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5
INDIA -
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
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Social Science II
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There are many factors that influence the climate and vegetation. Let us enquire into the
culture and development of a place. They are cultural diversity of India and the physical
the latitudinal and longitudinal position of that features that support it.
place, topography, climate, soil and vegetation.
Find out the position of India on the world
India is a land of diverse topography, soils,
map (Fig. 5.1)
Asia
Europe
Atlantic
North
Ocean
America
Pacific
Ocean India
Africa
South Indian
America Ocean
Australia
World Map
figure 5.1
India, which lies between 804’ N and 3706’ N latitude and 6807’ E and 97025' E
2
longitude, has a total geographic area of 32,87,782 km . This is only 2.42 % of
the total geographic area of the world.
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ura
24o 24o
Jharkhand
Trip
West Mizoram
Gujarat Madhyapradesh
Bengal
rh
Myanmar
ttisga
Andhra
16 o Pradesh 16o
P Bay of Bengal
Goa
Karnataka
Arabian Sea
12o 12o
Nicoba
Andam Islands
r
an and
Lakshadweep
la
8o 8o
Sri Lanka
Indira Point
Indian Ocean
72o 76o 80o 84o 88o 92o
figure 5.2
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Social Science II
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Physiography
The roof of the world
India is a land of diversities. Great
The Pamir plateau with the Pamir
mountains, rivers, wide plateaus and plains,
Knot in the central Asian country of
lengthy coastlines etc., constitute the
Tajikisthan, is known as the roof of
topography of our country. It has a monsoon
the world. Mountain ranges such as
climate with local and seasonal climatic
the Hindukush, Sulaiman, Tienshan,
diversities. We shall look at the topography,
Kunlun and Karakoram run to
rivers and climate of our country.
different directions from the Pamir
Physiographically, India can be classified Knot. The Kailas range in Tibet is an
into four divisions. extension of the Karakoram Range.
z The Northern mountain region
The Himalayas, a part of the Northern
z The Great plains of the north mountain region, which trend in NW-SE
z The Peninsular plateau direction for a length of about 2400km is an
arc shaped mountain range. This mountain
z The Coastal plains and Islands 2
region with an area of about 5 lakh km is the
Find out the different physiographic highest region in the world. The width of this
divisions from the map (figure: 5.3) mountain range, is about 400 km in Kashmir,
The Northern mountain region and it shrinks to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh.
There are three parallel mountain ranges in this
This is the great wall like physiographic
physical division, which is composed of many
unit, which stretches from Kashmir in the north
deep valleys and extensive plateaus. Find out
west to the Indian border in the east. This
these ranges from the map (figure 5.4) and
region is formed by the Karakoram, Ladakh,
learn their importance from the table given
Zaskar and the Himalayan range of mountains
below (Table: 5.1).
and the eastern highlands. These mountain
ranges are subdivided into three divisions The Himalayas, still growing!
namely, Trans Himalayas, Himalayas and the
Himalaya means the abode of snow.
Eastern Highlands. It is the youngest fold mountain
The Trans Himalayas comprises the system of the world. These mountain
Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar ranges that ranges are formed due to the
originate from the Pamir Knot. The highest intensive folding of the floor of an
peak in India, ‘Mount K2’ (Mt. Godwin ancient sea called Tethys. The fossils
Austin, 8611m) is in the Karakoram Range. of different marine organisms, found
The Trans Himalayas, in which there are at various locations on the mountain
several gorges and mountain passes, has an ranges support the fact that the region
average height of above 6000m. was covered by sea in the past.
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Social Science II
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Afghanistan INDIA
Physiography
Nort
Ch
ina
he
an
st
rn
i No
k ou Ti
Pa
M
rth n be
Gr tain re epal
N t
ea gion
tP Bhutan
lai
ns
Bangladesh
Myanmar
te au
la
rp
s ula
nin
Pe
Bay of Bengal
Arabian Sea
Northern Mountain region
Great plains of the North
Nicoba
Andam Islands
Peninsular plateau
Coastal plains
r
an and
Lakshadweep
{Sri Lanka
Indian Ocean
figure 5.3
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Pamir
sh Kunlu Northern Mountain
uku n
Hind Ranges
La
Ka
da
rak
Za kh
ora
ske
m
r
Ka
ila
Hi Him Siw
sR
m a al
ad ch ik
ag
Ran man
ri al
e
ges
ai
Sul
s
Hill
Khasi Garo
ga
Jaintia hills
Na
figure 5.4
The height of the mountain ranges 500m to 3000m above MSL is known as the
gradually decrease as they approach the Eastern highlands (Purvachal). The thickly
eastern parts of the Northern mountainous forested Khasi-Jaintia hills in this region are
regions. This region with an average height of the world’s rainiest (wettest) spots.
Table- 5.1
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Social Science II
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Himalayan Rivers
Find out from the map, the states that
fall in the Eastern highland region. Now you have understood the
characteristic features of the Himalayan
With the help of an atlas, mark the
mountain ranges. The snow clad peaks and
location of the Pamir Knot and the
glaciers are excellent sources of fresh water.
regions of the Northern mountain
Several great river systems originate from the
ranges on the map given at the end of
melt waters of these glaciers. Abundant rainfall
the textbook.
in the valleys enriches the flow of these rivers.
z Indus z z z z
z Ganga z Gangotri, z z z
Alakapuri
Glaciers
z Brahmaputra z z z z
Table 5.2
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Afghanistan
INDIA
Rivers
e
lak Indu
lu ar s
W
Ch
en Ch
an ab
st elum ina
ki Jh Ravi Beas
Pa Ga lake
ng Mana
Satlej oth saro T i b
ri var e t
Tsangpo
Luhith
Ga Subansiri
ng Ne tra
Ya
a
pa pu
Manas
mu
Go l Bhutan a
hm
na
ma Gh
bal thy agh Tista
Bra
Cham
Ga
Kosi
Luni ara Ga
nd
a ak ng
tw a
Be Bangladeshv
n
Ke
Son
Damodar
Narmada Ma Hoogly Myanmar
ha
Tapi na
di
Pen
Go gan
dav ga
ari
Go
da
var
Krishna
i
Arabian Sea ra
abhad
g
Tun Bay of Bengal
Nicoba
Andam Islands
Cauvery
Pe
r
riy
an and
ar
Lakshadweep
Sri Lanka
Indian Ocean
figure 5.5
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Social Science II
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Indus crosses the Indian border and reaches and change in river course. The
the plains through Attok in Pakistan. Having a construction of dams across the river
length of about 2880 km, it is one of the longest Damodar has mitigated this havoc to
rivers of the world. Only a length of 709 km a considerable extent.
of the river is in India. Flowing through the The Ganga is known as Padma in
plains of Pakistan, Indus branches out into Bangladesh. The river Padma joins the
many distributaries and merges with the Brahmaputra near Chandpur in Bangladesh
Arabian sea to the south of Karachi. Jhelum, and is known as Meghna and Jamuna. Later it
Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej are the flows as a number of distributaries and builds
important tributaries of the Indus. an extensive delta. It then merges into the Bay
River Ganga of Bengal.
The river Bhagirathi, which originates from Farrakka Barrage
the Gaumukh caves of the Gangotri Glacier
It was with the aim of developing
and the river Alaknanda, which originates from
water transport in Hooghly river that
the Alakpuri glacier meet at Devaprayag and
the Government of India decided to
flows further as the Ganga. Flowing through
construct a barrage across the river
the snow-clad valleys, it enters the plains at
Ganga. The barrage, which was
Hardwar and becomes sluggish. After flowing
completed in May 1986 has a length
through different states the river flows
of 2240 m. The barrage is bridged
southeast and enters Bangladesh at Farrakka
with rail and road. The railway that
in West Bengal. The Ganga, with a length of
connects the Eastern states with
more than 2500 km is the river with the largest
Kolkata passes over this barrage.
number of tributaries in India. Important
Travelling by train over the roaring
tributaries of the Ganga are
greatness of the river Ganga is an
z Yamuna z Son z Ghaghara unforgettable experience.
z Kosi z Gandak.
