Class 9 Geography Chapter 1 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA

Physical Features of India – Overview in Hinglish

📌 India में बहुत diverse landforms पाए जाते हैं:

⛰️ Mountains – ऊँचे और rugged
🏞️ Plains – fertile aur flat
🏜️ Desert – dry aur sandy
🪨 Plateau – high, rocky zameen
🏝️ Islands – पानी से घिरे छोटे भू-भाग

🔍 Geologically dekha जाए तो:

Peninsular Plateau – सबसे पुराना हिस्सा (ancient and stable landmass)
Himalayas & Northern Plains – relatively naye aur abhi bhi active zones hain

📌 Himalayas: high peaks, deep valleys, fast-flowing rivers
📌 Northern Plains: alluvial deposits se बने fertile area
📌 Peninsular Plateau: igneous/metamorphic rocks, gently rising hills

🗺️ Major Physiographic Divisions – एक नज़र में

Division	Main Features (मुख्य विशेषताएं)
⛰️ Himalayan Mountains	Youngest, highest, 3 parallel ranges – Himadri, Himachal, Shiwalik
🏞️ Northern Plains	Fertile alluvial soil, Ganga-Brahmaputra system, high agriculture
🪨 Peninsular Plateau	Ancient rocks, Central Highlands & Deccan Plateau
🏜️ Indian Desert	Rajasthan ka Thar, sandy soil, low rainfall, Luni river
🏖️ Coastal Plains	Narrow strip along sea, ports, fertile delta (East Coast)
🏝️ Islands	Andaman-Nicobar (volcanic), Lakshadweep (coral)

📉 Physical Diversity = Cultural & Economic Diversity
📚 Har region ki apni importance hai – security, agriculture, minerals, trade, tourism

⛰️ The Himalayan Mountains

🗺️ Overview – भारत की उत्तरी पर्वतमाला

📌 Himalayas are the youngest & tallest fold mountains in the world.
📌 Ye India ke northern border par west (Indus) se east (Brahmaputra) tak फैले हुए हैं.

Total length: ~2,400 km
Width: Kashmir mein 400 km aur Arunachal Pradesh mein 150 km
Shape: Arc (धनुषाकार)

📍 Himalayas form a natural boundary between India and Central Asia.
📍 Himalayas ki wajah se monsoon winds India mein रुकती हैं, जिससे अच्छी बारिश होती है.

🔬 Geological Facts – भौगोलिक दृष्टि से

Himalayas are geologically young mountains.
Ye tectonic plates ke टकराव se बने हैं — Eurasian plate aur Indo-Australian plate.
Himalayas abhi bhi seismically active zone hain – इसलिए yahaan earthquakes आते रहते हैं.

🏔️ 3 Major Ranges of Himalayas – तीन प्रमुख श्रंखलाएं

Himalayas ko longitudinally 3 major parallel ranges mein divide kiya gaya hai:

1️⃣ Himadri – The Great Himalayas

🔍 Features	Description
🏞️ Name	Himadri / Great Himalayas / Inner Himalayas
⛰️ Average Height	~6,000 metres
🧊 Characteristics	Most continuous, snow-covered peaks, many glaciers
🪨 Composition	Granite rocks
❄️ Glaciers	Gangotri (Uttarakhand), Yamunotri (Uttarakhand), Siachen (Ladakh)

🗻 Major Peaks:

⛰️ Peak Name	Location	Height (metres)
Mount Everest	Nepal	8848
Kanchenjunga	India (Sikkim)	8598
Nanda Devi	India (Uttarakhand)	7817
Nanga Parbat	India (J&K)	8126
Kamet	India (Uttarakhand)	7756

2️⃣ Himachal – The Lesser Himalayas

🔍 Features	Description
🏞️ Name	Himachal / Lesser Himalayas
🏔️ Height Range	3,700 – 4,500 metres
🪨 Rocks	Highly compressed and altered rocks
📍 Valleys	Kashmir, Kullu, Kangra
🌄 Hill Stations	Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ranikhet
📈 Main Ranges	Pir Panjal (longest), Dhauladhar, Mahabharat

📝 Famous for: Tourism, Apple orchards, Pleasant climate

3️⃣ Shiwalik – The Outer Himalayas

🔍 Features	Description
🏞️ Name	Shiwalik / Outer Himalayas
⛰️ Height Range	900 – 1,100 metres
📏 Width	10 – 50 km
🧱 Composition	Unconsolidated sediments (rivers se laaye gaye)
🌊 Rivers	Streams from Himalayas deposit gravel and alluvium here

