NCERT Solutions Class 9th Social Science (Geography) Chapter – 2 Physical features of India
| Textbook | NCERT |
| Class | 9th |
| Subject | Social Science (Geography) |
| Chapter | 2nd |
| Chapter Name | Physical features of India |
| Category | Class 9th Social Science (Geography) |
| Medium | English |
| Source | Last Doubt |
NCERT Solutions Class 9th Social Science (Geography) Chapter – 2 Physical features of India
Chapter – 2
Physical features of India
Question Answer
| 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. (i) A landmass bounded by the sea on three sides is referred to as (a) Coast (b) Island (c) Peninsula (d) None of the above Answer – (c) (ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with Myanmar are collectively called (a) Himachal (b) Uttarakhand (c) Purvachal (d) None of the above Answer – (c) (iii) The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as (a) Coromandel (b) Konkan (c) Kannad (d) Northern Circar Answer – (c) (iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is (a) Anai Mudi (b) Kanchenjunga (c) Mahendragiri (d) Khasi Answer – (c) |
| 2. Answer the following questions briefly. (i) What is the bhabar? Answer – The northern plains are generally described as flatlands, with no variations in its relief. But, It is not true. These vast plains also have diverse relief features. According to the variations in relief features, the Northern plains can be divided into four regions. The rivers, after descending from the mountains deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km in width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. This region is known as bhabar. (ii) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south. Answer – 1. The northernmost range is known as The Great or Inner Himalayas or Himadri. Himachal or Lesser Himalaya. Outer Himalayas or Shiwaliks. (iii) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya ranges? Answer – The Malwa plateau lies between Aravali and Vindhya ranges. (iv) Name the island group of India having a coral origin. Answer – Lakshadweep Islands is the island group of India having with a coral origin. |
| 3. Distinguish between (i) Bhangar and Khadar Answer – Bhangar 1. Lies above flood plains of the river. 2. Older alluvium or old soil and forms the largest part of the Northern Plains. Khadar 1. It is a newer, younger deposit of flood plains. It is renewed every year. (ii) The Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats Answer – The Western Ghats 1. Lies parallel to the Western Coast. 2. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only. 3. The Western Ghats’ average elevation is 900 – 1600 metres. 4. The Western Ghats cause orographic rain by facing the rain-bearing moist winds to rise along the western slopes of the Ghats. 5. The height of the Western Ghats progressively increases from north to south. The Eastern Ghats 1. Lies parallel to the Eastern Coast. 2. They are discontinuous and irregular. 3. The Eastern Ghats are dissected by rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal. 4. The Eastern Ghats average elevation is 600 metres. |
| Question 4. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau. Answer – The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions: • The Himalayan Mountains • The Northern Plains • The Peninsular Plateau • The Indian Desert • The Coastal Plains • The Islands • The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. A number of valleys lie between these ranges. The northernmost range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the ‘Himadri’. It is the most continuous range consisting of the loftiest peaks with an average height of 6,000 metres. It contains all the prominent Himalayan peaks. • The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions. Locate these hills and ranges in the physical map of India. The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards. • An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the northeast– locally known as the Meghalaya and Karbi-Anglong Plateau. It is separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau. Three Prominent hill ranges from the west to east are the Garo, the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills. |
| Question 5. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India. Answer – The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, namely– the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. This plain is formed of alluvial soil. The deposition of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalaya over millions of years, formed this fertile plain. • It spreads over an area of 7 lakh sq. km. The plain being about 2400 Km long and 240 to 320 Km broad is a densely populated physiographic division. With a rich soil cover combined with adequate water supply and favourable climate, it is agriculturally a very productive part of India. • The rivers in their lower course split into numerous channels due to the deposition of silt. These channels are known as distributaries. The Northern Plain is broadly divided into three sections. The Western part of the Northern Plain is referred to as the Punjab Plains. • Formed by the Indus and its tributaries, the larger part of this plain lies in Pakistan. The Indus and its tributaries–the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas and the Satluj originate in the Himalaya. This section of the plain is dominated by the doabs. |
| Question 6. Write short notes on the following. (i) The Indian Desert, (ii) The Central Highlands (iii) The Island Groups of India Answer – (i) The Indian Desert • The Indian desest lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills. It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes. This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year. It has arid climate with low vegetation cover. Streams appear during the rainy season. • Soon after they disappear into the sand as they do not have enough water to reach the sea. Luni is the only large river in this region. Barchans (crescent-shaped dunes) cover larger areas but longitudinal dunes become more promiment near the Indo-Pakistan boundary. (ii) The Central Highlands • The Peninsular plateau consists of two broad divisions, namely, the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau. The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river covering a major area of the Malwa plateau is known as the Central Highlands. • The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Central Highlands on the south and the Aravalis on the northwest. The further westward extension gradually merges with the sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan. • The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating the slope. The Central Highlands are wider in the west but narrower in the east. • The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. The Chotanagpur plateau marks the further eastward extension, drained by the Damodar river. (iii) The Island Groups of India • This group of islands is composed of small coral islands. Earlier they were known as Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindive. In 1973 these were named as Lakshadweep. It covers small area of 32 sq km. Kavaratti island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep. • This island group has great diversity of flora and fauna. The Pitli Island, which is uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary. An elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south. These are Andaman and Nicobar islands. • They are bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered. The entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories – The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south. It is believed that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains. • These island groups are of great starategic importance for the country. There is great diversity of flora and fauna in this group of islands too. These islands lie close to the equator and experience equatorial climate and has thick forest cover. |
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