Geography of India
Continent	Asia
Region	Southern Asia Indian subcontinent
Coordinates	20°00'N 77°00'E
Area	Ranked 7th 3,287,263 km² (1,269,219. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. 3 sq mi) 90. 44% land 9. 56 % water
Borders	Total land borders:[1] 15,106. This is a list of land borders between countries 'Note: Entries which are not sovereign states are italicized. 70 km (9,387 mi) Bangladesh: 4,096. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially 70 km (2,546 mi) China (PRC): 3,488 km (2,167 mi) Pakistan: 3,323 km (2,065 mi) Nepal: 1,751 km (1,088 mi) Myanmar: 1,643 km (1,021 mi) Bhutan: 699 km (434 mi) Afghanistan: 106 km (66 mi)
Highest point	K2[2] 8,611 m (28,251 ft)
Lowest point	Kuttanad -2. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, K2 is the second- highest Mountain on Earth (after Mount Everest) Kuttanadu in Kerala, India, is the region with the lowest altitude in India with 500 square kilometres of the region below Sea level. 2 m (-7. 2 ft)
Longest river	Ganges–Brahmaputra
Largest lake	Chilka Lake

The geography of India is diverse, with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts, plains, rainforests, hills, and plateaus. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent The Brahmaputra, also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra is a Trans-boundary river and one of the major Rivers of Asia. Chilka Lake (also Chilika Lake) is a Brackish water coastal lake in India 's Orissa state south of the mouth of the Mantei River. India comprises most of the Indian subcontinent situated on the Indian Plate, the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. The India or Indian Plate is a Tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off eventually The Indo-Australian Plate is a major Tectonic plate that includes the continent of Australia and surrounding Ocean, and extends northwest to include the Having a coastline of over 7,000 kilometres (4,350 mi), most of India lies on a peninsula in Southern Asia that protrudes into the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface India is bounded in the southwest by the Arabian Sea and in the east and southeast by the Bay of Bengal. The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean.

The fertile Indo-Gangetic Plain occupies most of northern, central, and eastern India, while the Deccan Plateau occupies most of southern India. The Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains and the North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula This article refers to the region in the Indian subcontinent. South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union To the west of the country is the Thar Desert, which consists of a mix of rocky and sandy desert. The Thar Desert ( Hindi: थार मरुस्थल also known as the Great Indian Desert, is India's east and northeastern border consists of the high Himalayan range. The highest point in India is disputed due to a territorial dispute with Pakistan; according to India's claim, the highest point (located in the disputed Kashmir region) is K2, at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft). A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession/control of land between two or more States or over the possession or control of land by one state after it has conquered Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir K2 is the second- highest Mountain on Earth (after Mount Everest) The highest point in undisputed Indian territory is Kangchenjunga, at 8,598 m (28,209 ft). Kangchenjunga ( Nepali:कञ्चनजङ्घा Kanchanjaŋghā) SewaLungma ( Limbu language) is the third highest Climate ranges from equatorial in the far south, to Alpine in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps.

India is bordered by Pakistan to the north-west,^[3] China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north, Myanmar to the east and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia are island nations to the south of India. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. The Palk Strait is a Strait that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Island nation of Sri Lanka. The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay that is an arm of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. Politically, India is divided into 28 states, and seven federally administered union territories. A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India. The political divisions generally follow linguistic and ethnic boundaries rather than geographic transitions.

Contents 1 Location and extent 2 Political geography 3 Physiographic regions 3.1 Mountains 3.2 Indo-Gangetic plain 3.3 The Desert 3.4 Highlands 3.5 East coast 3.6 West coast 3.7 Islands 4 Rivers 5 Bodies of water 6 Wetlands 6.1 The Sundarbans 6.2 Rann of Kutch 7 Soil 8 Climate 9 Geology 10 Natural resources 11 Natural disasters 12 International agreements 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References

Location and extent

See also: Extreme points of India

India lies to the north of the equator between 8°4' and 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' and 97°25' east longitude. ^[4] It is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi). This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. ^[5] India measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,993 km (1,860 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,517 km (4,671 mi). ^[6]

India is bounded to the southwest by the Arabian Sea, to the southeast by the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean to the south. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface To the north, northeast, and northwest are the Himalayas. Cape Comorin constitutes the southern tip of the mainland Indian peninsula, which narrows before ending in the Indian Ocean. For other uses of Kanyakumari, please see Kanyakumari (disambiguation. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The southernmost part of India is Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Indira Point (formerly known as Pygmalion Point and for a brief period of time as India Point) is situated on the island of Great Nicobar in the Nicobar The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a Union territory of India. Informally the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. ^[6] The territorial waters of India extend into the sea to a distance of twelve nautical miles measured from the appropriate baseline. Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most ^[7]

Political geography

Main article: States and territories of India

India is divided into 28 states (which are further subdivided into districts), seven union territories. India is a union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. A district is an administrative division of a state in India India is divided into twenty-eight states and seven Union territories (UT States have their own elected government, while union territories are governed by an administrator appointed by the union government.

States:

Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal

Union Territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar Haveli Daman and Diu Lakshadweep National Capital Territory of Delhi Puducherry

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is claimed by India and Pakistan, and both administer part of the territory. Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश   Aruṇācal Pradeś is the easternmost state of India Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. Chhattisgarh ( Chhattisgarhi / Hindi: छत्तीसगढ़ tʃʰət̪t̪iːsgəɽʰ, a state in central India, formed when the sixteen Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Haryana (हरियाणा Punjabi: ਹਰਿਆਣਾ hərɪjaːɳaː is a state in northern India. Himachal Pradesh ( Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश Punjabi: ਹਿਮਾਚਲ ਪ੍ਰਦੇਸ਼ pronounced) is a state in the ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India. Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; Madhya Pradesh (abbreviated as MP) ( Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश pronounced, Translation: Middle Province) often Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Manipur (mnipur in Meitei Mayek) is a state in northeastern India, making its capital in the city of Meghalaya is a small state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means "The Abode of Clouds" in Sanskrit and Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India. Nagaland ( Hindi: नागालैंड is a hill state located in the far north-eastern part of India. Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area Sikkim ( Nepali:, also Sikhim) is a Landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas It is the least populous state in India Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. ( Bengali script: ত্রিপুরা is a state in North-East India. Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U Uttarakhand ( Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड or उत्तराखंड Uttar + Akhand i West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a Union territory of India. Informally the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI Chandigarh ( ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ, चंडीगढ़) also called The City Beautiful For the Indian musical form see Dadra. Dadra and Nagar Haveli ( Gujarati: દાદરા અને નગર હવેલી Marathi Daman and Diu ( Gujarati: દમણ અને દિવ Marathi: दमण आणि दीव Portuguese: Damão e Diu is a Union territory Lakshadweep ( (ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്,) the smallest Union territory of India, is a group of islands 200 to 300 km off of the coast of Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Puducherry (formerly; புதுச்சேரி or பாண்டிச்சேரி పాండిచెర్రి പുതുശ്ശേരി Pondichéry is a India also claims Aksai Chin, a small barren piece of territory in Ladakh administered by China. Aksai Chin ( Simplified Chinese: 阿克赛钦 Traditional chinese: 阿克賽欽 Hanyu pinyin: Ākèsàiqīn Hindi: अकसाई Ladakh ( Ladakhi lad̪ɑks लदाख لدّاخ "land of high passes" is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between The state of Arunachal Pradesh is claimed by China but administered by India. Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश   Aruṇācal Pradeś is the easternmost state of India China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Physiographic regions

