manav mangal School

Class: IX
Subject: Geography
Chapter 2 : Physical features of India

Important Terms

1. Tectonic Plates : Due to internal heat of the earth, the currents of the semi-
molten rocks move towards the crust, and tear it apart, dividing
it into large fragments which are called tectonic plates.
2. Gondwanaland : It was an ancient supercontinent located in southern
hemisphere which included the present day South America,
Africa, Australia and Antarctica.
3. Doab : The land between two rivers is locally known as Doab. In
Punjabi ‘do’ means two and ‘ab’ means water.
4. Delta : A triangular shaped alluvium landmass formed by the river at
its mouth. It is formed by a network of distributaries. Also
known as seaward extension of flood plains e.g. Sunderbans
Delta.
5. Sand Dune : A mound ridge or low hill of loose, windblown sand.
Coral Polyps : These are short-lined microscopic organisms which live in
colonies.
6. Atoll : These are circular or horse-shoe shaped coral reefs.

Very Short Answer Questions

1. Name any four factors which are responsible for creating and modifying the relief
to its present form.
Ans. (i) Weathering
(ii) Erosion
(iii) Deposition
(iv) Geological activities like earthquake volcanic eruption, etc.

2. What are tectonic plates?

Ans. Large fragments of the earth’s crust torn due to the rising convectional currents are
called tectonic plates.

3. Which continents of today were part of the Gondwana land?

Ans. South America, South Africa, Australia and Antarctica.
4. Name the 3 major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
Ans. 1. The Greater Himalayas or Himadri (Inner Himalayas)
2. Himachal or lesser Himalayas (Middle Himalayas)
3. The Shiwaliks (Outer Himalayas)

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5. Why is Himadri mountain range named so?
Ans. Himadri in Sanskrit means the abode of snow and the range is perpetually snowbound.

6. Which is the highest peak of India?

Ans. Kanchenjunga (8,598 m)

7. How do to Himachal composed of?

Ans. It is composed of highly compressed and altered rocks.

8. Which is the most important and longest mountain range of Himachal Himalaya?
Ans. The Pir Panjal range

9. Name the famous valleys found in the Himachal Himalayas.

Ans. Valleys of Kashmir Kangra and Kullu Valley

10. How does the Purvanchal composed of?

Ans. The Purvanchal composed of strong sandstone i.e. sedimentary rocks.

11. Name the hills that make the Purvanchal.

Ans. The Patkai Hills Naga Hills Manipur Hills and Mizo Hills.

12. Name the major river systems of the northern plains.

Ans. The three major river systems are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra

13. Mention the extent of Northern Plains of India

Ans. The northern plains of India spread over an area of 7 lakh sq. km.it has a length of
2400 km and breadth of 240 to 320 km.

14. Mention the division of Northern Plains on the basis of relief features.
Ans. The division in the bhabar, terai, bhangar and Khadar.

15. What is the Bhabar?

Ans. Bhabar is a narrow belt (8-16 km in width) of the Ganga plain covered with pebbles
lies along the foothills of the Shiwaliks.
16. What is the name given to the vet and swampy belt of the northern plains?
Ans. Terai.
17. Give the composition of the peninsular plateau.
Ans. The peninsular plateau is composed of the old crystalline, igneous and metamorphic
rocks. They were formed by the breaking and drifting of Gondwanaland.

18. Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya Range?
Ans. Malwa Plateau.

19. In which state Garo Khasi and jaintia hills are located?
Ans. Meghalaya
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20. Which is the highest peak of the Deccan plateau?
Ans. The Anai Mudi (2,695 m)

21. Define barchans.

Ans. Barchans are crescent shaped dunes with cups of the crescent pointing downward.

22. Which is the only largest river in the Indian desert?

Ans. River Luni.

23. Name the three divisions of the Western Coastal Plains.

Ans. The Konkan, the Kannada and the Malabar.

24. Name the island group of India having coral origin.

Ans. Lakshadweep Islands.

25. Name the island groups which has an active volcano.

Ans. An active volcano is found on Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Short Answer Questions

26. Explain the theory of Plate Tectonic.

Ans. It is a theory which explains the formation of physical features on the earth. According
to this theory, the crust of the earth has been formed out of seven major & minor
plates. There are basically 3 types of movements of the plates:-
1. Divergent Movement- When the plates move away from each other, the movement
is known as divergent movement.
2. Convergent Movement- When the plates come towards each other, the movement is
known as convergent movement. When two plates come together, they may either
collide or crumble, or one may slide under the other. At times they may also move
horizontally past over one another.
3. Transform Fault Boundary- Plates slide past each other, scraping and deforming as
they pass.

