Northern Plains and Peninsular Plateau
NCERT Class 9 - Contemporary India I, Chapter 2 • NCERT Class 11 - India Physical Environment
Northern Plains and Peninsular Plateau
The Northern Plain is the youngest and most fertile part of India, built entirely of alluvium deposited by three river systems. The Peninsular Plateau is the opposite - the oldest and most stable landmass, rich in minerals but poorer in soil.
The Northern Plain
- Formed by the deposition of alluvium by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries in a trough that lay between the rising Himalayas and the plateau.
- It stretches about 2,400 kilometres from west to east and varies between roughly 240 and 320 kilometres in width.
- The gradient is extremely gentle, which is why the rivers meander broadly in the lower course.
- Combined with a dense population, this plain supports the most intensive agriculture in India.
Divisions of the plain by relief
| Belt | Character |
|---|---|
| Bhabar | Narrow belt of pebbles along the Shiwalik foothills, where streams sink underground |
| Terai | Wet, marshy belt south of the bhabar, where the streams re-emerge |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium forming terraces above the flood plain, containing lime nodules called kankar |
| Khadar | Newer alluvium of the flood plain, renewed almost every year and highly fertile |
- The plain is also divided regionally into the Punjab plains, where tributaries of the Indus create tracts between rivers called doabs, the Ganga plains, and the Brahmaputra plain of Assam, which contains Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world.
The Peninsular Plateau
- Made of old crystalline and igneous rock, it is a tableland formed from a fragment of Gondwanaland, and is broadly stable.
- Central Highlands, north of the Narmada - includes the Malwa plateau, the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand uplands, and the Chotanagpur plateau in the east, which is India's richest mineral belt and covers much of Jharkhand and the southern edge of Bihar.
- The Aravalli range on the north-western edge is one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world and is now much worn down.
- Deccan Plateau, south of the Narmada - a triangular block, higher in the west and sloping gently east, which is why most peninsular rivers flow east.
- The Satpura, Mahadeo and Maikal ranges form its northern edge, and the Meghalaya and Karbi Anglong plateaus in the north-east are a detached extension of it.
The Western and Eastern Ghats
| Point | Western Ghats | Eastern Ghats |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | Continuous, crossed only through passes | Discontinuous, cut by many rivers |
| Height | Higher, generally 900 to 1,600 metres | Lower, generally around 600 metres |
| Local names | Sahyadri, Nilgiri, Anaimalai, Cardamom hills | Mahendragiri, Javadi and Nallamala hills |
| Highest point | Anaimudi, the highest peak of peninsular India | Mahendragiri |
| Rainfall | Very heavy on the windward western slope | Much less, being in the rain shadow |
- The passes through the Western Ghats - Thal Ghat, Bhor Ghat and Palghat - carry the main road and rail links between the coast and the interior; the Palghat gap is the widest and most important.
- The Deccan Trap in the north-west of the plateau is made of lava flows and has weathered into the black soil used for cotton.
- The two Ghats meet in the Nilgiri hills, where Doda Betta is the main peak.
हिंदी संकेत: खादर नया जलोढ़ है जो हर वर्ष नवीनीकृत होता है, और बांगर पुराना जलोढ़ जिसमें कंकड़ मिलते हैं। यह जोड़ी सबसे अधिक पूछी जाती है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
Match-the-following on plain belt and its character, and on Ghat and its features, are both common. Factual questions ask the highest peak of peninsular India and where Majuli lies. Application questions ask why most peninsular rivers flow east.
UPSC / State PSC ke liye
Connect geology to economy - the old crystalline rock of the peninsula holds most of India's metallic minerals and coal, while the young alluvium of the plain holds almost none but supports the best agriculture. That single contrast explains much of India's regional economic pattern.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Bhangar is the newer alluvium | ✓ Khadar is newer; bhangar is older and contains kankar
✗ The Eastern Ghats are higher and continuous | ✓ The Western Ghats are higher and continuous
✗ The Aravalli is a young fold mountain | ✓ It is one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world
Ek nazar me
- The Northern Plain is built of alluvium from the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems.
- Relief divisions - bhabar, terai, bhangar and khadar.
- Doabs lie between the tributaries in the Punjab plains; Majuli is in the Brahmaputra plain.
- The Peninsular Plateau is old, stable, crystalline and rich in minerals.
- Central Highlands include Malwa, Bundelkhand and the mineral rich Chotanagpur plateau.
- Western Ghats are continuous and higher, with Anaimudi the highest peninsular peak.
- Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and lower; Palghat is the main gap in the Western Ghats.