River Brahmaputra
z Do all the tributaries of Ganga receive
water from the Himalayan ranges? The Chemayungdung glacier (5150m) on
Find out with the help of an atlas. the Kailas range about 100 km from the
Manasarowar lake in Tibet is the source of
Hooghly is an important distributary of the
the river Brahmaputra. Having a length of
river Ganga. Kolkata city is situated on the
2900 km, the Brahmaputra is one of the
banks of the river Hooghly. The river Damodar
longest rivers of the world. This river, which is
is a tributary of the river Hooghly.
known by different names in Tibet and
The river Damodar is known as Bangladesh, has a length of 725 km in India.
"Sorrow of Bengal". This is because The river Tista, river Manas, river Luhit and
of the severe threat it posed to the life river Subansiri are the major tributaries. With
and property due to the frequent floods the maximum discharge among the Himalayan
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Social Science II
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The disappeared River After a clear scrutiny of the table 5.4, and
Saraswathi from reading materials and mass media,
collect more information about the role of
Saraswathi was an ancient river, which
these regions in the evolution and spread of
originated from Himachal Pradesh
the Indian society and conduct a seminar in
and flowed to the south and then to the class.
the southwest direction. The river
Can you find answers to the following
which is mentioned in the Rig Veda
questions after examining the maps (Fig: 5.3,
remains totally disappeared. Studies,
5.5).
with the help of satellite imageries
indicate that the river still flows, z Which are the tributaries of River Ganga
not originating from the Himalayas?
beneath the ground!
z From which zone do these rivers
The Northern mountain zone and the originate?
Northern Great Plains have a remarkable role
Peninsular Plateau
in shaping the physiography, climate, culture,
human life, agriculture and economy of India. You have learnt about continental drift. The
Examine the table (5.4). peninsular plateau is a landmass believed to
Table- 5.4
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have got separated from the ancient region is known as the Deccan Trap.
Gondwanaland. This zone is built of stable Black soils have developed as a result
rocks and is the most extensive physiographic of weathering of rocks in the lava
division of India. Note the characteristic plateau, one of the largest in the
features of the peninsular plateau given below. world. This black soil, also known as
This physiographic division has an area regur (black cotton soil) is most
2
of about 15 lakh km suitable for cotton cultivation.
It has a diverse topography of mountains, z Based on the lesson and the map (figure
plateaus and valleys 5.6) collect more information about the
The plateaus of this physiographic division peninsular plateau and prepare a
has an average altitude of above 400m detailed note on it.
from mean sea level.
Rann of Kachchh
Anamudi with a height of 2695m is the
highest peak in this zone The brackish swampy region in the
northwestern part of Gujarat is called
Most of the rivers that originate from this
the Rann of Kachchh. High tides from
zone flow towards the east
the Arabian Sea and the rivers Luni and
There are large deposits of different
Banas, inundate this region. There are
minerals occur in this zone
two different divisions in the Rann of
Kachchh, namely the Great Rann and
Based on the uniqueness of the different the Little Rann. The Great Rann which
regions, the peninsular plateau has been divided is situated to the north of the Kachchh
into nine subdivisions. The Aravalli hills, Malwa peninsula, is a region filled by black
plateau, Vindhya ranges, Satpura ranges, the sedimentary deposits and salts.
Chotta Nagpur plateau, the Deccan plateau,
the Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats, the z On the outline map of India provided
Kachchh and Kathiawar of Gujarat are these at the end of the textbook, mark the
subdivisions. Many small and large hills and sub divisions of the peninsular plateau
plateaus are also included in these subdivisions. using different colours.
Find out these from the map. (figure 5.6) Peninsular Rivers
Deccan Trap Region Examine the maps (figure 5.5 and 5.6)
and find the rivers that originate from the
The northwestern part of the Deccan
peninsular plateau and classify them in the
plateau was formed due to the cooling following table according to the rivers that
down of lava from volcanic eruption merge into the Arabian Sea and those that
that occurred millions of years ago.
merge into the Bay of Bengal.
