Physiographic Divisions of India, Formation, Geographical Importance

The Physiographic Divisions of India have a great diversity of relief features. These physiographic divisions help in understanding the geography of the country, its ecology, agriculture and socio-economic development. In this article, we are going to cover the Physiography divisions of India, its formation, geomorphology and importance. 

Physiography 

Physiography is the study of the physical features of the earth’s surface and  its relations to the geological structure. The physiography of a place helps in the understanding of the physical characteristics of a place, including river, valleys, mountains, plains and plateaus. 

Physiographic Divisions of India

The Physiographic divisions of India are sub-divided into 5 physiographic divisions: 

1. The Himalayas
2. The Indo-Gangetic Plains
3. The Peninsular Plateau of India
4. The Coastal Plains of India
5. The Indian Islands

A brief description of each of the 5 physiographic divisions of India is given in the sections that follow.

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The Himalayas

The Himalayas are young fold mountains that were formed by the collision of the Indo-Australian Plate with the Eurasian Plate many years ago. They form a natural boundary in between the Tibetan Plateau in the north and the Indian Subcontinent in the south. This acts like a watershed in the indo-gangetic and tibetan river systems. 

Latitudinal Divisions of the Himalayas

1. Trans-Himalayas
2. The Himalayan Mountain Ranges
3. The Eastern Hills or Purvanchal
   

Longitudinal Divisions of the Himalayas

1. Punjab Himalayas
2. Kumaon Himalayas
3. Nepal Himalayas
4. Assam Himalayas
   

The Great Plains of North India

The Great Plains of North India are also known as the Indo-Gangetic Brahmaputra Plains and are present south of the Himalayas and stretch from the mouth of the Indus in the west to the mouth of Ganga in the east. Formed by alluvial deposits from the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers as well as their tributaries, the great plains of North India occupy the depression between the Peninsular Plateau and the Himalayas. 

Regional Divisions of the Indo-Gangetic Plains

1. The Rajasthan Plain
2. The Punjab-Haryana Plain
3. The Ganga Plain
4. The Brahmaputra Plain

The Peninsular Plateau of India 

The Peninsular Plateau happens to be the oldest and the largest physiographic divisions of India. Located in the southern part of the country, the plateau is covered by water on three sides. There are many small plateaus all separated by river valleys and hill ranges. 

Major Plateaus

• Marwar Upland
• Central Highlands (Madhya Bharat Pathar)
• Bundelkhand Upland
• Malwa Plateau
• Baghelkhand
• Chotanagpur Plateau
• Meghalaya (Shillong) Plateau
• Deccan Plateau
• Chhattisgarh Plain
  

Major Hill Ranges

• Aravali Range
• Vindhyan Range
• Satpura Range
• Western Ghats (Sahyadris)
• Eastern Ghats

The Coastal Plains of India

The Coastal Plains of India consists of a narrow stretch between the Peninsular Plateau and India’s coastline, extending about 6,000 km along the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. 

1. Western Coastal Plains
2. Eastern Coastal Plains

The Indian Islands

India’s islands are scattered in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal, and are classified into two main groups:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Lakshadweep Islands