Chapter: Physical Features of India
Subject: Geography
Class: IX
Chapter-2: Physical Features of India
(MCQs + Textbook & Extra Q&A)
MCQs
1. Find the odd one out:
(a) Kanchenjunga
(b) Nanga Parbat
(c) Namcha Barwa
(d) Anai Mudi
2. Which islands of India are called Coral Islands?
(a) Lakshdeep
(b) Andman and Nikobar
(c) both
(d) None of these
3. The longitudinal valleys lying between lesser Himalayas and Shivaliks are known as _______.
(a) Kangra Valley
(b) Patkai Bum
(c) Passes
(d) Duns
4. Lesser Himalayas also called as?
(a) Himadri
(b) Himachal
(c) Shivaliks
(d) Purvanchal
5. A narrow gap in a mountain range providing access to the other side is:
(a) Mound
(b) Pass
(c) Strait
(d) Valley
6. The largest delta in the world is:
(a) Ganga Delta
(b) Mahanadi Delta
(c) Sunderban Delta
(d) Godavari
7. Which is the highest peak in India?
(a) Mt. Everest
(b) Kanchenjunga
(c) Nanga Parbat
(d) Nandadevi
8. Which two hills are located in the south-east of Eastern Ghats?
(a) Mizo Hills and Naga Hills
(b) Javadi Hills and Shevroy Hills
(c) Patkoi Hills and Manipuri Hills
(d) Mizo Hills and Patkoi Hills
9. The only active volcano of India is found at
(a) Maldives
(b) Lakshdweep
(c) Andman and Nicobar
(d) None of these
10. The wet and swampy belt of the Northern Region is known locally as
(a) Bhabar
(b) Terai
(c) Doab
(d) Bhangar
11. A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as:
(a) Coast
Chapter: Physical Features of India
Subject: Geography
Class: IX
(b) Peninsula
(c) Island
(d) none of the above
12. Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with Myanmar are collectively
called as
(a) Himachal
(b) Uttaranchal
(c) Purvanchal
(d) none of the above
13. The western coastal strip south of Goa is referred to as
(a) Coromandel
(b) Konkan
(c) Kannad
(d) Northern Circar
14. The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
(a) Anai Mudi
(b) Kanchenjunga
(c) Mahendragiri
(d) Khasi
15. The Peninsular Plateau of India belongs to which of the following landmass?
(a) Angaraland
(b) Tethys
(c) Eurasian Plate
(d) Gondwanaland
16. The world's largest delta is formed by:
(a) Ganga and Sutlej
(b) Indus and Ganga
(c) Ganga and Brahamputra
(d) Indus and Brahamputra
Answers:
1: (d) Anai Mudi
2: (a) Lakshdeep
3: (d) Duns
4: (a) Himadri
5: (b) Pass
6: (c) Sunderban Delta
7: (b) Kanchenjunga
8: (b) Javadi Hills and Shevroy Hills
9: (c) Andman and Nicobar (Barren Island)
10: (b) Terai
11: (b) Peninsula
12: (c) Purvanchal
13: (b) Konkan
14: (c) Mahendragiri
15: (d) Gondwanaland
16: (c) Ganga and Brahamputra
Other Q&A
1. Discuss the geological structure of India.
(i) India is part of ancient continent called Gondwanaland which is divided into many plates. One such
Indo-Australian plate moved towards the north and collided with Euro-asian plate and thus resulted
in rising to the present day Himalayas.
(ii) To the south of Himalayas a basin was formed. It was filled with alluvium brought by the rivers and
thus forming North Indian plains.
Chapter: Physical Features of India
Subject: Geography
Class: IX
(iii) During Himalayas formation, two major events affected the plateau. An extensive volcanic eruption
took place in the north-west part of the plateau.
(iv) The western part subsided and the Indian Ocean advanced and occupied the depression. It led to the
rise to the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea.
2. Describe the physiographic divisions or physical features of India.
Physiographic division of India is:
(i) The Himalayan Mountains: Geologically young and fold mountains stretch over the northern
borders of India. These are the one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world.
(ii) The Northern Plain: It is about 2400km long and 240-320km wide. Formed by interplay of three
major river systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahamputra. It is rich in fertile alluvial soil.