India is divided into seven physiographic regions. They are

1. The northern mountains including the Himalayas, which includes the Kuen Lun and the Karakoram ranges and the northeast mountain ranges. The Kunlun Mountains ( Mongolian: Хөндлөн Уулс is one of the longest Mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3000 Km. Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh, and
2. Indo-Gangetic plains
3. Thar Desert
4. Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau
5. East Coast
6. West Coast
7. Bordering seas and islands^[6]

Mountains

A great arc of mountains, composed of the Himalaya, Hindu Kush, and Patkai ranges, define the Indian subcontinent. The Hindu Kush is a Mountain range located between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Patkai or the Purvachal are the hills on India 's eastern border with Myanmar (Burma These mountains were formed by the ongoing tectonic collision of the Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate which started some 50 million years ago. In Plate tectonics, a convergent boundary – also known as a convergent plate boundary or a destructive plate boundary – is an actively deforming region The India or Indian Plate is a Tectonic plate that was originally a part of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland from which it split off eventually The Eurasian Plate is a Tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the traditional Continents of Europe These mountain ranges are home to some of the world's tallest mountains and act as a natural barrier to cold polar winds. They also facilitate the monsoons winds drive climate in India. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months Rivers that originate in these mountains provide water to the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains. These mountains are recognised by biogeographers as the boundary between two of the earth's great ecozones; the temperate Palearctic that covers most of Eurasia, and the tropical and subtropical Indomalaya ecozone that includes the Indian subcontinent extending into Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of Biodiversity over Space and Time. The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight Ecozones dividing the Earth surface The Indomalaya ecozone is one of the eight Ecozones that cover the planet's land surface Historically, these ranges have also served as barriers to invaders.

India has nine major mountain ranges having peaks of over 1,000 m (3,281 ft). The Himalayas are the only mountain ranges to have snow-capped peaks. These ranges are:

1. Aravalli Range
2. Eastern Ghats
3. Himalayas
4. Patkai
5. Vindhya Range
6. Western Ghats (Sahyadri)
7. Satpura Range
8. Karakoram
9. Kunlun

The Himalaya mountain range is the world's highest mountain range. The Aravalli Range is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across Rajasthan state The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India 's eastern coast The Patkai or the Purvachal are the hills on India 's eastern border with Myanmar (Burma The Vindhya Range ( Sanskrit: विन्‍ध्य is a range of older rounded mountains and hills in the west-central Indian subcontinent which geographically The Western Ghats ( Kannada ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ Marathi / Konkani - सह्याद्री Sahyadri Malayalam സഹ്യപര്‍വ്വതം The Satpura Range is a range of Hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat state near the Arabian Sea coast running east through Karakoram is a mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, China, and India, located in the regions of Gilgit, Ladakh, and The Kunlun Mountains ( Mongolian: Хөндлөн Уулс is one of the longest Mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3000 Km. ^[8] They form India's north-eastern border, separating it from the rest of Asia. The Himalayas are also one of the world's youngest mountain ranges, and extend almost uninterrupted for a distance of 2,500 m (8,202 ft), covering an area of 500,000 km² (193,051 sq mi). ^[8] The Himalayas extend from the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the west to the state of Arunachal Pradesh in the east. These states along with Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim lie mostly in the Himalayan region. Some of the Himalayan peaks range over 7,000 m (22,966 ft) and the snow line ranges between 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in Sikkim to around 3,000 m (9,843 ft) in Kashmir. The snow line is the point above which or poleward of which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year Kangchenjunga, which lies on the Sikkim–Nepal border, is the highest point in the area administered by India. Kangchenjunga ( Nepali:कञ्चनजङ्घा Kanchanjaŋghā) SewaLungma ( Limbu language) is the third highest Sikkim ( Nepali:, also Sikhim) is a Landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas It is the least populous state in India Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Most peaks in the Himalayas remain snowbound throughout the year.

The Shiwalik, or lower Himalaya, consists of smaller hills towards the Indian side. The Sivalik Hills also known as the Sivalik mountains (also spelled Shiwalik, Shivalik, or Siwalik) and sometimes called Churia or Most of the rock formations are young and highly unstable, with landslides being a regular phenomenon during the rainy season. Many of India's hill stations are located on this range. Hill station is a term used for a town usually at somewhat higher elevations The climate varies from subtropical in the foothills to alpine at the higher elevations of these mountain ranges.

The mountains on India's eastern border with Myanmar are called as the Patkai or the Purvanchal. The Patkai or the Purvachal are the hills on India 's eastern border with Myanmar (Burma They were created by the same tectonic processes that resulted in the formation of the Himalaya. The features of the Patkai ranges are conical peaks, steep slopes and deep valleys. The Patkai ranges are not as rugged or tall as the Himalayas. There are three hill ranges that come under the Patkai: The Patkai-Bum, the Garo–Khasi–Jaintia, and the Lushai hills. The Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India, and is part of the Patkai range and of the Meghalaya subtropical forests Jaintia Hills is an administrative District in the state of Meghalaya in India. The Lushai Hills (or Mizo Hills) are part of the Patkai range in Mizoram and partially in Tripura, India. The Garo–Khasi range is in the state of Meghalaya. Mawsynram,a village near Cherrapunji lying on the windward side of these hills, has the distinction of being the wettest place in the world, receiving the highest annual rainfall. Mawsynram is a village in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya state in north-eastern India, 56 kilometers from Shillong. Cherrapunji (also spelled as Cherrapunjee) is a town in East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Windward is the direction from which the wind is blowing at the time in question ^[9]

The Vindhya range runs across most of central India, covering a distance of 1,050 km (652 mi). The Vindhya Range ( Sanskrit: विन्‍ध्य is a range of older rounded mountains and hills in the west-central Indian subcontinent which geographically ^[8] The average elevation of these hills is 3,000 m (9,843 ft). ^[8] They are believed to have been formed by the wastes created due to the weathering of the ancient Aravali mountains. It geographically separates northern India from southern India. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union The western end of the range lies in eastern Gujarat, near its border with the state of Madhya Pradesh, and the range runs east and north almost meeting the Ganges River at Mirzapur. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent For the settlement in Bangladesh see Mirzapur Bangladesh. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Mirzapur

The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The Satpura Range is a range of Hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat state near the Arabian Sea coast running east through It begins in eastern Gujarat near the Arabian Sea coast, then runs east across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and ends in the state of Chhattisgarh. It extends for a distance of 900 km (559 mi) with many of its peaks rising above 1,000 m (3,281 ft). ^[8] It is triangular in shape, with its apex at Ratnapuri and the two sides being parallel to the Tapti and Narmada rivers. Ratnapuri may refer to Ratnapuri India Ratnapuri Nepal The Tapti River (original name Tapi River) is a river in central India. The Narmada नर्मदा Gujarati નર્મદા or Nerbudda (Narbada is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent ^[10] It runs parallel to the Vindhya Range, which lies to the north, and these two east-west ranges divide the Indo-Gangetic plain of northern India from the Deccan Plateau lying in the south. The Narmada runs in the depression between the Satpura and Vindhya ranges, and drains the northern slope of the Satpura range, running west towards the Arabian Sea.

The Aravali Range is the oldest mountain range in India, running from northeast to southwest across Rajasthan in western India, extending approximately 500 km (311 mi). The Aravalli Range is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across Rajasthan state The northern end of the range continues as isolated hills and rocky ridges into Haryana, ending near Delhi. Haryana (हरियाणा Punjabi: ਹਰਿਆਣਾ hərɪjaːɳaː is a state in northern India. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population The highest peak is Mount Abu, rising to 1,722 m (5,650 ft), lying near the southwestern extremity of the range, close to the border with Gujarat. Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravalli Range of Rajasthan state in western India. The Aravali Range is the eroded stub of an ancient folded mountain system that was once snow-capped. The range rose in a Precambrian event called the Aravali-Delhi orogen. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current Orogeny (Greek for "mountain generating" is the process of natural Mountain building and may be studied as a tectonic structural event as a geographical event and The range joins two of the ancient segments that make up the Indian craton, the Marwar segment to the northwest of the range, and the Bundelkhand segment to the southeast. A craton ( Greek kratos / κρἀτος ( neut. "strength" is an old and stable part of the Continental crust that has survived Geography In 1901 the region (Jodhpur state had an area of 90554 km² (34963 square miles

The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains run along the western edge of India's Deccan Plateau, and separate it from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats ( Kannada ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ Marathi / Konkani - सह्याद्री Sahyadri Malayalam സഹ്യപര്‍വ്വതം The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: The range starts south of the Tapti River near the Gujarat–Maharashtra border, and runs approximately 1,600 km (994 mi)^[10] across the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, almost to the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. The Tapti River (original name Tapi River) is a river in central India. The average elevation is around 1,000 m (3,281 ft). ^[10] The Anai Mudi in the Anaimalai Hills at 2,695 m (8,842 ft)in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats. Anamudi (Anamudi in Malayalam meaning The Elephant Peak and Anai mudi in Tamil, meaning elephant's brow) is the highest peak in the Western Ghats in The Anaimalai Hills (ஆனைமலை or Anamala Hills (in Malayalam is a range of mountains in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala

The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains, which have been eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri. The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India 's eastern coast This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी The Mahanadi rises in the highlands ofChhattisgarh It flows through Orissa to reachthe Bay of Bengal This article is about an Indian river For other meanings of this river names see Krishna (disambiguation and Krishnaveni. The Kaveri River ( Kannada: ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ Tamil: காவிரி ஆறு also spelled Cauvery in English These mountain ranges extend from West Bengal in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south. They run parallel to the Bay of Bengal. The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Though not as tall as the Western Ghats, though some of its peaks are over 1,000 m (3,281 ft) in height. ^[10] The Eastern Ghats meet with the Western Ghats meet at the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu.

Indo-Gangetic plain

Main article: Indo-Gangetic plain

Extent of the Indo-Gangetic plain across South Asia. The Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains and the North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India,

The Indo-Gangetic plains are large floodplains of the Indus and the Ganga-Brahmaputra river systems. ||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A floodplain, or flood plain, is flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a Stream or River that experiences occasional or periodic The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent The Brahmaputra, also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra is a Trans-boundary river and one of the major Rivers of Asia. They run parallel to the Himalaya mountains, from Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Assam in the east, draining the states of Punjab, Haryana, parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. Haryana (हरियाणा Punjabi: ਹਰਿਆਣਾ hərɪjaːɳaː is a state in northern India. Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India. West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. The plains encompass an area of 700,000 km² (270,000 mile²) and vary in width through their length by several hundred kilometres. Major rivers that form a part of this system are the Ganga (Ganges) and Indus River along with their tributaries; Beas, Yamuna, Gomti, Ravi, Chambal, Sutlej and Chenab. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd For the goddess of the river who is sometimes called Yamuna see Yami The Yamuna (Sanskrit यमुना The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River (गोमती Gomtī) is a Tributary of the Ganges River. The Ravi River (रवि ਰਾਵੀ راوی is a River in Pakistan and India. The Chambal River (Hindi-चम्बल is a Tributary of the Yamuna River in central India. The Sutlej River (alternatively spelled as Satluj River (ਸਤਲੁਜ शतद्रु or सुतुद्री, ستلج and सतलुज is the longest HeadMarala3jpg|200px|right|thumb|A View of Marala Headworks on Chenab near Sialkot]] The Chenab River (ਚਨਾਬ, चनाब چناب literally 'Moon(
The great plains are sometimes classified into four divisions:

• The Bhabar belt- This is adjacent to the foothills of the Himalayas and consists of boulders and pebbles which have been carried down by the river streams. Bhabhar is the region south of the Lower Himalayas where the alluvial grade merges into the Indo- Gangetic Plain As the porosity of this belt is very high, the streams flow underground. The bhabar is generally narrow about 7-15 km wide.
• The Terai belt- This belt lies next to the bhabar region and is composed of newer alluvium. The Terai ("moist land" is a belt of marshy Grasslands Savannas and Forests at the base of the Himalaya range in India The underground streams re-appear in this region. The region is excessively moist and thickly forested. It also receives heavy rainfall throughout the year and is populated with a variety of wildlife.
• The Bangar belt- It consists of older alluvium and forms the alluvial terrace of the flood plains. In the Gangetic plains, it has a low upland covered by laterite deposits.
• The Khadar belt- It lies in lowland areas after the Bangar belt. It is made up of fresh newer alluvium which is deposited by the rivers flowing down the plain.

The Indo-Gangetic belt is the world's most extensive expanse of uninterrupted alluvium formed by the deposition of silt by the numerous rivers. Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, "to wash against" is Soil or Sediments deposited by a river or other running Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay The plains are flat and mostly treeless, making it conducive for irrigation through canals. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways The area is also rich in ground water sources. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations

The plains are one of the world's most intensely farmed areas. Intensive farming or intensive agriculture is an Agricultural production system characterized by the high Inputs of Capital, Fertilizers Crops grown on the Indo-Gangetic Plain are primarily rice and wheat, grown in rotation. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Other crops include maize, sugarcane and cotton. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp Also known as the Great Plains, the Indo-Gangetic plains rank among the world's most densely populated areas.

The Desert

Main article: Thar Desert

The Thar Desert (also known as the Great Indian Desert) is a hot desert that forms a significant portion of western India. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. Spread over four states in India—Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat it covers an area of 208,110 km² (80,350 mile²). India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. Haryana (हरियाणा Punjabi: ਹਰਿਆਣਾ hərɪjaːɳaː is a state in northern India. Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. The desert continues into Pakistan as the Cholistan Desert. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Cholistan Desert (صحرائے چولستان also locally known as Rohi) sprawls thirty kilometers from Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan and covers Most of the Thar Desert is situated in Rajasthan, covering 61% of its geographic area. Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area Most of the desert is rocky, with a small part of the extreme west of the desert being sandy.

The origin of the Thar Desert is uncertain. Some geologists consider it to be 4,000 to 10,000 years old, whereas others state that aridity began in this region much earlier. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering The area is characterised by extreme temperatures of above 45 °C (113 °F) in summer to below freezing in winters. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 Freezing Point (Chinese 冰點 Bīngdiǎn is a news journal in the People's Republic of China which has been the subject of controversy over its criticism Rainfall is precarious and erratic, ranging from below 120 mm (4. 72 inches) in the extreme west to 375 mm (14. 75 inches) eastward. The lack of rainfall is mainly due to the unique position of the desert with respect to the Aravalli range. The desert lies in the rain shadow area of the Bay of Bengal arm of the southwest monsoon. The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. The parallel nature of the range to the Arabian Sea arm also means that the desert does not receive much rainfall.

The soils of the arid region are generally sandy to sandy-loam in texture. The consistency and depth vary according to the topographical features. The low-lying loams are heavier and may have a hard pan of clay, calcium carbonate or gypsum. Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 Gypsum is a very soft Mineral composed of Calcium sulfate dihydrate with the Chemical formula Ca[[sulfur S]] O 4·2 Due to the low population density, the effect of the population on the environment is relatively less compared to the rest of India.

Highlands

The Central Highlands are composed of three main plateaus—the Malwa Plateau in the west, the Deccan Plateau in the south, (covering most of the Indian peninsula), and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand towards the east. In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting The Chota Nagpur Plateau (also Chhota Nagpur) is a plateau in eastern India which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Orissa, Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India.

The Deccan Plateau is a large triangular plateau, bounded by the Vindhyas to the north and flanked by the Eastern and Western Ghats. The Deccan covers a total area of 1. 9 million km² (735,000 mile²). It is mostly flat, with elevations ranging from 300 to 600 m (1,000 to 2,000 ft). ^[11]

The name Deccan comes from the Sanskrit word dakshina, which means "the south". Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical The plateau slopes gently from west to east and gives rise to several peninsular rivers such as the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri and the Narmada. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism The Kaveri River ( Kannada: ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ Tamil: காவிரி ஆறு also spelled Cauvery in English The Narmada नर्मदा Gujarati નર્મદા or Nerbudda (Narbada is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent This region is mostly semi-arid as it lies on the leeward side of both Ghats. Much of the Deccan is covered by thorn scrub forest scattered with small regions of deciduous broadleaf forest. Botany Autumn leaf color. See --> In Botany and Horticulture, deciduous Plants, including Climate ranges from hot summers to mild winters.

The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Orissa, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand ( Hindi: झारखंड Bengali: ঝাড়খণ্ডdʒʰaːɽkʰəɳɖ is a state in eastern India. Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. Chhattisgarh ( Chhattisgarhi / Hindi: छत्तीसगढ़ tʃʰət̪t̪iːsgəɽʰ, a state in central India, formed when the sixteen The total area of Chota Nagpur Plateau is approximately 65,000 km² (25,000 mile²). The Chota Nagpur Plateau is made up of three smaller plateaus, the Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Kodarma plateaus. The Ranchi plateau is the largest of the plateaus, with an average elevation of 700 m (2,300 ft). Much of the plateau is forested, covered by the Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests. The Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forest is a tropical dry broadleaf forest Ecoregion in eastern India. The plateau is famous for its vast reserves of ores and coal.

Besides the Great Indian peninsula, the Kathiawar Peninsula in Gujarat is another large peninsula of India. Kathiawar or Kathiawad ( Gujarati: કાઠીયાવાડ; kaʈʰijaʋaɽ is a Peninsula in western India.

East coast

The Eastern Coastal Plain is a wide stretch of land lying between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It stretches from Tamil Nadu in the south to West Bengal in the north. Deltas of many of India's rivers form a major portion of these plains. A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river The Mahanadi, Godavari, Kaveri and Krishna rivers drain these plains. The Mahanadi rises in the highlands ofChhattisgarh It flows through Orissa to reachthe Bay of Bengal This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी The Kaveri River ( Kannada: ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ Tamil: காவிரி ஆறு also spelled Cauvery in English Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism The region receives both the Northeast and Southwest monsoon rains with its annual rainfall averaging between 1,000 mm (40 in) and 3,000 mm (120 in). The width of the plains varies between 100 to 130 km (62 to 80 miles). ^[12]

The plains are divided into six regions: The Mahanadi delta; the southern Andhra Pradesh plain; the Krishna Godavari deltas; the Kanyakumari coast; Coromandel Coast and sandy coastal. The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula

West coast

The Western Coastal Plain is a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. The strip begins in Gujarat in the north and extends across the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. Goa ( Konkani: गोंय /ɡɔ̃j/ is India 's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India Kerala ( Malayalam: {{Kerala in Malayalam}}; The plains are narrow, and range from 50 to 100 km (30 to 60 miles) in width.

Small rivers and numerous backwaters inundate the region. The rivers, which originate in the Western Ghats, are fast flowing and are mostly perennial. The fast flowing nature of the rivers results in the formation of estuaries rather than deltas. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open Major rivers flowing into the sea are the Tapi, Narmada, Mandovi and Zuari. The Mandovi River is described as the lifeline of the state of Goa, India. The Zuari River is the largest river in the state of Goa, India.

