1 min read · 147 words
India splits into six clear physical belts, north to south. Nearly every map question in prelims touches one of them.
The six belts
- Northern Mountains: Himalaya, Karakoram, Ladakh, Purvanchal and NE hills.
- Indo-Gangetic Plain: Punjab plains, Ganga plain, Brahmaputra valley.
- Peninsular Plateau: Central Highlands plus Deccan Trap, the oldest landmass.
- Coastal plains: narrow Konkan-Malabar west, wide Coromandel-Utkal east.
- Thar Desert and the sandy arid west; islands: volcanic Andaman, coral Lakshadweep.
Himalaya anatomy
- Three parallel ranges: Himadri (Greater), Himachal (Lesser, hill stations), Shivalik (Outer, duns).
- Syntaxial bends at the Indus gorge in the west and Namcha Barwa in the east.
Why it matters
- Monsoon barrier, perennial river sources, seismic zone V and border strategy all key off this map.
Revise in 30 seconds
- Six belts: Mountains-Plain-Plateau-Coast-Desert-Islands.
- Shivaliks carry the duns; Himadri is the Greater Himalaya.
- Lakshadweep is coral, Andaman volcanic.
- Western ghats block the monsoon; eastern ghats do not.
Quick revision
- Northern Mountains: Himalaya, Karakoram, Ladakh, Purvanchal and NE hills.
- Indo-Gangetic Plain: Punjab plains, Ganga plain, Brahmaputra valley.
- Peninsular Plateau: Central Highlands plus Deccan Trap, the oldest landmass.
- Coastal plains: narrow Konkan-Malabar west, wide Coromandel-Utkal east.
- Thar Desert and the sandy arid west; islands: volcanic Andaman, coral Lakshadweep.
- Three parallel ranges: Himadri (Greater), Himachal (Lesser, hill stations), Shivalik (Outer, duns).
