Northern Plains

Western Ghats

Slope:
South
eastern

Physiography of India

Indian peninsular plateau

Pre-Cambrian old
region
8 divisions:

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

N-C highlands
S-C highlands
Eastern plateau
North Deccan
South Deccan
Western Ghats
Eastern Ghats
Meghalaya
uplands

Indian peninsular plateau

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

N-C highlands
S-C highlands
Eastern plateau
North Deccan
South Deccan
Western Ghats
Eastern Ghats
Meghalaya
uplands

N-C highlands
2
3
1

1)
2)
3)
4)

Aravalli
Mahabharat
Uplands
Madhya Bharat
Pathar
Bundelkhand

Aravalli range

One of the oldest

mt range
Sedimentary,
metamorphosed
rocks marble,
quartzite
From Palanpur to
Delhi ridge
Source of
Sabarmati, Luni
and Banas (tri.
Chmbal)

Bundelkhand
Granite, gneissic
rocks
Drought-prone
low agroproductivity
Jhansi, Gwalior,
Hamirpur

S-C highlands
2
1

1)
2)
3)

Vindhyan range
Malawa plateau
Narmada valley

Vindhyan range

From GJ to Bihar
Rifting- southern
slope steeper than
northern slope

Vindhyan range
Source of

Vindhya
n range

many north
flowing rivers
Chmabal,
Sindh, Betwa
and Ken
(tributaries of
Yamuna)
Water divide
of central
India

Malawa plateau
Located btwn
Arvalli and
Vindhyan range
Semi arid region
Faulty agropractice- high
soil erosion
gully erosionChambal
badlands
Historically
known as
Khandesh

Eastern plateau

1
4
5

6
2

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Baghelkhand
Garhjat hills,
Rajmahal hills,
Mahanadi basin,
Dandkarnya
Chotanagpur
plateau

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Hazari
baug
plt

Ranch
i plt

Craton of Singhbhum
metallic mineral
rich
Rifting along
Damodar valley 2
parts
N. Hazaribaug
Plateau
S. Ranchi plateau
Damodar and
Mahanadi
Rifting coal formation
Unique coal + iron
combination

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Rajm
ahal
hills

Garhj
at
hills

Rajmahal hills NE
edge of Chhota
Nagpur plt.
Garhjat hills
southern edge of
Chhotanagpur plt

Chhota Nagpur plateau

Nort
h
koel
Chhota
river
Nagpur
plateau

Sou
Koe th
l

Radial
drainage
1) North koel,
(tri. Of Son),
Subarn 2) Damodar,
arekha
Barakar
river
3) Subarnrekha
4) South koel
rivers (tri. Of
Brahmani)

Meghalaya Plateau

Miki
r
hills
Regm
a hills
Kapilli
river

3 parts of plateau
Garo-Khasi-Jaintia
Garo (Nokrek), Khasi
(Shillong)
Mikir, Regma, Barail
ranges
Kapilli river
separates mikir,
Regma & Barail from
Meghalaya plateau

Meghalaya Plateau

Rajma
hal
hills
Malda
gap

Extension of
Peninsular block
Separated from
Chhotanagpur
plateau
Down warping
along Rajmahal
garo hills = malda
gap
GangaBrahmaputra flow
through the Malda
gap

Meghalaya Plateau

Monso
on
winds

Hills are not very

high
Not effective in
blocking the rain
bearing winds
reach till Arunachal
Pradesh
But pass with funnel
effect heavy
rainfall in Meghalaya
But inadequate
storage water
shortage

Deccan traps
India pass over
Reunion hot spot
Basaltic lava flow
Layer over layer of
lava formation
Look like steps
traps

North Deccan

Satpura
range
MH
plateau

Satpura range
(Rajpipla,
Gawilgarh,
Mahaev, Maikal,
Amarkantak plt.)
Maharastra plateau

Satpura range

fold mt. of
Archaenean then
faulting
1) Rajpipla (GJ)
2) Gawilgarh (MH)
3) Mahadeo (MP),
4) Maikal (Chh)
) Highest peak
Dhupgarh
(Mahadeo)

