cold winds from central Asia. They may also cause precipitation if they
are high enough and lie in the path of rain-bearing winds. The leeward side of mountains
remains relatively dry.

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