India Physiography – The Northern Mountains (Himalayas)

India can be divided into following physical divisions viz.

The Northern Mountains
The North Indian Plain
The Peninsular Plateau
Great Indian Desert
The Coastal Regions
Islands

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The Northern Mountains (Himalayas)

The Himalayan Mountains form the northern mountain region of India.
They are the highest mountain ranges in the world.
These mountain ranges start from Pamir Knot in the west and extend up to Purvanchal in the east.
Youngest & Loftiest Mountain range of the world
Formed by Tectonic Forces & are 2400 Km in Length
Are of varying width > from 400 Km in Kashmir to 160 Km Arunachal Pradesh
Altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern part than in the western part
Prominent Features > Highest peaks, Deep valleys & Gorges, Glaciers etc.

The Himalayan Mountains can be further divided into following major ranges –

Trans Himalayas Immediate to the north of the Great Himalayan Range Most of the part of this Himalayan range lies in the Tibet and hence also called *Tibetan Himalaya* Ranges > Zaskar, K2 (Godwin Austin), Ladakh, Kailash and Karakoram Range	Greater Himalaya (Inner Himalaya) Always covered with snow > Known as Himadri Average height > 6000 mts Most continuous range Core composed of granite Ranges > Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga Forests type >Needle leaved coniferous
Middle Himalaya Average height > 3500 – 4500 mts Most of the valleys & hill stations are located in this range e.g. Kashmir, Kathmandu , Nainital Ranges > Pir Panjal, Dhaula Dhar, Mahabharat Forests type > Broad leaved evergreen	Outer Himalaya (Shivalik Range/ Himachals) Average height > 600 – 1200 mts Most of the Dun & Duars are located in this range Ex. Dehradun, Patlidun (longitudinal valleys) Deciduous type forests

Eastern hills / Purvanchal

Brahmaputra marks the eastern border of the Himalayas.
Beyond the Dihang gorge, the Himalayas bend sharply towards south and form the Eastern hills or Purvanchal which run through the NE India & are mostly composed of sandstones
Mishmi hills, Patkai Hills, Naga Hills, Manipuri Hills and Mizo Hills

Classification of Himalayas on the basis of Geographic Location

Punjab Himalayas / Kashmir Himalaya / Himachal Himalaya > Between the Indus and Sutlej
Kumaon Himalayas > Between Sutlej and Kali rivers
Nepal Himalayas > Between Kali and Tista rivers
Assam Himalayas > Between Tista and Dihang rivers

Significance of Himalayas for India

Strategic significance	Acts as a natural frontier of India with other countries (China, Pakistan, Afghanistan)
Climatic significance	Prevent further northward movement of summer monsoon and also prevent cold northern winds from Siberia to enter into India
Agricultural significance	Rivers from Himalayas deposits a lot of sediment on its foothold, from which are formed India’s most fertile agricultural grounds known as Northern plains
Economic significance	Huge hydro-electric power potential of Himalayan rivers + Himalayan timber + Himalayan Herbs & Medicinal plants
Tourism Significance	Comprises of Large ecological biodiversity, natural views & hill stations

India Physiography – The Northern Mountains (Himalayas) – 5 Key Points

Geographical Extent: Stretch across northern India, from Indus River in the west to Brahmaputra River in the east, forming the northern boundary.
Three Parallel Ranges:
- Himadri (Greater Himalayas) – highest, snow-covered, includes Mt. Everest and Kanchenjunga.
- Himachal (Lesser Himalayas) – includes famous hill stations like Shimla and Mussoorie.
- Shiwalik (Outer Himalayas) – youngest and most unstable, prone to landslides.
Climatic Barrier: Act as a climatic divide, preventing cold Central Asian winds and influencing monsoon patterns.
Source of Perennial Rivers: Glaciers in the Himalayas feed rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra, ensuring year-round water supply.
Strategic and Ecological Importance: Home to rich biodiversity, tribal cultures, and acts as a natural defense barrier for India.

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9 comments

Vijay Shankar says:

27/09/2023 at 6:17 AM

Thanks for sharing and please try to update regularly. Current Affairs and MCQs also good

Aman says:

22/12/2020 at 4:52 PM

You can read more at – https://studywrap.com/northern-mountains-of-india-origin-features-significance/

Aman Chandel says:

22/12/2020 at 4:50 PM

Thanks for Sharing … You can read more at Northern plains https://studywrap.com/northern-mountains-of-india-origin-features-significance/

nancy seni says:

28/11/2020 at 7:15 AM

thankyou very much to share the knowledge.

Krittika says:

08/12/2019 at 8:40 AM

Thanks for helping ,but can u pls update points on Himadri ,Himachal and Shiwaliks.

Eswar says:

01/05/2016 at 12:30 PM

Please add with mcqs

Divya says:

06/03/2016 at 7:12 AM

Hi..is there any way to save these pages as pdf ? I cant find the option. I wanted to do so, so that it can be printed for easier revision.

1. Rhythm says:
  
  06/03/2016 at 7:44 PM
  
  select the text -> right click and select ‘print’ -> save as pdf
  
2. vivek says:
  
  02/07/2016 at 11:49 AM
  
  use print friedly google chrome extension……for print , save pdf as desired