You've probably heard that India has a very diverse range of physical characteristics. Have you ever wondered why anything is described in this way? Well, India comprises all the major physical features of the planet, Earth. For instance, mountains, plateaus, plains, deserts, and islands. Didn’t you find it interesting? If you are curious to learn more about the Physical Features of India, then take out your Class 9 NCERT books Contemporary India I and start reading chapter 2. In this chapter, you will learn about the type of terrain you live in, and understand the differences between the mountains, plains, plateau, desert regions, and much more.
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Check our Class 9 Chapter 2 NCERT Solutions Physical Features of India. These solutions will help you to score good marks in your examination.
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 SST Geography, Chapter 2: Physical Features of India
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 offered by Safalta provides the best guidance to the students. NCERT book Geography Class 9 Chapter 2 comprises numerous questions which might confuse the students while solving the question. Here get the detailed solution for Class 9 NCERT Solutions to ace your exam preparation. We also provide FREE MOCK PAPERS, which can help you test your own yourself. These papers can help you prepare for your exams in a better way.
1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as
(a) Coast (c) Peninsula
(b) Island (d) none of the above
Answer; c) Peninsula is a landmass that bounds the sea on three sides.
(ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with Myanmar are collectively called as
(a) Himachal (c) Purvachal
(b) Uttarakhand (d) none of the above
Answer; c) Purvachal
(iii) The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as
(a) Coromandel (c) Kannad
(b) Konkan (d) Northern Circar
Answer; (c) Kannad
(iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
(a) Anai Mudi (c) Mahendragiri
(b) Kanchenjunga (d) Khasi
Answer; (c) Mahendragiri
2 Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) What are tectonic plates?
Answer: According to Plate Tectonic Theory, the earth's crust is made up of seven major plates and a few minor ones. We refer to these as tectonic plates. A tectonic plate, also known as a lithospheric plate, is a large slab of solid rock with an uneven form that is often made up of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. The Pacific and Antarctic Plates are among the biggest plates, although they may range in size from a few hundred to thousands of kilometers broad. Additionally, there is a wide range in plate thickness, from less than 15 km for young marine lithosphere to 200 km or more for old continental lithosphere.
(ii) Which continents of today were part of the Gondwana land?
Answer; The Peninsular region, the oldest landmass, was a part of Gondwana land. India, Australia, South Africa, South America, and Antarctica were all included in the Gondwana landmass as a unified geographical mass.
(iii) What is the bhabar?
Answer: The Northern plains can diverge into four regions. Pebbles are left behind by rivers as they flow down from the mountains in a thin band that is 8 to 16 km wide and runs parallel to the Shiwaliks' slopes. It is called bhabar. The bhabar belt is where all the streams end or disappear.
(iv) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
Answer: The following are the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south;
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The Great or Inner Himalayas or Himadri (The Northernmost range)
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Himachal or Lesser Himalaya (Middle Himalayas)
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Shiwaliks ( Outer Himalayas)
(v) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges?
Answer: The plateau between the Aravali and Vindhya ranges is known as the Malwa Plateau. The Malwa area, which stretches from modern-day western central Madhya Pradesh to south-eastern Rajasthan, was formerly a part of Ujjain, which has volcanic origins. The plateau has an average elevation of 500 meters and descends towards the north. The Chambal ravines are located in the north of this plateau, which is rolling. It is traversed by the Mahi, Chambal, and Betwa rivers, and the flora is large of the savanna variety. Because of its volcanic origins, the area has a lot of black soil.
(vi) Name the island group of India having coral origin
Answer: Lakshadweep is the island group of India formed from coral. They are a particular variety of coral reefs that are round or horseshoe-shaped and are referred to as atolls. Lakshadweep's coral reefs are situated in the southern Indian Ocean, off the coast of Kerala.
3. Distinguish between
(i) Converging and diverging tectonic plates
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Converging Tectonic Plates |
Diverging Tectonic Plates |
|
In converging, the tectonic plates come towards each other. |
In divergent, the tectonic plates move away from each other. |
|
The plates collide, crumble or slide below the other. |
It moves away from each other hence they don’t collide or crumble. |
|
It results in folding |
It produces cracks or fractures on the earth’s surface. |
|
Example Oceanic Nazca Plate subducts underneath the continental South American Plate at the Peru–Chile Trench. |
Example: The East African Rift in eastern Africa and the Red Sea Rift. |
(ii) Bhangar and Khadar
|
Bhangar |
Khadar |
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Bhangar is an old alluvial soil |
Khadar is a new alluvial soil |
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Mainly found at a distance from the river basin |
It is found close to the river basin |
|
Not suitable for agriculture as it is less fertile |
Suitable for agriculture as it is fertile |
(iii) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
|
Western Ghats |
Eastern Ghats |
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It lies parallel to the Malabar Coast of the Peninsular Plateau |
It lies parallel to the Coromandal Cost of the Peninsular Plateau |
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It is continuous and regular it can be only crossed through passes. |
It is irregular and discontinuous and is dissected by the river which drains into the Bay of Bengal |
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The average elevation is 900-1600 meters |
The average elevation is 600 meters |
|
Anai Mudi and Doda Betta are the highest peaks |
Mahendragiri is the highest peak |
4. Describe how the Himalayas were formed.
Answer:
(A) India's oldest landmass, the peninsular portion, was formerly a part of the continent known as Gondwana, which also encompassed Australia, South Africa, South America, and South Asia.
(b) Convectional currents caused the earth's crust to break up into a number of pieces, which caused the Indo-Australian plate to drift away from Gondwana land and toward the north.
(c) Due to the northward migration, this plate collided with the much larger Eurasian plate.
(d) As a result of this collision, the sedimentary strata that had collected along the Tethys geosyncline were bent to create the mountain ranges in west Asia and the Himalayas.
(e) With its lofty peaks, vast valleys, and swift rivers, the Himalayas have a young topography.
5. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.
Answer: The following are the major physiographic divisions of India:
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The Himalayan Mountains
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The Northern Plains
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The Peninsular Plateau
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The Indian Desert
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The Coastal Plains
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The Islands
Contrasting the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau are
Relief of the Himalayan Region:
The Himalayas are the tallest and youngest series of mountains in the world, made up of numerous parallel ranges. They developed as a result of sedimentary rock strata bending in the Tethys Sea's bed. The tallest mountains in the world are located in this area. Many of these mountains have peaks higher than 6000 meters and are always covered in snow, such as Mount Everest, Mount K2, and others. The Himalayas are a young mountain range with lofty peaks, narrow gorges, vast valleys, and waterfalls. Shimla, Darjeeling, and other well-known hill destinations are among them. The rivers that spring in the Himalayas are perennial. Additionally, it defines the Indo-Gangetic plains' edge.
Relief of Peninsular Plateau:
A high tableland built of ancient crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks makes up this area. The fragmentation of Gondwana land gave rise to the Peninsular Plateau. Because of extensive erosion that occurred over a long period of time, such as in the Aravalis and Nilgiris, the hills of the Peninsular Plateau are rounded. The Peninsular Plateau is a topography made up of shallow, wide valleys and rounded hills. The Peninsular Plateau does not have any well-known hill stations. It serves as a repository for minerals. The rivers that flow from the plateau are primarily seasonal.
6. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.
Answer: A sizable basin was created as a result of the Himalayan Mountains rising from the Tethys Sea and the Peninsular Plateau's northern flank subsiding. This depression was gradually filled with silt deposits from the rivers coming from the peninsular plateau in the south and the mountains in the north. The Northern Plains of India were thus formed. The nation's granaries are located in the northern plains. They serve as the foundation for ancient civilizations and it one of the most recent landforms.
There are three main divisions of the Northern Plains.
- The Western portion of the Northern Plains, formed by the Indus and its tributaries, is known as the Punjab Plains.
- The largest portion of the Northern Plains, the Ganga Plains stretch between the Ghaggar and Teesta Rivers.
- The Brahmaputra and its tributaries developed the Brahmaputra Plains, which are in the Eastern portion of the Northern Plains.
- The Northern Plains are separated into four sections based on variances in terrain characteristics.
- Bhabar is a thin band of pebbles that runs parallel to the Shiwalik Mountains' slopes.
- South of the bhabar belt is a wet, marshy area called Terai.
- Older alluvium-based terrace-like structure called Bhangar is located above the flood lowlands
- Khadar – Newer, younger flood plain deposits
7. Write short notes on the following.
(i) The Indian Desert
Indian deserts are sand dunes-covered, irregularly textured plains. It is located in the west of the Aravalli hills. Only 150 mm of rainfall occurs there annually, which is quite little. There is little vegetation and a dry or arid climate. The stream arises during rainy seasons, but it quickly vanishes into the sand since there isn't enough water to carry it to the sea. The only significant river in this area is the Luni.
(ii) The Central Highlands
The Central Highlands is the part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river that covers a significant portion of the Malwa plateau. The Satpura range on the south and the Aravali on the northwest form the borders of the Vindhyan range. The further westward development progressively combines with Rajasthan's stony and sandy desert. The Chambal, Sind, Betwa, and Ken rivers flow through this area from southwest to northeast, suggesting a slope. Towards the west, the Central Highlands is broader; in the east, they are narrower. Locally, this plateau's eastern expansions are referred to as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand.
(iii) The Island groups of India
There are two main island groups of India which are Lakshawadeep and Andaman & Nicobar Island
Lakshadweep Islands
Small coral islands make up the Lakshadweep group of islands. They used to go by the names Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindive. These were renamed Lakshadweep in 1973. It just spans 32 sq km of land. Lakshadweep's administrative centre is located on Kavaratti Island. There is a huge variety of plants and animals on these groups of islands. There is a bird sanctuary on the desolate Pitti island.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The lengthy string of islands runs from north to south in the Bay of Bengal. These islands are known as Andaman and Nicobar. They are more numerous, dispersed, and larger in size. The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south make up the two main divisions of the whole group of islands. These islands are thought to represent an elevated section of underwater mountains. These island groups are crucial to the nation's strategy. This collection of islands also has a very diverse range of flora and wildlife. These islands are near the equator, have a dense canopy of trees, and enjoy an equatorial climate.
NCERT Class 9 Social Science Geography Solutions
Chapter 1 - India - Size and Location
Chapter 3 - Drainage
Chapter 4 - Climate
Chapter 5 - Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
Chapter 6 - Population