27. Write about the main features of the Greater Himalayas or the Himadri.
Ans. 1. It is the loftiest of all.
2. All the high peaks of the Himalayas belong to this range. Mt. Everest (8,848 m)
and Kanchenjunga (8,598m) both are in this part.
3. This always remains covered with snow with an average height of about 6000 m.
4. The core of this range is made up of granite and metamorphic rocks.
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 28. Write about the main features of the Himachal.
Ans. 1. They have an average height of around 3,700 m to 4,500 m above the sea level
and extend over a width of 50 km.
2. The ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed and altered rocks.
3. All the important hill stations such as Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Shimla,
Mussoorie, Nainital & Darjeeling belong to this range.
4. Pir Panjal, Dhaula dhar & Mahabharat ranges are the most important ranges.

29. Write about the main feature of the Shiwaliks.

Ans. 1. It is the outermost range of the Himalayas.
2. 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.
3. This range is made of unconsolidated material such as mud, silt & soft rocks and
is prone to earthquakes and landslides.
4. Some narrow valleys are found between the Shivaliks and the Himachal. They are
called duns. Dehradun, for example, is situated in one such valley.

30. Explain the formation of the Northern Plains.

Ans. 1. The Himalayan uplift out of the Tethys Sea and subsidence of the northern flank
of the Peninsular Plateau resulted in the formation of a large basin.
2. 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.
3. A flat land of extensive alluvial deposits led to the formation of the northern plains
of India.

31. How are coral reefs formed? Name two examples of coral reefs.
Ans. 1. Corals are small, sedentary marine animals with a calcareous horny skeleton.
2. These microscopic organisms flourish in warm shallow water and grow into large
colonies called coral reefs.
3. They secrete hard rock like substance. The coral secretion and their skeletons form
coral deposits in the form of reefs.
4. They are mainly of three kinds: barrier reef, fringing reef and atolls. The Great
Barrier Reef of Australia and Lakshadweep Island are good examples of the first
kind of coral reefs.

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32. Write short note on the following:
(i) The Indian Desert:-
1. The Indian Desert lies to the West of the Aravali Hills. It is an uneven sandy plain
covered with sand dunes.
2. Barchans (crescent-shaped sand dunes) cover a larger part of the desert. Near
Indo-Pakistan border, longitudinal sand dunes are more common.
3. It has arid climate with scarce vegetation and rainfall below 150 mm per year.
4. Rivers/streams appear only during the rainy season and soon afterwards disappear
in the sand. They do not have enough water to reach the sea. River Luni is the
only large river in this area.

(ii) The Central Highlands:

1. The part of the peninsular plateau lying north of Narmada River is called Central
Highlands. These highlands are made up of hard igneous and metamorphic rocks.
2. These are bordered by the Aravali range to the north-west. The Central Highlands
include Malwa Plateau to the west and Chota Nagpur Plateau to the east.
3. The Central Highlands are wider in the west and become narrow eastwards. The
eastward extension of the Malwa Plateau is locally called Bundelkhand and
Baghelkhand. Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east is drained by Damodar River, a
southern tributary of Ganga River.

(iii) The Island Groups of India

India has two groups of island namely:
1. Lakshadweep Islands
2. Andaman and Nicobar Island group
Lakshadweep Islands:
1. These island groups are located in the Arabian Sea i.e. west of Malabar Coast of Kerala.
2. These islands are of coral origin formed by the deposition of dead remains.
3. The total area of islands is 32 sq. km. In Lakshadweep, administrative headquarters are
in Kavaratti islands.
4. They have a wide diversity of flora & fauna. Pitti Island, an uninhabited island has a bird
sanctuary.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
1. These islands are located in the Bay of Bengal are the raised portion of the submerged
mountain ranges projecting out of the sea water.
2. These islands are large in size.
3. These islands are of strategic importance as these lie very close to South-East Asia.
4. The capital city is Port Blair and experiences equatorial climate and has thick forest cover.

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33. Distinguish between:
(i)

Bhangar Khadar

1. This is a highland composed of old This is a lowland composed of new alluvium.

alluvium.

2. It is always above the level of flood It is flooded almost every year and new
plain. alluvium is deposited.

3. It is often saturated with calcareous It is often characterised by clayey soil which

modules known as Kankar. contains potash, phosphoric acid and lime.
4. Not suited for cultivation. Ideal for intensive cultivation.

(ii) Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau on the basis of rivers that flow through hill
ranges.

Central Highlands Deccan Plateau

1. The Central Highlands are wider in the The Deccan Plateau is a triangular land
west but narrower in the east. mass.
2. The rivers draining this region are the The rivers draining this region are the Tapi,
Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa & the Ken. theKrishna, the Godavari, the Kaveri.
3. The hills lying in this region are the The hills lying in this region are the
Vindhya range and the Aravali hills. Mahadev, the Kaimur and the Maikal.