Formed out of igneous rocks, this
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Social Science II
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Afghanistan INDIA
Peninsular Plateau
n Ch
a ina
i st Ti
ak be
P t
Ne
pa
l
Bhutan
ange
li R
val
Ara Malwa plateau Bundelkhand hills Bangladesh
p e n in sula jmahal
h a
Kachch range R
Myanmar
ath ia w ar V indhya v hills Baghelkhand
K e ade
la Satpura rang Mah l range Chota Nagpur
Peninsu ik a plateau
Satma Ma Ajantha hills
u
u
tea
la tea
pla
pla
rh
ga
Bal attis
tra
agh
Chh
ash
at r
ang
har
e
Ma
e au
lat
aka p au
rnat l ate
a
Easter
K p
n
Arabian Sea cca
plat ngana
De
ts
eau
n ghat
Tela
gha
Bay of Bengal
n
Nilg
s
r
Nicoba
iri
Andam Islands
ste
Ana hills
mu
We
di
r
an and
Lakshadweep
Sri Lanka
Indian Ocean
Figure- 5.6
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Name of river Debouching Place joins the Yamuna and the river Son
joins the River Ganga. When
z Mahanadi z Bay of Bengal compared to other peninsular rivers,
z Narmada z Arabian Sea these rivers are comparatively
z z
smaller in length.
z z
Let us now have a comparative study of
the Himalayan rivers and the Peninsular rivers
The peninsular rivers can be divided into
based on their characteristic features. Examine
two, namely, east flowing rivers and west
table (5.6).
flowing rivers. For additional information, refer
table, (5.5) With the help of an atlas find out the
location of the urban centres shown below and
Classify the peninsular rivers as east
the river banks on which they situate.
flowing rivers and west flowing rivers. Find
out the states through which these rivers flow z Thanjavur z Guwahati
and make a report on it. For this, you can make z Baruch z Cuttack
use of the drainage map of India, political map z Agra z Kolkata
of India as well as table (5.5) z Vijayawada z Ladakh
z Surat z Devaprayag
Originating from the Peninsular
Plateau, rivers Chambal, Betwa, Ken z Thiruchirapalli
and Sind flow towards the north and
Table 5.5
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Social Science II
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Table- 5.6
Mark the course of the major rivers of Islands
India on the outline map (river systems) of In-
There are many islands situated in the
dia given at the end of the textbook and name
Indian Ocean, which form part of our country.
them.
These are distributed in the Bay of Bengal,
Coasts and Islands Arabian Sea and in the Gulf of Mannar,
Examine the map of India (fig: 5.2) and between India and Sri Lanka.
find out the states with coastline. Lakshadweep means a hundred thousand
Extending from the Rann of Kachchh in islands. But, there are only 36 coral islands
Gujarat to the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, it present in this group of islands. Only ten islands
has a length of about 6083 km and lies divided in the group have been inhabited. This group
into the west and the east coasts. You can learn of islands is situated about 300 km away from
their characteristic features from table 5.7. the Kerala coast. Kavarati is the capital of
Table- 5.7
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Lakshadweep. With the help of additional the climate of the whole country as a tropical
references gather information and find out the one. The great Himalayas obstruct the
inhabited islands in the Lakshadweep group. monsoon winds and provide rain throughout
Known as Bay Islands, the Andaman and the country as well as protect from the cold
Nicobar islands are located in the Bay of winds which blow from the North.
Bengal. There are about 200 islands, in this Though there is much local diversity in
group the majority of which are uninhibited. climate, India in general, has a monsoon
The Barren volcano is situated in the Barren climate.
Island of this island group.
With the seasons
Climate
The Arabs who traded with India used
Note the news reports given below. the seasonal winds for sailing their
Severe ho ships. They called these winds
t wave con
May : 2 tinues in D
“Mousim” which means season. The
8 elhi term monsoon has evolved from
in Delhi h e
n S end
philosopher Hippallus who for the first
Jan: 17
a l l i usp time observed and recognised the
Idukki Oct 27: f s 7 seasonal winds that blow between
Heavy rain continues in o w ffic Jan: 1
the district for the past
two days. Land slides
Sn Tra Africa and India.
Although the Tropic of Cancer divides Have you heard of the extreme cold in
India into tropical and sub tropical regions, north India? Extreme cold and dense fog is
India is considered to be a tropical country. experienced in certain months, throughout
The Himalayan Mountains and the sea around north India. Some places experience heavy
the peninsula have a major role in maintaining snowfall. Even airports remain closed down
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Social Science II
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But, these winds cause high rainfall in the z Extreme cold season is not felt in the
east coast of India during this period, especially northern states. What could be the
on the Tamil Nadu coast. reason for this?
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Holi – the festival of colours Nadu and some places in Orissa are
regions that experience extreme
Spring season comes after winter.
drought conditions. Today, Kerala has
Blooming grasses, shrubs and trees,
also started experiencing drought
all heralding the advent of spring
conditions. How can we tackle
season is a period of joy and festival
droughts?
to our motherland. The people of
z Give more importance to water
north India celebrate it as 'Holi'.
shed development programmes.
Today all Indians celebrate the
z Establish local development
occasion alike strewing colours and
programmes on a par with water-
warmth in each and every minds.
shed regions.
Hot weather Season z Cultivate crops which can resist
Burning sun above, parched fields and drought.
dried up streams below......... Cattle z Popularise rain pits and rainwater
grazing on the arid grounds, village harvesting.
women carrying pots and walking for z Plant trees
miles in search of potable water, the
z Participate in awareness
hot dusty wind that blows all around....
programmes for the conservation
What you read is a sketch of an Indian of water and motivate others to
village during hot-weather season. This season participate in such programmes.
in India is from March to June. Examine the
table 5.8 and find out how the temperature is Due to intense hot condition that continues
distributed in the month of May. from March to May over the northern plains,
a low-pressure region is formed. During this
Didn't you understand that some places
season a dry dusty wind called ‘Loo’ blows
experience different temperatures in different
over the north western Uttar pradesh and
months. The apparent movement of the sun
Rajasthan resulting in the rise of atmospheric
is the reason for this. In India, summer occurs
temperature further. Other local winds that
when the sun shines above the northern
blow in this season are the Kalbaisakhi,
hemisphere. Likewise when it is winter the
Mango showers, etc.
sun’s position is in the southern hemisphere.
The maximum temperature recorded ever in Local winds of India
India is at Barmer (550C) in the western border
Kalbaisakhi is a dry local wind of West
of Rajasthan.
Bengal during summer season.
To manage drought Originating from the Chota Nagpur
Western Rajasthan, Kachchh, plateau and influenced by the
Telengana regions, Karnataka, Tamil westerlies, this warm wind moves
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Social Science II
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Afghanistan INDIA
South West Monsoon
Season
Srinagar
July 1
July 15
Ch
ina
an Ti
st Chandigarh b e June10
ki t
Pa 15
e5
June N
ep
Jun
Delhi al
Bhutan
Jaipur Lucknow
Ju ly15
Shillong
Patna Bangladesh Imphal
1 Myanmar
July Dacca
Bhopal
1
June
15 Ahmedabad
June Kolkata
Nagpur
Bhubaneswar
June10
so est
Mumbai Hyderabad
on w
on
m uth
So
Goa
Arabian Sea
Bangalore
Nicoba
Chennai
nso est
Andam Islands
on
Bay of Bengal
mo th w
u
r
an and
So
e5
Jun
Thiruvananthapuram
Lakshadweep
{Sri Lanka
1
June
Indian Ocean
Figure- 5.7
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Social Science II
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India receives about 60% of its total Measures to be taken at the time of floods
rainfall during the south west monsoon season. You might have heard about the floods in
the north Indian rivers from newspapers,
Land of Rain television etc. Do floods occur in rivers of
No doubt it is Cherrapunji – the your place during rainy seasons? What are the
village, which receives rain throughout precautionary measures to be taken during a
the year is the rainiest place on earth flood?