📍 Duns – Valleys between Himachal & Shiwalik:

Dehra Dun (Uttarakhand)
Kotli Dun (HP)
Patli Dun (UK)

🌍 Regional Divisions of Himalayas – नदी घाटियों के आधार पर

Region Name	Between Rivers	State/Area Name
Punjab Himalayas	Indus – Satluj	Kashmir & Himachal Pradesh
Kumaon Himalayas	Satluj – Kali	Uttarakhand
Nepal Himalayas	Kali – Teesta	Nepal
Assam Himalayas	Teesta – Dihang	Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan region

🧭 These divisions help understand local cultures, languages & geography.

🌿 Purvanchal Hills (पूर्वी पहाड़ियाँ)

📌 Himalayas ka eastern extension hai Purvachal, jo northeast India mein located hai.

⛰️ Purvachal Range	📍 State	Features
Patkai Hills	Nagaland/Arunachal	Dense forests, steep slopes
Naga Hills	Nagaland	Cultural diversity, strategic location
Manipur Hills	Manipur	Fertile valleys
Mizo Hills (Lushai)	Mizoram	Known for bamboo, rivers & forests

📚 Rocks: Mainly sandstone (sedimentary)
🌳 Dense forests aur biodiversity ka ek rich region hai ye.

🧾 Summary – एक नजर में

✅ Himalayas = India ka guard wall
✅ Provide: Glaciers, Rivers, Rain, Natural Border, Forests, Biodiversity, Tourism

Range	Key Features
Himadri	Highest peaks, glaciers, granite
Himachal	Valleys, tourism, compressed rocks
Shiwalik	Sediments, duns, youngest range
Purvanchal	NE hills, forests, rich tribal culture

✅ Himalayas contribute to:

🌧️ Monsoon rains
🚰 Water source (rivers)
🧊 Snow storage (glaciers)
🌲 Forest & wildlife
🏔️ Natural border security
💼 Economic growth via tourism

🌾 The Northern Plains

📍 Introduction – ज़मीन जो सोना उगाए!

🗺️ The Northern Plains भारत का एक बहुत ही उपजाऊ (fertile) और घनी आबादी वाला हिस्सा है।
Ye plain तीन प्रमुख नदियों – Indus, Ganga aur Brahmaputra ke द्वारा बनाए गए हैं।

📌 Area: 7 लाख वर्ग किलोमीटर
📌 Length: ~2400 km
📌 Width: 240–320 km
📌 Soil Type: Alluvial Soil (brought by rivers)

✅ Rich Soil + Plenty Water + Good Climate = 🌾 Agricultural Goldmine

💧 How Were These Plains Formed?

Himalayas से आने वाली नदियाँ अपने साथ alluvium (जलोढ़ मिट्टी) लाती हैं।
लाखों सालों में इन नदियों ने एक विशाल उपजाऊ मैदान बना दिया।
These are depositional plains – नदियों द्वारा बनाई गई मिट्टी की परतें।

🏞️ Major Rivers Responsible

🌊 River	Tributaries	Important Fact
Indus	Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj	Mostly in Pakistan
Ganga	Ghaggar, Teesta, Yamuna, Son	Longest river in India
Brahmaputra	Dibang, Lohit, Subansiri	Majuli – 🌍 largest inhabited riverine island

🗺️ 3 Broad Divisions of Northern Plains

Region	Main River(s)	States Covered
🌾 Punjab Plains	Indus & Tributaries	Punjab (India & Pakistan)
🌾 Ganga Plains	Ganga	Haryana, Delhi, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
🌾 Brahmaputra Plains	Brahmaputra	Assam

🌄 Relief Features of the Northern Plains

🧭 Northern Plains = Flat नहीं, बल्कि varied relief features हैं।
Let’s divide it into 4 zones:

1️⃣ Bhabar – जल गायब होने वाली ज़मीन

📍 Located just south of Shiwalik Hills
Width: ~8 to 16 km
Rivers yahan pebbles जमा करती हैं and disappear underground.
Example: Tehri region

2️⃣ Terai – दलदली जंगल वाला इलाका

Bhabar ke ठीक south mein
Rivers reemerge here making it swampy (दलदली).
Dense forests once existed – now cleared for agriculture & refugees
📌 Example: Dudhwa National Park (U.P.)