Satpura Range
Amarkantak

Bet
ul
plat
eau

Amarka
ntak
plateau

plateau- east of
Maikal range
Source of Narmada
and Son (tri. Of
Ganga)
Betul plateau
south of Mahado
hills
source of river Tapi,
Pench/ Wainganga
river (Tri. Of
Godavari)

Q. Which one of the

following rivers
originate in
Amarkantak?
a) Damodar
b) Mahanadi
c) Narmada
d) Tapi

Questio
n
UPSC
Prelims
2007

MH plateau
Aja
nta

ern
West
s
Ghat

sat
ma
a l
Bala
Ha
ghat
ha rish
nd c
ra

MH
plate
au
Telang
ana plt

KN plt

Shield
crystalline
rocks
Overland by
lava flow
In south merge
with KN
plateau and in
east with
Telangana
plateau

South Deccan

1) KN -Dharwad plt
One of the oldest
physiographical
region
2) Telangana plateau

KN plateau
Mai
dan

pl
ai
n

udan
b
a
b
a
B
hills

Maln
ad

Bang
lore
plate
au

Baba budan hills,

Maidan and Malnad
Malnad = forested
Maidan = arid
Highest peak of
Baba Budan =
Mulangiri

Dharwad plateau
The most oldest
sedimentary rocks of
India
Ancient Dharwad
craton (shield)
metallic mineral rich
region
Shimoga, Tumkur
and Chitradurg,
Chikmaglur of KN
mineral rich

Dharwad plateau
Iron and limestone
Bellary (KN) and
upto Ratnagiri (MH)
Fe ore
Kemangundi and
Kudremukh mines
(near Chikmaglur)

Telangana plateau
Satmal
a hills

Go
i r da
iv va
er r

Telan
gana
plate
au Krishna

river

Shesha
chalam
hills

Penn
eru
river

Benglore
plateau

Arachaean gneisses
Avg. elevation 500600m
Southern portion
higher than northern
part
North Satmala hills
South Sheshachalam
hills, Rayanseema plt
Drained by Godavari,
Krishna and Penneru

Western Ghats
GJ-MH-KN-TN-KR
Sat
mal
a ala
B
ghat
Harishc
handra

Ajan
ta

Ajanta Satmala
Balaghat
Harishchandra
Highest peak:
Anaimudi
Passes:
Thalghat Btwn
Mumbai-Nashik
Bhor ghat btwn
Mumbai -Pune

Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern

More rainfall in
KN
Steeper in MH,
lower and
broader in KN
KR isolated
hills rain
bearing wind
pass between
gaps

Western Ghats: Rainfall pattern

KN:
Gentle slope= Air
parcel can retain
energy and speed for
a long time, allowing
cloud droplets to
grow and precipitate
as rainfall.
In Karnataka,
mountains are
continuous. No
gaps= Clouds cant
easily escape to
leeward side.

Western Ghats: ecology

Western GhatsUNESCO world

heritage site
(evergreen to
thorn)
KN-TN-KR region:
SHOLA forest
biosphere reserve
unique BD
above 2000m
Stunted tropical
montane forest

Western Ghats: ecology and

agriculture

KN-KR-TN region:
Bandipur-WaynadMudumalai NP
Largest population
of leopards
leopards + tigers+
wild dogs
TN tea-coffee
KN rubber,
coffee, cashew
plantation
KR- spices

Eastern Ghats

1
3

4
5

Discontinuous range
lower than western
Ghats
1) Northern circas
2) Nallamalla
3) Palkonda
4) Javadi
5) Shevroy
) Highest peak:
Armakonda

Eastern Ghats
Laterite soils

`
1
1
2

3
4

Bauxite deposits:
1) Malaygiri
2) Niyamgiri
3) Baflai mali
4) Panchpat mali
) POSCO plant,
Niyamgiri

Southern hill complex

1
3
2
4

South of Western
Ghats but
geologically not
part of Western
Ghats or Eastern
Ghats
1) Nilgiri,
2) Anamalai
3) Palani
4) Kardamom
hills

