Introduction
India is a leading country in Asia. It is located in the northern hemisphere of the world. A large democratic country. A remarkable feature of India is its diversity in terms of geography, ethnicity, culture, language, religion, social traditions, dress, food, etc. India is the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas on one side and… the sandy deserts of Rajasthan on the other. Many parts of the country experience frequent floods and other areas suffer from drought. The northern part of India belongs to the temperate zone; The southern part belongs to the tropics. India has high mountains and peaks as well as large plains and plateaus. In other words, the land of India is full of different geographical features such as hills, mountains, plateaus, plains, floods, etc. Similarly, there is considerable diversity in India as well in terms of caste, language, and religion. Indians belong to different species such as Austroasiatic, Mongolian, Aryan, and Dravidian. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, etc. have revitalized the country. Despite such diversity, the country has national unity. Common natural terrain, monsoon climate, modern transportation, and transport systems, trade, the country’s independence movement, and the newly formed unified administration have created this unity.
Location and size characteristics of India
India is located at the southern tip of the Asian continent. India is bordered by China and the Himalayas to the north, the Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka to the south, It is bordered by the Bay of Bengal, Myanmar, the Arabian Sea, and Pakistan to the east and west। The territory of India extends from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in the north-south and from the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh to Saurashtra in the east-west. India is located between 8°4'28'N and 37°17 '53"N latitude and 68°7'33'E and 97°24'47'E longitude
They are divided into two parts. The northern part belongs to the temperate climate zone and the southern part to the tropical climate zone. It is 3,214 km long north-south and about 2,933 km long east-west. It has a total length of the coastline of 6,100 km and a total length of the land border of more than 15,200 km. India shares common borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. India has a total geographical area of 32,87,263 sq km making it the seventh largest country in the world. India occupies only 2.2% of the world's land area. India is the largest democracy with 28 states and 7 union territories.
The geographical division of India
India has a lot of geographical diversity. The main topography of India consists of mountains, hills, rivers, valleys, plains, plateaus, etc. Mountains cover 10.7% of India's total area, hills and hills 18.6%, plateaus 27.7%, and plains 43.3%. Based on these geographical features, India can be divided into four geographical divisions:
India can be divided into four geographical divisions based on geographical features:
(a) Northern Himalayan Mountains: The Himalayan region of India is located in northern India and extends 2,500 km from the Nanga Mountains in Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. It is about 240 km to 500 km wide. The total area of the Himalayan region is 500,000 sq km. It has an average elevation of more than 8,000 m above sea level. The Himalayas were formed during the Tertiary period and were formed over 7 million years. The Himalayas are made up of three parallel mountain ranges extending from east to west: the Upper Himalayas, the Lower Himalayas, and the Outer Himalayas. Of these three mountain ranges, the High Himalayas have an average elevation of about 6,000 meters. The Lower Himalayas is located just south of the High Himalayas. It has an average elevation of 4,000 m. It is between 60-80 km wide. The Outer Himalayas are the mountain ranges adjacent to the Lower Himalayas. These mountain ranges have an average elevation of 1,000 meters.
(b) Plains of North India: The vast plains between the Himalayan mountain ranges in the north and the plains in the south are known as the plains of North India. The plain extends from Assam in the east to the Pakistani border in the west for about 2,400 km. The width of the Indus-Ganga plain region ranges from 240 km to 320 km, while the width of the Brahmaputra plain is only 80 km on average. This plain region of northern India covers a total area of about 700,000 sq km. This vast plain is known as the Indus Ganga Brahmaputra Plain. The plains of northern India can be divided into five parts.
(a) Western Plains;
(b) Punjab Haryana Plains;
(c) the Ganges Plain;
(d) North Bengal Plain;
(e) Brahmaputra Plain.
The major rivers Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra and their tributaries together form this vast plain. The most important of these rivers, the Ganges, originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the Upper Himalayas: and the Brahmaputra originates from the Chema Yu-Dung Glacier in the Tibetan Plateau of China. The notable tributaries of the Ganges are the Alaknanda, Jamuna, Ramganga, Gemti, Ghagra, Ganges, Sen, Kushi, etc. The major tributaries of the Brahmaputra are the Savansiri, Jibharli, Uttara Dhanshri,
South Banshee, Puthimari, Manah, Budhidihing, Yichang, Dikhou, Kapili, Krishna, etc. The main tributaries of the Indus are the Shatadru, Bipasha, and Rabi rivers. To the west of the Central Plain is a small desert called the Thar Desert. The entire plain area is very fertile and very suitable for agriculture, therefore, the area is densely populated.
(c) The Southern Plateau Region and the Southern Plateau are located south of the North Indian Plains. The plateau is mostly composed of old hard rock, the sterile, Satpura, Mahadev, and Mahakal mountains dividing the whole region into northern and southern parts. The northern part is less extensive and consists mainly of the Malwa and Chattanagpur plateaus. The southern part is larger and extends from Satpura, Mahadev, and Mahakal mountains to Kumarika in the south.
The Southern Plateau slopes from west to east and therefore most of the rivers like Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Penar, and Cauvery flow eastwards into the Bay of Bengal. The two main rivers, the Narmada and the Tapti flow westwards and empty into the Gulf of Kambe.
(d) Coastal Zone: There is a row of coastal zones on the east and west coasts of India. This steep row of coastlines between the Western Ghats and the Ar Sea is called the Western Coastal Plain. The northern part is called the Kankan Coast and the Malabar Coast. The region between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal is called the East Coastal Plain. The southern part of the coast is called the Karamandal Coast and the northern part is called the North Sarkar Coast. The eastern coastal region is flooded by the rivers Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishnagya, and Cauvery. It is not as fertile as the western coastal plain. There are bay islands in the rivers of this region.
Climatic characteristics of India
The climate of a place is influenced by various factors such as the size of the country, distance from the equator, distance from the sea, altitude differences, natural vegetation, monsoon winds, etc. The climate of India is largely influenced by these factors. In short, the climate of India has the following characteristics:
(a) Different climates
India is a vast country with different geographical formations like mountains, hills, rivers, valleys, plains, plateaus, coastal areas, etc. India has snow-capped mountains, deserts, and high rainfall areas. Therefore, India is a country rich in climatic diversity.
(b) Different climatic conditions between North and South:
The Cancer Equinox passing through India divides the country into northern and southern parts. The northern part belongs to the temperate zone and the southern part to the tropics. Therefore, the southern part of India is relatively warmer than the northern part.
(c) Differences in height
Different regions in India are located at different levels above sea level. One of the most significant factors that particularly affect the climate of a place is the altitude above sea level. Therefore, Agra and Darjeeling are located at the same latitude but have different climates.
(d) Effect of monsoon winds:
One of the main features of the climate of India is the influence of monsoon winds on the climate of the country. In summer, India receives heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon winds blowing from the Arabian Sea. This wind is humid and causes heavy rains in many parts of India.
In winter, the northeast monsoon winds bring rain to some areas.
(e) Influence of the Himalayas:
India's climate is heavily influenced by the Himalayas in the north. The Himalayas block the cold winds from Central Asia and protect India from extreme cold weather like most Central Asian countries. Secondly, the northern and northeastern Himalayas block the moist winds from the Bay of Bengal and therefore receive abundant rainfall.
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