3️⃣ Bhangar – पुराना जलोढ़ मैदान

Higher, terrace-like region made of old alluvium
Soil is less fertile
Contains calcareous nodules called Kankar
Useful for construction, but not best for farming

4️⃣ Khadar – नया और उपजाऊ मैदान

Made of new alluvium, deposited by rivers every year
🌱 Highly fertile – suitable for intensive agriculture
Best region for crops like – wheat, rice, sugarcane

📌 River Feature – Distributaries

🌀 जब नदी plains में पहुंचती है, उसकी speed घट जाती है।
➡️ यह कई distributaries में टूट जाती है (छोटी धाराएँ)

📍 Example: Ganga splits into Hooghly and Padma

🏝️ Special Feature: Riverine Island

🪵 जब नदी अपने silt deposit करती है, तो river islands बनते हैं।

📌 Majuli Island – 🌍 World’s largest inhabited riverine island
📍 Location: Brahmaputra River, Assam

🔄 Vocabulary Table (English ↔ Hindi)

English Term	Hindi Meaning
Alluvial Soil	जलोढ़ मिट्टी
Bhabar	कंकड़ और बजरी वाला क्षेत्र
Terai	दलदली क्षेत्र
Bhangar	पुरानी मिट्टी का मैदान
Khadar	नई और उपजाऊ मिट्टी
Distributary	सहायक नदी की शाखा

🧾 Summary – Northern Plains एक नजर में

✅ Most fertile part of India – Agriculture ke liye ideal
✅ Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra systems ne milकर banaya
✅ Four Regions: Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, Khadar
✅ High population density due to flat land + water + soil
✅ Plays crucial role in India’s food security

🧱 The Peninsular Plateau – Bharat ka प्राचीन पठारी क्षेत्र

🌍 Introduction – सबसे पुराना ज़मीन का टुकड़ा!

📌 Peninsular Plateau Bharat ka सबसे पुराना geological हिस्सा है
Ye Gondwana Land ke टूटने से बना था – यानी ये Earth की oldest landmass ka part है.

🪨 यह plateau बना है igneous, metamorphic aur crystalline rocks se – jo बहुत hard होते हैं.
Yahaan की hills rounded होती हैं aur valleys shallow होती हैं.

🧭 Two Main Divisions – दो प्रमुख भाग:

Division	Description
🟤 Central Highlands	Narmada ke north mein, mostly Malwa plateau area
🔺 Deccan Plateau	Narmada ke south mein triangular landmass

🌄 1. Central Highlands – मध्य पठार

📌 Narmada नदी के north में स्थित
📍 Major part: Malwa Plateau

🏞️ Bounded by:

North-West: Aravali Hills
South: Satpura Range
East Extension: Bundelkhand & Baghelkhand
Far East Extension: Chotanagpur Plateau – drained by Damodar River

🚰 Rivers draining area: Chambal, Betwa, Sindh, Ken
Direction: Southwest ➡️ Northeast (indicates slope)

🔺 2. Deccan Plateau – दक्कन का पठार

📍 Location: South of Narmada River
📐 Shape: Triangular

🧭 Boundaries:

North: Satpura Range
East: Mahadev, Kaimur & Maikal Hills
Northeast Extension: Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong & North Cachar Hills

📌 Deccan Plateau ka slope west se east ki ओर है

⛰️ 3. Important Hill Ranges of NE India

Hill Range	Remark
🌄 Garo Hills	Meghalaya region
🌄 Khasi Hills	Shillong city yahaan hai
🌄 Jaintia Hills	East of Khasi hills

👉 Yeh sab fault ke कारण Chotanagpur se अलग हुए हैं

🏔️ 4. Western & Eastern Ghats – पठार की सीमाएँ

Feature	Western Ghats	Eastern Ghats
Location	Western edge	Eastern edge
Elevation	900–1600 m	~600 m
Structure	Continuous	Discontinuous, Broken
Rainfall	Orographic Rainfall	Less Rain
Highest Peak	Anai Mudi (2695 m)	Mahendragiri (1501 m)
Rivers	Steep waterfalls	Drained into Bay of Bengal
Famous Hill Towns	Ooty, Kodaikanal	Shevroy, Javadi Hills

