Our Country - India

Q37. Name the major physical divisions of India.

Ans. The major physical divisions of India are:

                          i.        The Himalayas

                         ii.        The Northern Indian plains

                        iii.        The Great Indian dessert

                        iv.        The Peninsular plateau

                        v.        The Coastal plains

                       vi.        Two groups of islands –

        Lakshadweep Islands

        The Andaman and the Nicobar Islands

Q38. Differentiate between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.

Ans. Difference between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats

Q39. Differentiate between Lakshadweep Island and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Ans. Difference between Lakshadweep Island and Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Q40. What is the implication of longitudinal extent of India?

Ans. Due to great longitudinal extent of about 29°, there could be a wide difference in local time of places located at two extreme points of India. As such, the difference between these two points would be of about two hours. The local time changes by four minutes for every one degree of longitude. Therefore, the sun rises about two hours earlier in the east (Arunachal Pradesh) than in the west (Gujarat).

Q41. Write a note on political and administrative divisions of India.

Ans. India is a vast country. For administrative purposes, the country is divided into 28 States and 7 Union Territories. Delhi is the national capital. The states have been formed mainly on the basis of languages. Rajasthan is the largest state and Goa is the smallest state in terms of area. The states are further divided into districts.

Q42. Write about coastal plains of India.

Ans. To the West of the Western Ghats and the East of Eastern Ghats lie the Coastal plains. The western coastal plains are very narrow. The eastern Coastal plains are much broader. There are a number of east flowing rivers. The rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri drain into the Bay of Bengal. These rivers have formed fertile deltas at their mouth.

Q43. Describe the major physical division of India.

Ans. The major physical divisions of India are:

Himalayan Mountains - The Himalayan Mountains are divided into three main parallel ranges. The northernmost is the Great Himalaya or Himadri. The world’s highest peaks are located in this range. Middle Himalaya or Himachal lies to the south of Himadri. Many popular hill stations are situated here. The Shiwalik is the southernmost range.

Northern Indian plains - The Northern Indian plains lie to the south of the Himalayas. They are generally level and flat. These river plains provide fertile land for cultivation.

Peninsular plateau - To the south of northern plains lies the Peninsular plateau. It is triangular in shape. The relief is highly uneven. This is a region with numerous hill ranges and valleys.

Coastal Plains - To the West of the Western Ghats and the East of Eastern Ghats lie the Coastal plains. The western coastal plains are very narrow. The eastern Coastal plains are much broader.

Islands - Lakshadweep Islands are located in the Arabian Sea. These are coral islands located off the coast of Kerala. The Andaman and the Nicobar Islands lie to the southeast of the Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal.