1. Physical Geography of India

Location & Extent

• India is located in Southern Asia.

• Latitudinal Extent: 8°4’N to 37°6’N

• Longitudinal Extent: 68°7’E to 97°25’E

• Standard Meridian: 82°30’E (IST – Indian Standard Time)

Size & Borders

• Total Area: 3.287 million sq. km (7th largest in the world)

• Land Boundary: 15,200 km

• Coastline: 7,516 km

• Neighboring Countries: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka (sea border)

Physiographic Divisions of India

India is divided into six major physical divisions:

a) The Northern Mountains

• Himalayas: Young fold mountains

• Highest Peak: Mount Everest (8848.86 m, Nepal)

• Indian Peaks: Kanchenjunga (8598 m)

• Himalayan Ranges:

  • Greater Himalayas (Himadri)

  • Lesser Himalayas (Himachal)

  • Outer Himalayas (Siwalik)

b) The Northern Plains

• Formed by the deposition of Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra rivers.

• Highly fertile, densely populated.

• Divided into:

  • Punjab Plains

  • Ganga Plains

  • Brahmaputra Plains

c) The Peninsular Plateau

• Oldest part of India (Pre-Cambrian rocks).

• Divided into:

  • Central Highlands (Malwa Plateau, Bundelkhand)

  • Deccan Plateau

d) The Indian Desert

• Thar Desert in Rajasthan

• Features: Sand dunes, Barchans, Extreme temperature

e) The Coastal Plains

• Eastern Coastal Plain: Wide, deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri.

• Western Coastal Plain: Narrow, includes Konkan, Malabar coasts.

f) The Islands

• Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Bay of Bengal)

• Lakshadweep Islands (Arabian Sea)

2. Indian Rivers & Water Bodies

Major River Systems

• Himalayan Rivers: Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Indus

• Peninsular Rivers: Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi

Important Lakes

• Wular Lake (Jammu & Kashmir) – Largest freshwater lake

• Chilika Lake (Odisha) – Largest brackish water lake

• Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan) – Saltwater lake

3. Climate of India

Indian Monsoon

• Southwest Monsoon (June–September) – Major rainy season

• Northeast Monsoon (October–December) – Rainfall in Tamil Nadu & coastal Andhra

Seasons

1. Summer (March–May)

2. Rainy Season (June–September)

3. Retreating Monsoon (October–November)

4. Winter (December–February)

4. Natural Vegetation & Wildlife

Types of Vegetation

• Tropical Rainforest

• Tropical Deciduous (Monsoon) Forest

• Thorny Shrubs

• Mountain Vegetation

• Mangrove Forests (Sundarbans)

Wildlife Protection

• Project Tiger

• Wildlife Sanctuaries – Over 500 in India

• National Parks – Jim Corbett, Kaziranga, Sundarbans

5. Agriculture in India

Major Crops

Green Revolution

• Introduced in the 1960s for food security

• Increased production of wheat & rice

• Use of HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation