Answer in a paragraph

VI. Answer in a paragraph

1. Explain the divisions of Northern Mountains and its importance to India.

The northern mountain is grouped into three divisions.

• The Trans-Himalayas

• The Himalayas

• Eastern or Purvanchal hills

The Trans Himalayas:

• This is also known as Western Himalayas.

• As its areal extend is more in Tibet it is also known as Tibetean Himalayas.

• This region contains marine sediments together with Tertiary granite.

• Zaskar, Ladakh, Kailash and Karakoram are important ranges.

The Himalayas:

Greater Himalayas (Himadri):

• This is the northern most range of Himalayas.

• Peaks like Everest and Kanchenjunga are located here.

• It is permanently covered with snow.

Lesser Himalayas (Himachal):

• It is the middle range of the Himalayas.

• The major rocks of this range are slate, lime stone and quartzite.

• Shimla, Mussourie, Nainital, Almora, Ranikhet and Darjeeling are important hill stations.

Outer Himalayas (The Siwaliks):

• It is partly made of debris brought by the Himalayan rivers.

• The longitudinal valleys found between Siwaliks and the lesser Himalayas are called Duns and Duars.

• These are best suited for human settlements.

Purvanchal Hills:

• These are the eastern off-shoot of Himalayas.

• It is extended in the north eastern states of India.

• A number of hills are found here. All these hills are collectively known as Purvanchal hills.

Importance of Himalayas:

• Himalayas blocks southwest monsoon winds and causes heavy rainfall to north India.

• It forms a natural barrier to the sub-continent.

• It is the source of many perennial rivers like Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra etc.

• The Northern mountains are described as the paradise of tourists due to its natural beauty.

• Many hill stations and pilgrim centres like Amarnath, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Vaishnavidevi temples are situated here.

• It provides raw material for many forest based industries.

• It prevents the cold winds blowing from the central Asia and protects India from severe cold.

• Himalayas are renowned for the rich bio-diversity.

2. Give an account on the major peninsular rivers of India.

• The rivers of south India are called the Peninsular rivers.

• These rivers are non-perennial in nature.

• Based on the direction of the flow, these rivers are divided into the west following rivers and the east flowing rivers.

East flowing rivers:

Mahanadi:

• The river Mahanadi originates near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chattisgarh and flows through Odisha.

• It has many tributaries and distributaries.

• All these distributaries form the delta of Mahanadi which is one of the largest deltas in India.

• The Mahanadi empties its water in the Bay of Bengal.

Godavari:

• Godavari is the longest of the Peninsular rivers.

• It is also called Vridha Ganga.

• It originates in Nasik district of Maharashtra and flows through Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Krishna:

• It originates from a spring at a place called Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats

• It is the second largest peninsular river.

• Bhima and Thungabhadra are its major tributaries.

• It flows through Andhra Pradesh and joins the Bay of Bengal.

Kaveri:

• It originates in Talaikaveri, Kudagu hills of Karnataka.

• It is called Dhakshin Ganga or Ganga of the South.

• Bhavani, Noyyal and Amaravathi are main tributaries.

• Hogenakkal falls is on this river.

• It breaks into Coleroon and Kaveri and empties into the Bay of Bengal near Poompuhar.

West flowing rivers:

Narmada:

• It originates in Amarkantak plateau in Madhya Pradesh.

• It is the longest among the west flowing Peninsular rivers.

• It drains into the Arabian sea through the Gulf of Cambay.

Tapti:

• It originates near Multai in Madhya Pradesh.

• It is also one of the major rivers of Peninsular India.

• It drains into the Arabian sea through the Gulf of Cambay.

3. Give a detailed account on the basin of the Ganga.

• River Ganga originates from Gangotri glacier in Uttar Khasi district of Uttarkhand state.

• The length of this river is about 2525km.

• Gomti, Gandak, Kosi, Ghaghra, Son and Sambal are its tributaries.

• River Ganga is known as River Padma in Bangladesh.

• Ganga and Brahmaputra together create the world's largest delta known as Sundarbans in Bangladesh before joining the Bay of Bengal.

• The Ganga river system is the largest drainage system in India.

• The Ganga plain is the most densely populated place in India.

• Many towns are developed on the banks of this river.

• Ganga plain is the largest plain in India.