Indian Physical Geography
INDIA PHYSICAL FEATURES Geographical Set Up: India takes its standard time from the meridian of 82 30 E, which is 5 ½ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean time ( 0 longitude).Pakistan time is 5 hours ahead of GMT and Bangladesh time is 6 hours ahead of GMT.
Significance of Location: Barring the plateau of Baluchistan (which form part of Pakistan), the two great ranges of Sulaiman and Kirthar cut it off from the west. Along the north, the great mountain wall formed by the Hindukush, Karakoram and the Himalayas, which is difficult to cross, cuts it off from the rest of the continent. Similarly, the southward of-shoots of the Eastern Himalayas separate it from Russia. The tropical monsoon climate of India, which ensures a fair supply of moisture and forms the basis of farming in India, is also a result of its location in the southern part of Asia. Since the opening of Suez Canal (1867) India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7,000km. It thus bridges the space between the highly industrialized nation of the west and the semi-arid, and south-western Asia and the most fertile and populated regions in the south-east and far-east countries.
PHYSIOGRAPHIC UNITS OF INDIA S.NO | UNITS | AREA KM (Sq) (appro) | % OF TOTAL AREA | 01 | Northern mountains | 578,000 | 17.9 | 02 | Great Plains | 550,000 | 17.1 | 03 | Thar Desert | 175,000 | 5.4 | 04 | Central Highlands | 336,000 | 10.4 | 05 | Peninsular Plateaus | 1,241,000 | 38.5 | 06 | Coastal Plains | 335,000 | 10.4 | 07 | Islands | 8,300 | 0.3 |
The Trans Himalayas or Tibetan Himalayas: The largest glaciers are Hispar and Batura (over 57 km long) of Hunza Valley and Biafo and Baltaro (60 km long) of Shigar Valley. The Siachen of Nubra Valley is the longest with a length of over 72 km.The Purvachal or the Eastern Hills: In the east after crossing the Cihang gorge the Himalayas bend towards south forming a series of hills running through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Significance of Location: Barring the plateau of Baluchistan (which form part of Pakistan), the two great ranges of Sulaiman and Kirthar cut it off from the west. Along the north, the great mountain wall formed by the Hindukush, Karakoram and the Himalayas, which is difficult to cross, cuts it off from the rest of the continent. Similarly, the southward of-shoots of the Eastern Himalayas separate it from Russia. The tropical monsoon climate of India, which ensures a fair supply of moisture and forms the basis of farming in India, is also a result of its location in the southern part of Asia. Since the opening of Suez Canal (1867) India’s distance from Europe has been reduced by 7,000km. It thus bridges the space between the highly industrialized nation of the west and the semi-arid, and south-western Asia and the most fertile and populated regions in the south-east and far-east countries.
PHYSIOGRAPHIC UNITS OF INDIA S.NO | UNITS | AREA KM (Sq) (appro) | % OF TOTAL AREA | 01 | Northern mountains | 578,000 | 17.9 | 02 | Great Plains | 550,000 | 17.1 | 03 | Thar Desert | 175,000 | 5.4 | 04 | Central Highlands | 336,000 | 10.4 | 05 | Peninsular Plateaus | 1,241,000 | 38.5 | 06 | Coastal Plains | 335,000 | 10.4 | 07 | Islands | 8,300 | 0.3 |
The Trans Himalayas or Tibetan Himalayas: The largest glaciers are Hispar and Batura (over 57 km long) of Hunza Valley and Biafo and Baltaro (60 km long) of Shigar Valley. The Siachen of Nubra Valley is the longest with a length of over 72 km.The Purvachal or the Eastern Hills: In the east after crossing the Cihang gorge the Himalayas bend towards south forming a series of hills running through Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,