The coast is divided into three regions. The northern region of Maharashtra and Goa is known as the Konkan Coast, the central region of Karnataka is known as the Kanara Coast and the southern coastline of Kerala is known as the Malabar Coast. The Konkan (Marathi कोकण also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad The Kanara or Canara region (called Karavali) that comprises three coastal districts of Karnataka, a southern state of India. The Malabar Coast also known as the Malabarian Coast, is a long and narrow south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Vegetation in this region is mostly deciduous. The Malabar Coast has its own unique ecoregion known as the Malabar Coast moist forests. The Malabar Coast moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest Ecoregion of southwestern India.

Islands

India has two major offshore island possessions: the Lakshadweep islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Lakshadweep ( (ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്,) the smallest Union territory of India, is a group of islands 200 to 300 km off of the coast of The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a Union territory of India. Informally the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI Both these island groups are administered by the Union government of India as Union Territories. A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India.

The Lakshadweep islands lie 200 to 300 km (124 to 186 miles) off the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea. It consists of twelve coral atolls, three coral reefs, and five banks. Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many An atoll (pronounced /ˈætʌl/ is an island of Coral that encircles a Lagoon partially or completely Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water Ten of these islands are inhabited.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are located between 6^o and 14^o North latitude and 92^o and 94^o East longitude. ^[13] The Andaman and Nicobar islands consist of 572 isles which lie in the Bay of Bengal, near the Myanmar coast. It is located 1255 km (780 miles) from Kolkata (Calcutta) and 193 km (120 miles) from Cape Negrais in Myanmar. Cape Negrais is a cape in Burma (Myanmar 193  Kilometres from the Indian Union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands ^[13] The territory consists of two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands. The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India The Andaman islands consist of 204 islands having a total length of 352 km (220 miles). The Nicobar Islands, which lie south of the Andamans, consist of twenty-two islands with a total area of 1,841 km² (710 mile²). The highest point is Mount Thullier at 642 m (2,140 ft). Mount Thullier is the highest point in the Nicobar Islands, located in the Indian Ocean and bordering on the Andaman Sea. Indira Point, India's southernmost land point is situated in the Nicobar islands, and lies just 189 km (117 miles) from the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southeast. Indira Point (formerly known as Pygmalion Point and for a brief period of time as India Point) is situated on the island of Great Nicobar in the Nicobar Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two

Significant islands just off the Indian coast include Diu, a former Portuguese enclave; Majuli, Asia's largest freshwater island; Salcette Island, India's most populous island, on which Mumbai (Bombay) city is located; Elephanta in Bombay Harbour; and Sriharikota barrier island in Andhra Pradesh. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Diu is a city in Diu district in the union territory of Daman and Diu, India. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. History Originally the island was a narrow and long piece of land called Majoli (land in the middle of two parallel rivers that had Brahmaputra flowing in the north and the Burhidihing Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Salsette (साष्टी ( Portuguese: Salsete Marathi: Sashti (साष्टी is an island in Maharashtra state on India 's west Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Mumbai Harbour (aka Front Bay) is the southern portion of the Ulhas River Estuary, the northern (and narrower part of which is called Thane Creek Sriharikota (Telugu శ్రీహరికోట also Sriharikote) is a Barrier island off the coast of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh A shoal or sandbar (also called sandbank) is a somewhat Linear Landform within or extending into a body of Water,

Rivers

Main article: Rivers of India

All major rivers of India originate from one of the three main watersheds. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (outside North America) watershed is the line separating neighbouring Drainage basins They are:^[10]

1. The Himalaya and the Karakoram ranges
2. Vindhya and Satpura range in central India
3. Sahyadri or Western Ghats in western India

The Himalayan river networks are snow-fed and have a continuous flow throughout the year. The other two networks are dependent on the monsoons and shrink into rivulets during the dry season.

Twelve of India's rivers are classified as major, with the total catchment area exceeding 2,528,000 km² (976,000 mile²). ^[10]

Himalayan rivers or the northern rivers that flow westward into Pakistan are the Indus, Beas, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Jhelum. The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd HeadMarala3jpg|200px|right|thumb|A View of Marala Headworks on Chenab near Sialkot]] The Chenab River (ਚਨਾਬ, चनाब چناب literally 'Moon( The Ravi River (रवि ਰਾਵੀ راوی is a River in Pakistan and India. The Sutlej River (alternatively spelled as Satluj River (ਸਤਲੁਜ शतद्रु or सुतुद्री, ستلج and सतलुज is the longest "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. ^[14]

The Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghana system has the largest catchment area of 1,100,000 km² (424,700 mile²). The Ganga basin is a part of the composite Ganga - Brahmaputra - Meghna basin which drains an area of 1086000 square kilometres ^[10] The river Ganga originates at the Gangotri Glacier in Uttarakhand. Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. Uttarakhand ( Hindi: उत्तराखण्ड or उत्तराखंड Uttar + Akhand i ^[14] It flows in a south easterly direction, draining into Bangladesh. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially ^[10] The Yamuna and Gomti rivers also arise in the Western Himalayas and join the Ganga river in the plains. For the goddess of the river who is sometimes called Yamuna see Yami The Yamuna (Sanskrit यमुना The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River (गोमती Gomtī) is a Tributary of the Ganges River. ^[10] The Brahmaputra, another tributary of the Ganga originates in Tibet and enters India in the far eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European Arunachal Pradesh (अरुणाचल प्रदेश   Aruṇācal Pradeś is the easternmost state of India It then proceeds westwards, unifying with the Ganga in Bangladesh. ^[10]

The Chambal, another tributary of the Ganga originates from the Vindhya-Satpura watershed. The Chambal River (Hindi-चम्बल is a Tributary of the Yamuna River in central India. The river flows eastward. Westward flowing rivers from this watershed are the Narmada (also called Nerbudda) and Tapti (also spelled Tapi) rivers which drain into the Arabian Sea in Gujarat. The Narmada नर्मदा Gujarati નર્મદા or Nerbudda (Narbada is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent The Tapti River (original name Tapi River) is a river in central India. The river network that flows from east to west constitutes 10% of the total outflow.