📍 Western Ghats = Thal Ghat, Bhor Ghat, Pal Ghat (passes)

🌋 5. Special Feature: Deccan Trap – काली मिट्टी का राज

🪨 This area has black soil – called Regur Soil
🌋 Volcanic origin – yani yeh lava se bani hui soil hai
📌 Excellent for cotton cultivation

🏞️ 6. Aravalli Hills – भूगोल का प्राचीन योद्धा

Location: Southwest (Gujarat) to Northeast (Delhi)
One of the oldest fold mountains
Highly eroded and broken hills
Boundary of Peninsular Plateau’s NW side

🧾 Quick Summary – One Glance

Feature	Detail
Oldest Landmass	Peninsular Plateau (Gondwana part)
Composition	Igneous + Metamorphic Rocks
2 Divisions	Central Highlands & Deccan Plateau
Special Feature	Deccan Trap – Black Soil
Highest Peaks	Anai Mudi (W. Ghats), Mahendragiri (E. Ghats)
Distinct Boundaries	Western & Eastern Ghats

🏜️ The Indian Desert – रेत, धूप और धैर्य

📌 Location: Western edge of Aravalli Hills
📍 States: Mainly Rajasthan (especially Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner)

🌦️ Climate & Rainfall – सूखा और गर्म

Arid Climate – बहुत कम बारिश (only <150 mm per year)
🌡️ Extreme temperature – दिन में बहुत गर्म, रात में ठंड
Vegetation – बहुत कम (scattered bushes & thorny plants)

🌊 Water & Rivers – पानी की किल्लत

❌ Most rivers are seasonal – बारिश में आते हैं और फिर रेत में गायब हो जाते हैं
✅ Luni River – एकमात्र permanent river of this desert

🏖️ Landforms – रेत के टीलों की दुनिया

Dune Type	Description
🌙 Barchans	Crescent (आधी चाँद) shape ke dunes – Rajasthan में common
➖ Longitudinal Dunes	Straight aur लंबे dunes – Indo-Pak border के पास ज्यादा

📌 अगर आप Jaisalmer जाते हो, तो आपको Barchans की लाइनें ज़रूर दिखेंगी!

📌 Quick Recap – The Indian Desert in 5 Points

🏜️ Located west of Aravalli hills
🌧️ Receives very low rainfall (<150 mm annually)
❄️ Hot days, cold nights = Extreme climate
🌊 Luni is the only permanent river
🌙 Famous for sand dunes – especially Barchans

📍 The Coastal Plains of India – समुद्र के किनारे की पट्टियाँ 🌊

🏖️ भारत की Coastal Plains – East aur West का फर्क

📌 Location: Peninsular Plateau के दोनों ओर –
➡️ West – Arabian Sea के साथ
➡️ East – Bay of Bengal के साथ

🧭 Western Coastal Plains – अरबी सागर के किनारे

📌 Narrow & Sandwiched between Arabian Sea and Western Ghats
Divided into 3 Parts:

Region	Location (Cities/States)
🏝️ Konkan Coast	Mumbai to Goa (North)
🏝️ Kannad Coast	Karnataka (Central part)
🏝️ Malabar Coast	Kerala (South)

✅ Features:

Short rivers (due to steep slope)
Natural harbours 🌊
Backwaters in Kerala are common

🧭 Eastern Coastal Plains – बंगाल की खाड़ी के किनारे

📌 Wider & Flatter plains – fertile and river-formed
Divided into 2 Parts:

Region	Location
🌾 Northern Circar	Odisha & North Andhra
🌾 Coromandel Coast	Tamil Nadu & South Andhra

✅ Features:

Big rivers form deltas here like:
- 🌊 Mahanadi
- 🌊 Godavari
- 🌊 Krishna
- 🌊 Kaveri

🧂 Chilika Lake (Odisha):
India की सबसे बड़ी खारे पानी की झील (saltwater lake)
📍 Located: South of Mahanadi Delta

📌 Quick Comparison – East vs West Coastal Plains

Feature	Western Coast 🏝️	Eastern Coast 🌾
Width	Narrow	Wide
Rivers	Small, fast	Large, delta-forming
Backwaters	Present (Kerala)	Absent
Harbours	Natural (Mumbai, Kochi)	Few
Major Lakes	—	Chilika Lake (Odisha)