major Relif Divisions

 The relief features of Indian landmass can be divided into the following groups:

1. The Himalayas

2. The Indo-Gangetic Plain

3. The Peninsular Plateau

4. The Coastal plains

5. The Desert

6. The Islands

Look at Map 2 and the raised relief map in your school. Using your finger, trace the regions mentioned below:

1.Follow the course of Godavari and Krishna rivers to identify the direction of the slope of Deccan plateau.

2.Describe the entire course of the Brahmaputra River, with reference to landforms, heights, and countries

The Himalaya
The Himalayan ranges run in the west-east direction in the form of an arch with a distance of about 2,400 kms. Their width differs from 500 kms in the western regions to 200 kms in central and eastern regions. It is broader in western region. There are also altitudinal variations across the regions. The Himalayas comprise three parallel ranges. These ranges are separated with deep valleys and extensive plateaus.

The northern most range is known as Greater Himalayas or Himadri. This range is the most continuous consisting of the highest peaks with an average elevation of about 6100 mts above Mean Sea Level (MSL).

Greater Himalayas are composed of snow and ice cover. You find glaciers here. The seasonal cycles of accumulation of ice, movement and melting of glaciers are the sources of the perennial rivers. The portion of range found to the south of the Greater Himalayas is called “Lesser Himalayas” which has the most rugged relief. These ranges are mainly composed of highly compressed rocks. The height ranges from 3,700 to 4,500 mts. The Pirpanjal and Mahabharata ranges form the important ranges of this region.

The Lesser Himalaya ranges consist of the famous valley of Kashmir, Kangra and Kulu in Himachal Pradesh. This region is well known for many hill stations like Shimla, Mussuorie, Nainital, Raniket etc. and are covered by evergreen forests

1.Locate the three ranges in your atlas.

2.Locate some of the highest peaks in the raised relief map.

3.Trace the above regions in the raised relief map and on the wall map with your fingers.

4.Locate the following places on the physical map of India in your atlas: SCERT Shimla, Mussuorie, Nainital and Ranike


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