(iii) The Peninsular Plateau: The tableland composed of old crystalline igenous and metamorphic rocks.
It is abundant with shallow valleys and rounded hills.
(iv) The Indian Desert: It lies towards the western margins of the Aravalli Hills and has arid climate
with low vegetation cover.
(v) The Coastal Plains: These plains are stretched along the eastern and the western edges of the
peninsular plateau.
(vi) The Islands: Two island groups - the Lakshadweep Islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
3. Write three important features of Aravalli Hills.
(i) The Aravalli Hills lie on the western and the north-western margins of the peninsular plateau.
(ii) Highly eroded and broken hills.
(iii) Extend from Gujarat to Delhi in southwest-northeast direction.
4. Which plateau lies between the Aravalli and the Vindhyan ranges?
The Malwa plateau
5. Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
Three major divisions of the Himalayas:
(i) The Greater Himalayas or the Inner Himalayas or Himadri
(ii) The Middle Himalayas or Himachal
(iii) The Outer Himalayas or "Shiwaliks"
6. Name the island group of India having coral origin.
Lakshadweep Islands
7. Write a short note on The Indian Desert.
(i) The Great Indian Desert lies to the west of the Aravalli range.
(ii) It largely covers a major region of the state of Rajasthan.
(iii) It receives very low rainfall i.e. below 150 mm per year and therefore it is a dry region.
(iv) The soil is generally sandy to sandy-loam in texture.
(v) It has arid climate with low vegetation cover.
8. Name the landmasses that were included in the Gondwanaland.
India, Australia, Southern Africa, South America
9. What are the relief features that are found in the Northern Plains?
Relief features in the Northern Plains are (i) Bhabar; (ii) Terai; (iii) Bhangar; and (iv) Khadar
10. Describe the Theory of Plate Tectonics.
A plausible theory presented by earth scientists to explain the formation of continents and ocean basins and
the various landforms is the ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics’. According to the theory, the crust of the earth has
been formed out of seven major and some minor tectonic plates.
Chapter: Physical Features of India
Subject: Geography
Class: IX
According to the earth scientists, millions of years ago, the world comprised of a supercontinent ‘Pangaea’
surrounded by the primeval ocean ‘Panthalasa’. The present continents and intervening oceans were formed
due to splitting of the crust into plates due to convection currents and drifting of these plates.
11. Where would one find most of the volcanoes and earthquake zones in the world and why?
Most volcanoes and earthquake zones in the world are located at plate margins. According to the ‘Theory of
Plate Tectonics’ presented by earth scientists, the crust of the earth has been formed out of seven major and
some minor plates. The movement of these plates due to convection currents results in the building up of
stresses within the plates and continental rocks above. This leads to folding, faulting and volcanic activity
along the zones of maximum stress, i.e., mostly along the margins of the plates. Earthquake and volcanic
activity are maximum here. The circum-Pacific region – popularly termed as the Pacific Ring of Fire on
account of its volcanoes and frequent earthquakes – lies along the margin of tectonic plates.
12. Name the different major physiographic divisions of India. Write a note on any one of the
physiographic divisions of India.
The major physiographic divisions of India are as follows :
• The Himalayan Mountains
• The Northern Plains
• The Peninsular Plateau
• The Indian Desert
• The Coastal Plains
• The Islands
The Coastal Plains: The Peninsular Plateau of India is flanked by a stretch of narrow coastal plains to its
west and east. The Western Coastal Plain is a narrow strip of plain stretching along the Arabian Sea lying to
its west and flanked by the Western Ghats to its east. The northern part of the West Coast is called the
Konkan (Mumbai to Goa), the central stretch is called the Kannad while the sourthern part is called the
Malabar Coast. The Eastern Coastal Plain is comparatively wide and level stretch running along the Bay of
Bengal lying to its east with the Eastern Ghats rising to its west. It is known as Northern Circar in the north,
while its southern part is referred to as the Coromandal Coast.
13. How was the Great Northern Plains of India formed? Give a brief description.
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.
Over millions of years this depression gradually got filled up with alluvium deposited by the three major
river systems – the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra flowing from the Himalayas in the north.