Long Answer Questions

34. Describe how the Himalayas were formed?
Ans.
1. The oldest landmass of India (i.e. Peninsular part) was a part of Gondwana land,
which included India, Australia and South Africa as one single landmass.
2. Convectional currents split the earth’s crust into a number of fragments, thereby
leading to the drifting of Indo-Australian plate towards the north after being separated
from Gondwana land.
3. The northward drift resulted in the collision of this plate with much larger Eurasian
plate.
4. Due to this collision, the sedimentary rocks which were accumulated in the
geosyncline called the Tethys, were folded to form the mountain systems of West
Asia and Himalayas.
5. The Himalayas represent a youthful topography with high peaks, deep valleys and
fast flowing rivers.
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35. Give an account of the four divisions of Himalayas from west to east along with
Purvanchal Hills.
Ans. The four divisions of Himalayas from west to east are:-
1. Punjab Himalayas: They lie between Indus and Sutlej rivers. They are also known
locally as Kashmir & Himachal Himalayas from west to east.
2. Kumaon Himalayas: These Himalayas lie between Sutlej and Kali rivers.
3. Nepal Himalayas: These Himalayas lie between Kali and Tista rivers.
4. Assam Himalayas: These Himalayas lie between Tista and Dihang rivers.
5. Purvachal Hills: These are the north-eastern extension of the Himalayas. Beyond
the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply to the South and spread along the
north-eastern boundary of India. They are mainly composed of strong sandstones.
The important hills are the Patkai, the Naga, the Manipur and the Mizo hills.

36. Mention the significance of Himalayas.

Ans.
1. The Himalyas act as a climatic divide. They do not allow the cold winds from
Central Asia to come into India nor do they allow the monsoons to escape into
Central Asia.
2. They are a storehouse of forest wealth and wildlife.
3. They give rise to perennial rivers e.g. River Ganga.
4. They have a number of places of tourist attraction i.e. hill stations (Shimla,
Nainital, Srinagar etc.)
5. They are also famous for the river valleys e.g. Kashmir Valley drained by Jhelum
river and fruit orchards.
6. They are well known for the glaciers like Siachen, the highest battlefield.

37. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.

Ans.
1. The Northern Plains of India are alluvial plains of India. They are formed by the
sediments brought from the mountains & deposited by the rivers in the
depression formed after the uplift of the Himalayas namely the Indus, Ganga &
Brahmaputra and their tributaries.
2. The plain is spread over an area of 7 lakh sq. km. The extent of this plain is 2400
km long & 240 km broad.
3. It is a densely populated and intensively cultivated area.
4. With adequate water supply and favourable climate, it is agriculturally a very
productive part of India.
5. The Northern Plain of India are divided into three divisions:
a) Punjab Plains cover the western part of the Northern Plains. They are formed
by Indus River & its tributaries.

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 b) Ganga Plains extend between the Ghaggar and the Teesta River, spread over
the states of Haryana, Delhi, U.P., Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
c) The Brahmaputra Plain lies to the east of the Ganga Plains. It covers the area
of Assam.

38. Distinguish between:

(i) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

1. Western Ghats mark the Eastern Ghats mark the eastern edge
western edge of the Deccan of the Deccan Plateau.
Plateau.

2. They are continuous and can They are discontinuous and irregular
only be crossed through passes and have been dissected by the rivers
e.g. Pal Ghat, Bhor Ghar. draining into the Bay of Bengal.

3. They lie parallel to the western They lie parallel to the eastern coast
coast along the Arabian Sea. along the Bay of Bengal.

4. They are higher in the south They are higher in the north and the
and the height increases height increases towards the north.
towards the south.
5. Average height is between 900 Average height is 600 m.
m to 1600m.

6. The highest peak is Anamudi The highest peak is Mahendragiri

with height of 2,695 m above with height of 1,501 m above the sea
sea level. level.

39. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the
Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular Plateau.
Ans. The major physiographic divisions of India are:
1. The Himalayan Mountain
2. The Northern Plains of India
3. The Peninsular Plateau
4. The Indian Desert
5. The Coastal Plains
6. The Island Groups

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Relief of Himalayan Region and Relief of Peninsular Plateau:
Relief of Himalayan Region Relief of Peninsular Plateau
1. Himalayas are young fold & It is a high tableland made up of old
loftiest mountains of the world crystalline igneous & metamorphic
comprising several parallel rocks.
ranges.

2. They were formed due to folding The Peninsular Plateau was born by
of sedimentary rock strata in the breaking up of the Gondwana land.
bed of the Tethys sea.

3. This region consists of the The hills of the Peninsular Plateau are
highest peaks of the world. Many rounded due to large scale erosion over
of these peaks are above 6000 a long period of time e.g. Aravallis &
metres & snow covered the Nilgiris etc.
throughout the year e.g. Mt.
Everest.

4. The Himalayas represent a The Peninsular Plateau represents a

youthful topography with high relief of rounded hills, broad &
peaks, gorges, deep valleys & shallow valleys.
waterfalls.

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 Map Skills
On an outline map of India show the following.
i. Mountain and hill ranges-the Karakoram, the Zaskar, the Patkal Bum, the Jaintia, the
Vindhya Range, the Aravali, and the cardamom hills.
ii. Peaks- K2, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat and the Anai Mudi.
iii. Plateaus - Chotanagpur and Malwa.
iv. The Indian Desert, Western Ghats, Lakshadweep Islands.

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