Chapter 1 — Geographical Diversity of India

The chapter describes five regions: the great mountain zone (the Himalayas), the plains of the Ganga and Indus (Gangetic Plains), the desert region (Thar Desert), the southern peninsula (Peninsular Plateau), and the islands (Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands).

In summer, the snow on the Himalayan peaks melts and feeds major rivers like the Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra. These rivers and their tributaries provide water for drinking, farming, and industrial use for hundreds of millions of people, which is why the Himalayas carry this name.

India was once part of a large landmass called Gondwana. It broke away and moved northward, and about 50 million years ago collided with Eurasia. The land between them crumpled and rose up — like a carpet wrinkling when pushed — forming the Himalayas. India is still slowly moving northward at about 5 cm per year, so the Himalayas continue to grow by about 5 mm each year.

The Himadri (Greater Himalayas) are the highest and most rugged, home to peaks like Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga, and remain snow-covered year-round. The Himachal (Lower Himalayas) have a more moderate climate and include hill stations such as Shimla, Nainital, Darjeeling, and Mussoorie. The Shivalik Hills are the outermost and lowest range, with rolling hills and dense forests that form a transition zone between the Himalayas and the Gangetic Plains.

Unlike hot deserts, Ladakh is a cold desert where winter temperatures drop below −30°C and there is very little rainfall. The landscape has rocky terrain, deep valleys, and salty lakes like Pangong Tso. The terrain resembles the moon's surface, which is why it is called 'moonland'. Unique wildlife including snow leopards, ibex, and Tibetan antelopes live here.

The Gangetic Plains are vast and fertile because rivers like the Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra bring minerals that enrich the soil, making the land ideal for agriculture. A large proportion of India's population lives here. The flat land has also made it easy to build extensive road and railway networks, helping people and goods move over long distances.

The Thar Desert, also called the Great Indian Desert, is a vast arid region in western India. Most of it lies in Rajasthan, but it also spans parts of Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. Sand dunes here can rise as high as 150 metres. The Jaisalmer Fort — the 'Golden City' — located in the Thar Desert is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Aravalli Hills are among the oldest mountains in the world, estimated to be about 2.5 billion years old. They span Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Delhi, and are rich in minerals like marble, granite, zinc, and copper. Most importantly, the Aravallis act as a natural barrier that prevents the Thar Desert from expanding further eastward.

A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. The southern part of India is flanked by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south — making it a peninsular plateau. It is bordered by the Western Ghats (taller, also called Sahyadri Hills, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Eastern Ghats (lower and broken into smaller hills), with the Deccan Plateau lying between them.

India has two major island groups: Lakshadweep, an archipelago of 36 coral islands in the Arabian Sea close to the Malabar coast of Kerala, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, comprising more than 500 large and small volcanic islands in the Bay of Bengal. Barren Island in the Andaman group is the only active volcano in India.

The Sundarbans is the delta formed by the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and their tributaries, located in West Bengal (about half extends into Bangladesh). It is a UNESCO Heritage Site with a unique mix of river, sea, and land. The Sundarbans is home to many species, including the Royal Bengal Tiger.

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