Sediments were also deposited by the tributaries of these rivers rising from the mountains in the north as
well as the Peninsular Plateau to its south. As a result, the fertile Indo-Gangetic or Northern Plains, and the
Brahmaputra Plain in the northeast, were formed. As the Himalayas gained in height, the rivers, glaciers and
other agents of denudation became increasingly active in erosion. As a result, large amount of silt got
deposited in the shrinking Tethys.
14. Where are the Western and the Eastern Ghats situated? Write a small note on each.
The Western and the Eastern Ghats are situated in the Peninsular Plateau region. The Western Ghats mark
the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and lie parallel to the Western Coast. The Eastern Ghats mark the
eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau. They stretch from the Mahanadi Valley to the Nilgiri Hills in the south.
The eastern coastal plain runs to its east. The Western Ghats are continuous and regular and can be crossed
only through passes like the Thal, Bhor and the Pal Ghats. They are comparatively high in elevation (average
900 to 1600 metres). No major river cuts across the Western Ghats. The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous
and irregular. They are of relatively lower elevation (average 600 m). They are dissected by rivers draining
into the Bay of Bengal.
15. Define tectonic or lithospheric plates.
Earth scientists have put forward the view that the Earth’s crust or the lithosphere is not a continuous block.
It consists of several large and small, rigid, irregularly shaped plates (slabs) which include continents and
Chapter: Physical Features of India
Subject: Geography
Class: IX
the ocean floor. These slabs are moving or drifting in relation to each other by about 2.5 cm to 5 cm each
year. These crustal slabs are called tectonic or lithospheric plates. According to the ‘Theory of Plate
Tectonics’ put forward by the Earth scientists, the earth’s crust has been formed out of seven major and some
minor tectonic plates or lithospheric plates.
16. Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya range? Write a brief note on this plateau.
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.
17. What do you understand by 'duns'? Where are they situated in our country? Give any two
examples of duns.
The longitudinal valleys lying between Lesser Himalaya and the Shivaliks are known as duns. Dehradun
and Kotli Dun are two examples of duns.
18. What are corals? Name and describe the island group which is of coral origin.
Corals are short lived microscopic organisms, which lives in colonies. They flourish in shallow, mud-free
and warm waters. They secrete calcium carbonate. The coral secretion and their skeletons form coral
deposits. Lakshadweep islands group lying close to the Malaber Coast of Kerala is composed of small coral
islands.
19. Describe 'Bhabar' and 'Terai'.
Bhabar is pebble studded formation situated at the base of mountains and plains in the Himalayan region.
Terai is a sloping land at the foothills of the Nepal Himalayas. The Terai receives heavy rainfall and is
densely forested.
20. Name any three divisions of Himalayas on the basis of regions from West to East and also write
one main feature of each.
The Himalayas have been divided on the basis of regions from west to east. These divisions have been
demarcated by river valleys.
(i) The part of Himalayas lying between Indus and Sutlej has been traditionally known as Punjab
Himalayas. It is also regionally known as Kashmir Himachal Himalaya from west to east
respectively.
(ii) The part of Himalayas lying between Sutlej and Kali rivers is known as Kumaon Himalayas.
(iii) The Kali and Tista rivers demarcate the Nepal Himalayas and the part lying between Tista and
Dihang rivers is known as Assam Himalayas.
21. Why are the Himalayas called young fold mountains?
The Himalayan mountain is geologically young and structurally fold mountains stretch over the northern
parts of India. It was uplifted from the 'Tethys Sea' during the Tertiary period. The whole mountain represents
a very youthful topography with high peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers. That is why it is called an
young-fold mountain.
22. The relief of India displays a great physical variation. Explain.
India is a vast country with varied landforms. It has high mountains, plains, plateaus, islands, deserts etc.
This varied large landmass formed during different geological periods which has influenced her relief.
Besides geological formations, a number of processes such as weathering, erosion and deposition have
created and modified the relief to its present form. It is, therfore, India displays a great physical variation.
23. What is the Great Himalaya? Write two characteristics of it.
The northernmost range of the Himalayas is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri.
(i) It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6000 metres.
It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks.
Chapter: Physical Features of India
Subject: Geography
Class: IX
(ii) Its folds are asymmetrical in nature and its core is composed of granite rock. It is perennially
snowbound and contains many glaciers.
