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Geography of India: A Structured Fact Sheet

I. Geological History

A. Ancient Landmass (Gondwana)

• The Indian subcontinent was originally part of a massive supercontinent called Gondwana (or Gondwanaland).
• Gondwana included present-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Arabian Peninsula.
• This supercontinent began to split apart around 200 million years ago.

B. Northward Journey of the Indian Plate

• After the breakup of Gondwana, the Indian landmass started moving northwards.
• This movement is evidenced by paleomagnetic studies (the study of Earth’s past magnetic field recorded in rocks).
• The collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate led to the formation of the Himalayan mountain range.

C. Geological Time Scale of Indian Features

• Aravalli Range: Originated in the Pre-Cambrian era, making it one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges.
• Deccan Traps: Formed during the Cretaceous-Eocene period due to massive volcanic eruptions.
• Western Ghats: Originated in the Late Cenozoic era.
• Narmada-Tapi Alluvial Deposits: Date back to the Pleistocene period.
• Thar Desert: The expanse is composed of Pleistocene and recent deposits.

II. Physical Divisions & Physiographic Regions

A. Major Natural Territories

• India is divided into four major natural regions:
  1. The Northern Mountains (Himalayas)
  2. The Great Plains (Indo-Gangetic Plains)
  3. The Peninsular Plateau
  4. The Coastal Plains and Islands

B. The Himalayan Region

• The Himalayas are the most newly developed folded mountains in the world.
• Climatic Significance:
  • They act as a climatic barrier, preventing cold waves from Siberia from entering India.
  • They play a crucial role in trapping the monsoon winds, influencing India’s rainfall pattern.
• Geological Formations:
  • The Valley of Kashmir was formed in a geological structure known as a synclinorium.
  • The Indo-Gangetic plain was formed in a foredeep (a deep basin) created by the Himalayan uplift.
• Sub-regions: The Bhabhar, Terai, and Shivalik Hills are physiographic zones in the Himalayan foothills.

C. The Peninsular Plateau

• Geologically, the Peninsular region is India’s most ancient part.
• The Meghalaya plateau is structurally an extended part of the Peninsular (Deccan) plateau, separated by a fault.
• The Vindhya range was formed during the northward movement of India.

D. The Great Plains

• The Indo-Gangetic plain was formed in a foredeep created by the Himalayan uplift.
• These plains are characterized by extensive alluvial soils deposited by rivers.

E. Coastal Regions & Islands

• The western coastline of India is not formed by river deposition; it is primarily a result of submergence and other tectonic processes.
• Kuttanad (Kerala) is famous for being the region with the lowest altitude in India, with farming done below sea level.

III. Specific Regional Features

A. Deserts

• The Sindhu (Indus) area is a desert region, part of the larger Thar Desert.
• The Thar Desert is located in northwestern India, primarily in Rajasthan.

B. Terrain and Hydrological Features

• In Uttarakhand, artesian wells (where water rises to the surface under natural pressure) are found in the Terai region.

IV. Economic Geology

A. Mineral Resources

• Gondwana rocks have the largest reserve of coal in India.

Know More About Physical Divisions of India:

• Physical Divisions of India – Old Year Questions
• Physical Divisions of India One Liner Questions & Answers