for many centuries, is situated about
z Do not ignore the governments warnings
56kms from Shillong, the capital of
issued by the authorities regarding the
Meghalaya in a height of about 4500ft
opening of dams during a flood.
above MSL in between Khasi, Gharo
and Jaintia hills. The Britishers z Avoid entering rivers during flood.
pronounced the word Sohra as Chira. z Move to secure places from areas which
'Sohra' means not suitable for could be affected.
cultivation. 'punji' means soil. z Be cautious about contagious diseases
'Cherrapunji' means the soil not during flood seasons.
suitable for cultivation. This region z Be cautious about broken power lines
has very poor topsoil has large during thunderstorms.
reserves of coal and limestone
beneath. Therefore water is not North East Monsoon Season
available in the wells in this region Study the map (fig: 5.8)
although the topsoil is wet due to
z What difference can you notice in the
rainfall year round. The coveted place
wind direction from that of South West
of Cherrapunji with an average rainfall
monsoon?
greater than 1080cms was taken over
by another place in India some years z Name the months during which the
back. Mousinram, 6 km away from monsoon winds blow in the direction
Cherrapunji was the place that as shown in the map (fig 5.8).
captured the position. The Hawaiian During the northward march of the sun
Islands have also claimed the honour the monsoon blows towards the north and
of being the rainiest spot on earth. But during the southward march of the sun it blows
recently Cherrapunji has come back to the south. This southward progression is
to regain the first place. Our called the retreating monsoon. You have learnt
neighbouring country Bangladesh that during the southward movement of the sun
prays not to have heavy rains in the northern hemisphere is gripped by cold
Cherrapunji – for the reason that
weather conditions. During this season the low
when heavy rainfall occurs in
pressure formed over the Bay of Bengal
Cherrapunji many places in
attracts air from the north. These winds pick
Bangladesh will get inundated.
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Afghanistan
INDIA
Sep
tem
North East Monsoon
ber
Season
Se
15
pte
mb
Srinagar
er
1
Oc
tob
Ch
er
a n ina
ist
1
P ak Chandigarh Ti
be
t
Ne
Delhi pa
l Bhutan
Lucknow
er 1 Jaipur
te mb Shillong
Sep Patna Bangladesh Imphal
1 5
ber
tem Bhopal
Sep Dacca Myanmar
Ahmedabad Kolkata
Nagpur
nso ast
Bhubaneswar
on
Morth E
October 15
No
Mumbai
Hyderabad November 1
November 15
Goa December 1
October1 Chennai
nso ast
on
Morth E
Arabian Sea
Nicoba
Bangalore
Andam Islands
1
No
er
1 5
mb
er
r
an and
ve
tob
1 5
No
15
Oc
Bay of Bengal
er
ber
mb
Lakshadweep
ve
cem
No
Thiruvananthapuram
De
Sri Lanka
er 1
emb
Dec
Indian Ocean
Figure 5.8
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Social Science II
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Afghanistan
INDIA
Distribution of
Rainfall
Ch
ina
Ti
an be
k ist t
Ne
Pa pa
l
Bhutan
`q´m≥
Bangladesh
Myanmar
Bay of Bengal
Arabian Sea
Nicoba
Andam Islands
60-100 cm
an and
Sri Lanka
Indian Ocean
Figure 5.9
Based upon Survey of India map with the permission of Surveyor General of India. © Government of India, Copyright 2003
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Social Science II
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SUMMARY
z India is a unique land with diverse physiography, climate and many rivers
2
z India with an area of 3287782 km and an extent of 3214 km from north
to south and 2933km from east to west is situated between 804’N and
3706’N and from 6807’E to 97025’ E.
z Physiographically, the regions of India has been divided into the Northern
Mountain region, the Great Plains of the North, Peninsular plateau, the
Coastal plains and Islands.
z Although there is climatic diversity, the climate of India is termed as mon-
soon climate
z Based on temperature and rainfall the seasons of India have been divided
into four viz., cold, weather season, hot-weather season southwest mon-
soon season and northeast monsoon season.
QUESTIONS
oooooooo
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