Southern complex

Nilg
iri

Anna
malai

Pala
cardani
mom

Palghat btwn
Nilgiri and
Annamalai hills
Shenkotta gap
btwn
Cardamom
Hill stations:
Nilgiri Ooty
Annamalai
Munnar
Palani hills Kodaikanal

Q. Which one of the

following is correct
sequence of hills
starting from north to
south?
a) Nallamalla Nilgiri
Javadi Anamalai
hills
b) Anamalai Javadi
Nilgiri- Nallamalla

Questio
n
UPSC
Prelims
2005

d) Anamalai Nilgiri
javadi- Nallamalai

Questio
n
UPSC
Prelims
2005

Hills of South India

Nalla
malla
Nilg
iri

Anna
malai

Javadi

Pala
cardani
mom

c) Nallamalla Javadi
Nilgiri- Anamalai hills
Ans. C)

Questio
n
UPSC
Prelims
2005

Questio
Q. Which of the
n
following hills are found
UPSC
where Western Ghats
and Eastern Ghats
meet?
Prelims
2008
a) Anamalai hills
b) Cardamom hills
c) Nilgiri hills
d) Shevroy hills

Physical map of Southern India

Ans. C)
Nilgiri hills

Q. Which of the following is not

correct?
a) Western Ghats are relatively
lower in their northern region
b) The Anaimudi is highest peak
in western Ghats
c) Tapi river lie south of Satpura
d) The Narmada and Tapi river
valley are said to be old rift
valleys
Ans. A)

Questio
n
UPSC
Prelims
2005

Importance of Peninsular plateau

Peninsular plateau oldest and most
stable region
Rich in minerals iron, limestone,
bauxite
98% of Gondwana coal
Peninsular: Regur black soil
important for cotton and sugarcane
cultivation
Plantation agriculture in hilly areas:
tea, coffee, rubber, spices, cashews

Physiography of India

Coastal plains

From Rann of Kutch

to Sundarban
1) Western coastal
plain
2) Eastern coastal
plain

Western coastal
plain
Narrower
than
Eastern coastal
plain
Steeper fast
flowing rivers No
alluvial deposits
Rivers form
Estuaries and not
deltas
Good for Port
development

M
ah
i

Sa
at ba
rm
i

Western coastal plain

Narm
ada

Tapi

Formation of 2 gulfs:
gulf of Khambhat
and gulf of Kutchh
Narmada, Mahi,Tapi
and Sabarmati flow
into Gulf of
Khambhat
Kathiawar: radial
drainage
Islands: Alia bet,
Pirotan island, Diu
Baidar, Kora,
Kurumbhar Is in g. of
Kutchh

Western coastal plain

koc
hi
Vembna
d lake

Periya
r river

Annam
alai
hills

KR coast/Malabar
coast:
Vembnad lake
Periyar river merge
near Vembnad lake
Inner side
Ernakulam and
outward side Kochi

Eastern coastal plain

Broader
Large rivers
extensive delta
formation
Mahanadi delta
Godavari delta
Krishna delta
Kaveri deltas

Eastern Coastal Plain

Whe
eler
Is.
Chilka
lake
Rushiku
lya
river

Odisha coast:
Wheeler Is.
missile
testing
Chilka lake
(biggest)
Olive ridley
turtles
Ganjam
coast- (nr.
Mouth of
Rushikulya
river)

Eastern Coastal plains

Pulicut
lake
+Shrihar
ikota
Island

Koll
eru
lake

Andhra coast:
Kolleru lake
deltaic lake
(Goadavari and
Krishna rivers)
Pulicut lake split
bar Shriharikota Is.
(ISRO rocket
launching station)

Eastern
Plain
Pal
ar
riv
Javadier
hills
Shevroy
hills
Ka
ver
i
riv
er
Carda
mom
hills

Va
ig
ai
riv
er

TN coast:
Winter rainfall
Rameshwaram
Pamban Island
last point
Dhanushkondi
Gulf of Mannar
biosphere reserve
Ram setu issue

Physiography of India