Himalayas, Plains, Plateau, Islands and Coasts of India
India's surface is one of the most varied in the world. The country covers about 3.28 million square kilometres and is divided into a few big physical units: the young fold mountains of the Himalayas in the north, the flat Indo-Gangetic plains below them, the old and stable Peninsular Plateau in the south, and the narrow coastal plains with their islands. Each of these divisions has its own records - the highest peak, the longest range, the largest delta, the biggest island - and examiners like these records because they are precise and easy to test. Learning them unit by unit is far easier than trying to remember them all at once.
The Himalayas
The Himalayas stretch for about 2,400 kilometres from the Indus in the west to the Brahmaputra in the east. They consist of three parallel ranges. The northernmost is the Himadri or Greater Himalayas, the highest and most continuous range, with an average height of about 6,000 metres and home to almost all the great peaks. Below it lies the Himachal or Lesser Himalayas, and further south the Shiwalik or Outer Himalayas, which are the youngest and lowest. Along their length the Himalayas are also divided into the Punjab Himalayas, the Kumaon Himalayas, the Nepal Himalayas and the Assam Himalayas. The range is widest in Kashmir (about 400 km) and narrowest in Assam (about 100 to 200 km), and the famous Nathu La pass in Sikkim links India with Tibet.
Peaks of the Himalayas
The highest peak of India is K2, also called Godwin Austen, at 8,611 metres in the Karakoram range. The highest peak of the Eastern Himalayas is Kangchenjunga at 8,586 metres, and the highest peak of the Great Himalayas situated entirely within India is Nanda Devi at 7,816 metres. In the far north-east, the Gorichen peak is the highest of the Assam Himalayas, and the Saramati peak rises on the India-Myanmar border.
The Peninsular Plateau
The Peninsular Plateau is the oldest landmass of India and is made of hard, ancient rocks. Its core is the Deccan Plateau, built of black basaltic lava known as the Deccan Trap. The plateau is bounded on the west and the east by the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. The highest peak of the Western Ghats and of the whole of Peninsular India is Anamudi at 2,695 metres in Kerala, while the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats is Mahendragiri in Odisha. The highest plateau of India, however, is the Ladakh plateau in the north.
The Northern Plains
The northern plains of India are known as the Indo-Gangetic plains. They are formed by the alluvium brought down by the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their tributaries. From north to south they are divided into the Bhabar, a narrow belt of pebbles at the foot of the Shiwalik, the Terai, a marshy belt with dense vegetation, and the broad alluvial plains, which are again divided into the older Bhangar and the newer Khadar. At the mouth of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra lies the Sundarbans, the largest delta of India.
Coasts and islands
The total coastline of India, including the islands, is about 7,516.6 kilometres. The western coastal plain is narrow and is divided into the Konkan coast in the north and the Malabar coast in the south, with the Kanara coast in between. The eastern coastal plain is wider and is divided into the Northern Circars in the north and the Coromandel coast in the south. Among the islands, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal form the largest island group, and the largest island of the group is Middle Andaman. The Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are coral islands, and their largest island is Andrott. In Assam, Majuli is the largest river island in the world.
Extreme points and records
The northernmost point of India is Indira Col in the Siachen area, the southernmost is Indira Point in the Nicobar Islands, the easternmost is Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh and the westernmost is Guhar Moti in Gujarat. Among the states, Rajasthan is the largest by area, Goa is the smallest, and Gujarat has the longest coastline.
Quick revision of the physical divisions
For quick revision, remember the four physical divisions of India as mountains, plains, plateau and coasts. The Himalayas have three parallel ranges and four longitudinal divisions, and their highest peak is K2, while the highest peak lying entirely in India is Nanda Devi. The northern plains run from the Bhabar and the Terai to the alluvial plains and end in the Sundarbans delta. The Peninsular Plateau is the oldest landmass, made of Deccan Trap basalt, with Anamudi as its highest peak. The coast is about 7,516.6 kilometres long, with the Konkan and Malabar coasts in the west and the Circars and Coromandel in the east, and the islands are the Andaman and Nicobar group and the coral Lakshadweep. Adding the extreme points and the state records completes the picture.
How to prepare this topic
- Learn the Himalayas in two ways: the three parallel ranges (Himadri, Himachal, Shiwalik) and the four longitudinal divisions (Punjab, Kumaon, Nepal and Assam).
- Fix the peaks with their ranges: K2 in the Karakoram, Kangchenjunga in the Eastern Himalayas and Nanda Devi in the Great Himalayas.
- Remember the plains from north to south: Bhabar, Terai and the alluvial plains, with the Sundarbans as the largest delta.
- Keep the plateau facts together: Deccan Trap basalt, Anamudi as the highest peak and Mahendragiri as the Eastern Ghats record.
- Memorise the coasts and islands: Konkan and Malabar in the west, Circars and Coromandel in the east, Middle Andaman and Andrott as the largest islands, and coral Lakshadweep.
Common exam traps
- K2 is the highest peak of India, but the highest peak of the Eastern Himalayas is Kangchenjunga, not K2.
- Nanda Devi is the highest peak of the Great Himalayas that lies entirely in India.
- The Himalayas are widest in Kashmir and narrowest in Assam.
- Anamudi is the highest peak of both the Western Ghats and the whole of Peninsular India.
- Lakshadweep is made of coral, while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are not.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three parallel ranges of the Himalayas and their average heights?
The three parallel ranges are the Himadri or Greater Himalayas, the Himachal or Lesser Himalayas and the Shiwalik or Outer Himalayas. The Himadri is the highest and most continuous range, with an average height of about 6,000 metres, and contains almost all the great peaks. The Himachal lies below it, and the Shiwalik is the youngest and lowest range. The range is widest in Kashmir, about 400 kilometres, and narrowest in Assam, about 100 to 200 kilometres.
Which is the highest peak of India and which is the highest peak of the Eastern Himalayas?
The highest peak of India is K2, also called Godwin Austen, at 8,611 metres in the Karakoram range. The highest peak of the Eastern Himalayas is Kangchenjunga at 8,586 metres, while the highest peak of the Great Himalayas lying entirely within India is Nanda Devi at 7,816 metres. The Gorichen peak is the highest of the Assam Himalayas.
What are the main physical divisions of India and what is the largest delta?
India is divided into the Himalayas, the Indo-Gangetic plains, the Peninsular Plateau and the coastal plains with the islands. The northern plains are made of Bhabar, Terai and the alluvial plains of Bhangar and Khadar. The largest delta of India is the Sundarbans, formed at the mouth of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, and the Peninsular Plateau is the oldest landmass, built of Deccan Trap basalt.
What is the total coastline of India and which are its coasts and island groups?
The total coastline of India, including the islands, is about 7,516.6 kilometres. The western coast has the Konkan and the Malabar coasts with Kanara in between, while the eastern coast has the Northern Circars and the Coromandel coast. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands form the largest island group, with Middle Andaman as its largest island, and Lakshadweep is a group of coral islands whose largest island is Andrott.
Which are the extreme points of India and which states hold the size records?
The northernmost point of India is Indira Col in the Siachen area, the southernmost is Indira Point in the Nicobar Islands, the easternmost is Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh and the westernmost is Guhar Moti in Gujarat. Among the states, Rajasthan is the largest by area, Goa is the smallest and Gujarat has the longest coastline. Majuli in Assam is the largest river island in the world.