The Western Ghats are the source of all Deccan rivers. Major rivers in the Deccan include the Mahanadi River through the Mahanadi River Delta, Godavari River, Krishna River, and Kaveri River (also spelled Cauvery), all draining into the Bay of Bengal. The Mahanadi rises in the highlands ofChhattisgarh It flows through Orissa to reachthe Bay of Bengal Mahanadi River Delta in India is a basin of deposit that drains a large land mass of the Indian subcontinent into the Bay of Bengal. This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses see Godavari (disambiguation The Godavari ( Marathi language:गोदावरी This article is about an Indian river For other meanings of this river names see Krishna (disambiguation and Krishnaveni. The Kaveri River ( Kannada: ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ Tamil: காவிரி ஆறு also spelled Cauvery in English The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. These rivers constitute 20% of India's total outflow. ^[14]

Bodies of water

Major gulfs include the Gulf of Cambay, Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Mannar. The Gulf of Khambhat ( formerly known as the Gulf of Cambay) is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of The Gulf of Kutch is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay that is an arm of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. Straits include the Palk Strait which separates India from Sri Lanka and the Ten Degree Channel, separating the Andamans from the Nicobar Islands and the Eight Degree Channel separating the Laccadive and Amindivi Islands from Minicoy Island towards the south. The Palk Strait is a Strait that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Island nation of Sri Lanka. The Ten Degree Channel is a channel ( Strait) that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Important capes include the Cape Comorin, the southern tip of mainland India, Indira Point, the southernmost location of India, Rama's Bridge and Point Calimere. For other uses of Kanyakumari, please see Kanyakumari (disambiguation. Indira Point (formerly known as Pygmalion Point and for a brief period of time as India Point) is situated on the island of Great Nicobar in the Nicobar Adam's Bridge ( Tamil: ta ஆதாம் பாலம்) also known as Rama's Bridge or Ram Setu ( Tamil: ta இராமர் Point Calimere ( Kalli-medu Tamil also called Cape Calimere and Kodikkarai, is a low headland on the Coromandel Coast, in the Arabian Sea is to the west of India. Bay of Bengal is to the eastern side of India while India Ocean is to the South of India.

Smaller seas include the Laccadive Sea and the Andaman Sea. The Laccadive Sea lies off the southwest coast of India, north of a line extending from the southern point of Sri Lanka to the southernmost of the Maldive Islands The Andaman Sea (မုတ္တမ moʊʔtəma̰ is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar, west of Thailand and east There are four coral reefs in India and are located in; the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep and Gulf of Kutch. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay that is an arm of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. The Gulf of Kutch is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. ^[15]

Important lakes include Chilka Lake, the country's largest salt-water lake in Orissa; Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh; Loktak Lake in Manipur, Dal Lake in Kashmir, Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan, and the Sasthamkotta Lake in Kerala. Chilka Lake (also Chilika Lake) is a Brackish water coastal lake in India 's Orissa state south of the mouth of the Mantei River. Kolleru Lake is the largest freshwater Lake. It is located in Andhra Pradesh state India Loktak Lake is the largest Freshwater Lake in northeastern India. Manipur (mnipur in Meitei Mayek) is a state in northeastern India, making its capital in the city of The Dal Lake is a famous lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of the northern most indian administered state of Jammu & Kashmir. Sambhar Salt Lake, India 's largest Salt Lake, sits 96 km south west of the city of Jaipur (Northwest India and 64 km north east of Ajmer Sasthamkotta Lake, is a large Freshwater Lake in Kerala state of southern India.

Wetlands

Wetlands are lands transitional between aquatic and territorial system where water table is usually near the water surface and land is covered by shallow water. ^[16] They also act as a buffer against the devastating effect of hurricanes and cyclones, thereby stabilizing the shore-line. It also helps in keeping a check on sea and soil erosion. India's wetland ecosystem is widely distributed from the cold and arid; from ones in the Ladakh region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir to the ones in the wet and humid climate of peninsula India. Ladakh ( Ladakhi lad̪ɑks लदाख لدّاخ "land of high passes" is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. Most of the wetlands are directly or indirectly linked to India's river networks. In 1987, National Wetland Conservation Programme was initiated by the government for wetland conservation. Under this programme, the Indian government has identified a total of 71 wetlands for conservation. ^[16]

Mangrove forests occur all along the Indian coastline, in sheltered estuaries, creeks, backwaters, salt marshes and mud flats. The mangrove area covers a total of 4,461 km² (1,722 mile²)^[17] which comprises 7% of the world's total mangrove cover. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands; the Sundarbans; Gulf of Kutch; deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna; and parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala have large mangrove covers. The Sundarbans (সুন্দরবন Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidal halophytic Mangrove forest in the world The Gulf of Kutch is an inlet of the Arabian Sea along the west coast of India, in the state of Gujarat. ^[15] Most of the identified wetlands adjoin or are parts of sanctuaries, national parks and are thus protected.

The Sundarbans

Main article: Sundarbans

The Sundarbans delta is the largest mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans (সুন্দরবন Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidal halophytic Mangrove forest in the world A delta is a Landform where the mouth of a River flows into an Ocean, Sea, Estuary, Lake or another river Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. It lies at the mouth of the Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially West Bengal ( Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchim Bônggo poʃtʃim bɔŋgo is a state in eastern India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Bangladeshi and Indian portions of the jungle are listed in the UNESCO world heritage list separately as the Sundarbans and Sundarbans National Park respectively, though they are parts of the same forest. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Sundarbans National Park ( Bengali: সুন্দরবন জাতীয় উদ্যান Shundorbôn Jatio Uddan) is a National Park, The Sundarbans are intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood Mudflats (also tidal flats, tide flats, etc are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of

The area is known for its wide range of fauna. The most famous among these is the Bengal Tiger, but numerous species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes also inhabit it. The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger ( Panthera tigris tigris or Panthera tigris bengalensis) is a Subspecies of Tiger primarily Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. It is estimated that there are now 400 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area.

Rann of Kutch

Main article: Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is a marshy region located in the Gujarat state of India, which borders the Sindh region of Pakistan. The Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy region located in the Thar Desert biogeographic province in Gujarat state of northwestern India In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject Sindh ( Sindhī: سنڌ Urdu: سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. The name Rann comes from the Hindi word ran meaning "salt marsh. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is " It occupies a total area of 27,900 km² (10,800 mile²). ^[18]

The region was originally a part of the Arabian Sea. Geologic forces, most likely by earthquakes, resulted in the damming up of the region, turning it into a large salt-water lagoon. A lagoon is a body of comparatively shallow salt or Brackish water separated from the deeper Sea by a shallow or exposed sandbank, coral This area gradually filled with silt thus turning it into a seasonal salt marsh. During the monsoons, the area turns into a shallow marsh, often flooding to knee-depth height. After the monsoons, the region turns dry and becomes parched.

Soil

Soils in India can be classified into 8 categories namely, alluvial soil, black soil, red soil, laterite soil, forest soil, arid & desert soil, saline & alkaline soil, and finally peaty & organic soil. ^[19][20] Of the above eight varieties, the first 4 constitute nearly 80% of total land surface. Alluvial soil constitute the largest soil group in India. ^[20] It is derived from deposition of silt carried by numerous rivers. ^[20] Alluvial soils are generally fertile but they lack nitrogen and tend to be phosphoric. ^[20] These are found in the Great Northern plains from Punjab to Assam valley.

Black soil are well developed in the Deccan lava region of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. ^[21] These contain high percentage of clay and are thus moisture retentive. ^[20] Because of these properties they are preferred for dry farming and growing cotton, linseed etc.

Red soil have a wide diffusion of iron content and are found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka plateau, and Andhra plateau. ^[21] The central highlands from Aravallis to Chota Nagpur plateau also have significant tracts of red soil. These are deficient in nitrogen, phosphorus and humus. ^[20][21]

Laterite soils are formed in tropical regions with heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall results in leaching out all soluble material of top layer of soil. These are generally found in Western ghats, Eastern ghats and hilly areas of North-Eastern states which receive very heavy rainfall.

Forest soils occur on the slopes of mountains and hills in Himalayas, Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. These generally consist of large amounts of dead leaves and other organic matter called humus. These soils are used for tea and coffee plantations.

Climate

Main article: Climate of India

See also: Climatic Regions of India

The climate of India is comprised of a wide range of weather conditions across a vast geographic scale and varied topography, making generalisations difficult. The climate of India defies easy generalisation comprising a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale and varied topography Tropical rainy climatic group The regions belonging to this group experience persistent high temperatures which normally do not go below 18°C even in the coolest month Based on the Köppen system, India hosts six major climatic subtypes, ranging from arid desert in the west, alpine tundra and glaciers in the north, and humid tropical regions supporting rainforests in the southwest and the island territories. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Many regions have starkly different microclimates. A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the Climate differs from the surrounding area The nation has four seasons: winter (January–February), summer (March–May), a monsoon (rainy) season (June–September), and a post-monsoon period (October–December). Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Summer is one of the four Temperate Seasons Summer marks the warmest time of year with the longest days A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months ^[14]

India's unique geography and geology strongly influence its climate; this is particularly true of the Himalayas in the north and the Thar Desert in the northwest. The geological history of India started with the geological evolution of rest of the Earth i The Thar Desert ( Hindi: थार मरुस्थल also known as the Great Indian Desert, is The Himalayas act as a barrier to the frigid katabatic winds flowing down from Central Asia. A katabatic wind, from the Greek word katabatikos meaning "going downhill" is the technical name for a drainage Wind, a wind Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Thus, North India is kept warm or only mildly cooled during winter; in summer, the same phenomenon makes India relatively hot. Geography Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula Although the Tropic of Cancer—the boundary between the tropics and subtropics—passes through the middle of India, the whole country is considered to be tropical. For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Cancer (novel. The Tropic of Cancer, or Northern tropic, is one of five

Summer lasts between March and June in most parts of India. Temperatures exceed 40 °C (104 °F) during the day. The coastal regions exceed 30 °C (86 °F) coupled with high levels of humidity. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. In the Thar desert area temperatures can exceed 45 °C (113 °F).

Summer is followed by the southwest monsoon rains that provide most of India with its rainfall. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months The rain-bearing clouds are attracted to the low-pressure system created by the Thar Desert. The official date for the arrival of the monsoon is 1 June, when the monsoon crosses the Kerala coast. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected The southwest monsoon splits into two arms, the Bay of Bengal arm and the Arabian Sea arm. The Bay of Bengal arm moves northwards crossing northeast India in early June. It then progresses eastwards, crossing Delhi by June 29. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. The Arabian Sea arm moves north-wards and deposits much of its rain on the windward side of Western Ghats. By early July, most of India receives rain from the monsoons.

The monsoons start retreating by August from northern India and by October from Kerala. This short period after the retreat is known as the retreat of the monsoons and is characterised by still weather. By November, winter starts setting in the northern areas.

Winters start in November in northern India and late December in southern India. Winters in peninsula India see mild to warm days and cool nights. Further north the temperature is cooler. Temperatures in some parts of the Indian plains sometimes fall below freezing. Most of northern India is plagued by fog during this season. Fog is a cloud that is in contact with the ground Stratus clouds are usually the only clouds that touch the ground

The highest temperature recorded in India was 50. 6 °C (123. 08 °F) in Alwar in 1955. History "Alwar" was formerly known as "Ulwar" The lowest was −45 °C (−49 °F) in Kashmir. Recent claims of temperatures touching 55 °C (131 °F) in Orissa have been met with some scepticism by the Indian Meteorological Department, largely on the method of recording of such data. The India Meteorological Department (IMD also referred to as the Met Office is a Government of India organisation that is responsible for meteorological observations weather

Geology

Main article: Geology of India

India has a varied geology spanning the entire spectrum of the geological time period. The geological history of India started with the geological evolution of rest of the Earth i India's geological features are classified based on their era of formation. ^[22]

The Precambrian formations of Cudappah and Vindhyan systems are spread out over the eastern and southern states. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current A small part of this period is spread over western and central India. ^[22]

The Paleozoic formations from the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian system are found in the Western Himalaya region in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The Paleozoic or Palaeozoic Era (from the Greek palaio (παλαιο "old" and zoe (ζωη "life" meaning "ancient life" ^[22]

The Mesozoic Deccan Traps formation is seen over most of the northern Deccan. The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. The Deccan Traps are a Large igneous province located on the Deccan Plateau of west-central India (between 17-24N 73-74E and one of the largest Volcanic Geologists believe that the Deccan Traps were the result of sub-aerial volcanic activity. ^[22] The Trap soil is black in colour and conducive to agriculture. The Carboniferous system, Permian System, Triassic and Jurassic systems are seen in the western Himalayas. The Jurassic system is also seen in Rajasthan.

Tertiary imprints are seen in parts of Manipur, Nagaland, parts of Arunachal Pradesh and along the Himalayan belt. The chuprichondira geological time interval covers roughly the time span between the demise of the non- avian Dinosaurs and beginning of the most recent Ice Age, approximately The Cretaceous system is seen in central India in the Vindhyas and part of the Indo-Gangetic plains. ^[22]

The Gondowana system is also seen in the Narmada River area in the Vindhyas and Satpuras. The Eocene system is seen in the western Himalayas and Assam. Oligocene formations are seen in Kutch and in Assam. ^[22]

The Pleistocene system is found over central India. The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period It is rich in minerals such as lignite, iron ore, manganese, and aluminium. Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad, is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere Iron ores are rocks and Minerals from which Metallic Iron can be economically extracted Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. WikipediaNaming The Andaman and Nicobar Island groups are thought to have been formed in this era by volcanoes. ^[22]

The Himalayas are a result of the convergence and deformation of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian Plates. Their continued convergence raises the height of the Himalayas by 1 cm each year.

Natural resources

India is particularly rich in a variety of natural resources. Along with 56% arable land, it has significant sources of coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word la micare, "glitteren" in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral (especially Bauxite is the most important Aluminium Ore. It consists largely of the minerals Gibbsite Al(OH3 Boehmite γ-AlO(OH and Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22 Chromite is iron magnesium chromium oxide (Fe MgCr2O4 It is an Oxide Mineral belonging to the Spinel group Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 ^[23] India is self-sufficient in thorium, mined along shores of Kerala, possessing 24% of the world's known and economically available thorium. Thorium (ˈθɔːriəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Th and Atomic number 90 ^[24]

Petroleum is found off the coast of Maharashtra, Gujarat and in Assam, but meets only 40% of India's demand. Increasing amounts of natural gas are being discovered regularly especially off the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Uranium is mined in Andhra Pradesh and gold in the Kolar gold mine in Karnataka. Uranium (jʊˈreɪniəm is a silvery-gray Metallic Chemical element in the Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Kolar Gold Fields (KGF was one of the major gold mines in India and is located in the Kolar district in Karnataka, close to the city of

Natural disasters

Main article: Natural disasters in India

See also: Drought in India

Natural disasters cause massive losses of Indian life and property. Droughts, flash floods, cyclones, avalanches, landslides brought on by torrential rains, and snowstorms pose the greatest threats. Other dangers include frequent summer dust storms, which usually track from north to south; they cause extensive property damage in North India^[25] and deposit large amounts of dust from arid regions. Hail is also common in parts of India, causing severe damage to standing crops such as rice and wheat.

In the Lower Himalaya, landslides are common. The young age of the region's hills result in labile rock formations, which are susceptible to slippages. Lability refers to something that is constantly undergoing change or something that is likely to undergo change Parts of the Western Ghats also suffer from low-intensity landslides. Avalanches occur in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim. Floods are the most common natural disaster in India. The heavy southwest monsoon rains cause the Brahmaputra and other rivers to distend their banks, often flooding surrounding areas. The Brahmaputra, also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra is a Trans-boundary river and one of the major Rivers of Asia. Though they provide rice paddy farmers with a largely dependable source of natural irrigation and fertilisation, the floods can kill thousands and displace millions. Excess, erratic, or untimely monsoon rainfall may also wash away or otherwise ruin crops. ^[26][27] Almost all of India is flood-prone, and extreme precipitation events, such as flash floods and torrential rains, have become increasingly common in central India over the past several decades, coinciding with rising temperatures. Mean annual precipitation totals have remained steady due to the declining frequency of weather systems that generate moderate amounts of rain. ^[28]

Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on the monsoon as a source of water. In some parts of India, the failure of the monsoons result in water shortages, resulting in below-average crop yields. This is particularly true of major drought-prone regions such as southern and eastern Maharashtra, northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. In the past, droughts have periodically led to major Indian famines, including the Bengal famine of 1770, in which up to one third of the population in affected areas died; the 1876–1877 famine, in which over five million people died; the 1899 famine, in which over 4. Owing to its almost entire dependence upon the Monsoon rains India is more liable The Bengal famine of 1770 (Bengali ৭৬-এর মন্বন্তর Chhiattōrer monnōntór; lit The Famine of '76) was a catastrophic Famine between 5 million died; and the Bengal famine of 1943, in which over five million died from starvation and famine-related illnesses. The Bengal famine of 1943 is one amongst the several Famines that occurred in British administered Bengal. ^[29][30]

According to earthquake hazard zoning of India, tectonic plates beneath the earth's surface are responsible for yearly earthquakes along the Himalayan belt and in northeast India. The Indian subcontinent had a long history of devastating Earthquakes The major reason for the high frequency and intensity of the earthquakes is that India continues to drive into Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere This region is classified as a Zone V, indicating that it is a very high-risk area. Parts of western India, around the Kutch region in Gujarat and Koyna in Maharashtra, are classified as a Zone IV region (high risk). Kachchh (also spelled as Kutch) is a District of Gujarat state in western India. Other areas have a moderate to low risk chance of an earthquake occurring. ^[15]

Tropical cyclones, which are severe storms spun off from the Intertropical Convergence Zone, may affect thousands of Indians living in coastal regions. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ, also known as the Intertropical Front, Monsoon trough, Doldrums or the Equatorial Cyclones bring with them heavy rains, storm surges, and winds that often cut affected areas off from relief and supplies. Storm surge or tidal surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system typically a Tropical cyclone. In the North Indian Ocean Basin, the cyclone season runs from April to December, with peak activity between May and November. ^[31] Each year, an average of eight storms with sustained wind speeds greater than 63 kilometres per hour (39 mph) form; of these, two strengthen into true tropical cyclones, which have sustained gusts greater than 117 km/h (73 mph). (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. On average, a major (Category 3 or higher) cyclone develops every other year. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for most Western Hemisphere Tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of Tropical depressions ^[31][32] In terms of damage and loss of life, Cyclone 05B, a supercyclone that struck Orissa on 29 October 1999, was the worst in more than a quarter-century. The 1999 Orissa cyclone, also known as Cyclone 05B and Paradip cyclone, was the deadliest Indian Ocean Tropical cyclone since the 1991 Bangladesh Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)

A tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and India's east coast resulting in the deaths of an estimated 10,000. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of Until then India was thought to have negligible activity related to tsunamis, though there is historical anecdotal evidence of its occurrence in the past.

India has one active volcano: the Barren Island volcano which last erupted in May 2005. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the For other areas bearing the same name see the disambiguation page Barren Island There is also a dormant volcano called the Narcondum and a mud volcano at Baratang. Narcondam or Narcondum is a small volcanic island located in the Andaman Sea. Note See the Volcano article for information on Magmatic volcanoes such as Mount St Baratang (coordinates) is an island in the Andaman Islands, India, with an area of approximately 238 km². All these volcanoes lie in the Andaman Islands. The Andaman Islands are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India.

International agreements

India is a party to several International agreements related to environment and climate, the most prominent among them are:

Treaties and Agreements
Specific Regions and Seas	The Antarctic Treaty, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Whaling
Atmosphere and Climate	Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Nuclear Test Ban
Biodiversity, Environment and Forests	Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Tropical Timber 83 and Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
Wastes	Hazardous Wastes
Rivers	Indus Waters Treaty

See also

• Extreme points of India
• Geology of India
• Climate of India
• Ecoregions of India
• National parks of India
• Regions of India
• Indian subcontinent
• European Digital Archive on Soil Maps of the World

Notes

References

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic