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NCERT SHORT NOTES
GEOGRAPHY - IX
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Chapter 01 – India - Size and Location
Location
India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. India’s mainland extends between 84 ' N and 378 ' N latitudes, and 687 ' E and
9725 ' E longitudes.
The Tropic of Cancer 2330 ' N divides India into two almost equal parts.
Size
Covering an area of 3.28 million square kilometres, India’s total area is 2.4% of the total geographical area of the world.
India is the world’s seventh largest country with a land boundary of about 15,200 km, with total length of the coastline being 7,516.6 km.
India’s east-west extent appears to be smaller than the north-south extent.
India and the World
The Indian landmass is centrally located between West and East Asia. India’s protruding Deccan Peninsula helped India to establish close contacts
with West Asia, Africa and Europe, South-east and East Asia. India’s contacts with the world via land routes are much more than her maritime
contacts. India has contributed a lot to the world in forms of ideas, philosophies
(Upanishads, Ramayana, Panchtantra) and mathematics (Indian numerals and decimal system).
In exchange, India’s architecture was influenced by Greek sculpture and architectural styles from West Asia.
India’s Neighbours India has an important position in South Asia and has 28 States and 7 Union
Territories. India shares its boundaries with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal,
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. The southern neighbours across the sea consist of the two island countries,
namely Maldives and Sri Lanka. India stands apart from the rest of Asia.
Chapter 02 – Physical Features of India
Location
India has all major physical features of the Earth, i.e. mountains, plains, deserts, plateaus and islands.
In India the soil colour varies from place to place as it is formed from different
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types of rocks. India has varied physical features whose formation can be explained on the basis
of the ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics’. According to the theory of Plate Tectonics the seven major and minor plates
that form the Earth’s crust keep moving, causing stress and thus leading to folding, faulting and volcanic activity.
The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions: (i) The Himalayan Mountains (ii) The Northern Plains (iii) The Peninsular Plateau (iv) The Indian Desert (v) The Coastal Plains (vi) The Islands
The Himalayan Mountains
The Himalayas are young-fold mountains which are the loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world.
The Himalayas are 2400 km long, 400 km to 150 km wide from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh respectively.
The Himalayas have three parallel ranges in the longitudinal extent namely: (i) Great or Inner Himalayas also called Himadri. (ii) Middle Himalayas or Himachal. (iii) Outer Himalayas or Shivalik.
The Himalayas can be divided into four sections: (i) Punjab Himalayas — between Indus and Satluj. (ii) Kumaon Himalayas — between Satluj and Kali. (iii) Nepal Himalayas — between Kali and the Tista. (iv) Assam Himalayas (Eastern Himalayas) — Between Tista and the Dibang
(Tsangpo).
The Northern Plains
The Northern Plains spread over an area of 7 lakh sq. km, 240 km long and 240 km to 320 km broad.
The rivers that flow to the plains from the mountains are involved in depositional work.
Difference in relief causes the Northern Plain to have four regions. (i) Bhabar — laying at the foot of Shivalik, a narrow 8 to 16 km wide belt of
pebbles. (ii) Terai — lying next to Bhabar, a wet and marshy area with wildlife and forests. (iii) Bangar — Older alluvium plain which rises above the level of the flood plains. (iv) Khadar — Younger alluvium of the flood plains.
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The Peninsular Plateau
The Peninsular Plateau is the tableland formed due to the breaking and drifting of the Gondwanaland.
The plateau consists of two broad divisions, namely, the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
The eastward extensions of Peninsular Plateau are locally known as Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand. The Chhota Nagpur Plateau marks the further eastward extension drained by the Damodar river.
The Deccan Plateau, a triangular mass, lies to the south of the river Narmada.
The western and eastern edges of the Deccan Plateau are marked by the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats respectively.
The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats. A distinct feature of the peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as Deccan
Trap. The Indian Desert
The undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes towards the western margins of the Aravalli Hills is the Indian Desert.
Cresent shaped dunes called barchans cover large parts of the Indian Desert. Luni is the only large river in this region.
The Coastal Plains
The narrow coastal strips flank the Peninsular Plateau. On the west the coastal strips are divided into Konkan (Mumbai-Goa), Kannad
Plain and the Malabar coast from northern to southern part.
On the east the coastal strip is divided into Northern Circars and the Coromandal Coast from northern to southern part.
The Islands
The Lakshadweep Islands group in the Arabian Sea is close to Kerala. The Lakshadweep Islands were formerly known as Laccadive, Minicoy and
Amindive. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an elongated chain of islands located in
the Bay of Bengal. The Andamans and Nicobar Islands are an elevated portion of submarine
mountains.
Chapter 03 – Drainage
Drainage’ is a term signifying the river system of an area. A drainage basin or river basin is an area which is drained by a single river system. An upland that separates two drainage systems that are next to each other is
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called a water divide. On the basis of origin there are two river systems of India — The Himalayan
rivers and the Peninsular rivers. Himalayan rivers are rain fed and snowed, so they have water in them
throughout the year, i.e. they are perennial. Himalayan rivers create meanders, oxbow lakes and other depositional features
on their course. Peninsular rivers are seasonal; mostly depending on rainfall. Most of the rivers of peninsular India originate in the Western Ghats and flow
towards the Bay of Bengal.
The Himalayan Rivers
A river along with its tributaries may be called a river system. The major Himalayan rivers are the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
The Indus River System
Rising near Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, the Indus enters India in the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Rivers Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum join Indus near Mithankot, Pakistan and flow southwards to fall into the Arabian Sea, east of Karachi.
With a total length of 2900 km, the Indus is one of the longest rivers of the world. The Ganga River System
The headwaters of the Ganga are called ‘Bhagirathi’. Bhagirathi is fed by the Gangotri Glacier and joined by the Alaknanda at Devprayag. Ganga meets the tributaries from the Himalayas such as Ghaghara, Gandak and
Kosi.
A major river Yamuna, arising from Yamunotri Glacier in the Himalayas, joins Ganga at Allahabad.
Other tributaries — Chambal, Betwa and Son — come from Peninsular uplands to join Ganga.
Ganga is joined by Brahmaputra and flows through Bangladesh to reach the Bay of Bengal.
The delta formed when the Ganga and the Brahmaputra flow into the Bay of Bengal is known as the Sunderban Delta.
The length of the Ganga is over 2500 km and it develops large meanders.
The Brahmaputra River System
Originating in Tibet, very close to the sources of Indus and Satluj, Brahmaputra enters India in Arunachal Pradesh to flow to Assam joined by many tributaries.
The tributaries that join Brahmaputra are Dibang, Lohit, and Kenula.
The Brahmaputra has a braided channel in its entire length in Assam to
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form many reverine islands. Unlike other north Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra is marked by huge deposits
of silt on its bed, causing the riverbed to rise.
The Peninsular Rivers
The major rivers of the peninsula — Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri — flow eastwards to drain into the Bay of Bengal.
The Tapi and Narmada are the only rivers which flow west to make estuaries and drain into the Arabian Sea.
The drainage basins of the peninsular rivers are comparatively small in size.
The Godavari Basin
Godavari begins in Nasik district of Maharashtra and is the largest peninsular river.
Its large basin covers most parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
The tributaries which join the Godavari include Purna, Wardha, Pranhita, Manjra, Wanganga and Penganga.
Because of its length and the area it covers, Godavari is also known as the Dakshin Ganga.
Godavari drains into the Bay of Bengal.
The Mahanadi Basin
The Mahanadi, a 860 km long river, rises in Chhattisgarh to flow through Orissa to reach the Bay of Bengal.
Mahanadi river basin is shared by Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
The Krishna Basin
The 1400 km long Krishna river rises from a spring near Mahabaleshwar to reach the Bay of Bengal.
The tributaries of Krishna include Bhima, Musi, Ghatprabha, Koyana and Tungabhadra. The Krishna basin is shared by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The Narmada Basin
Rising in the Amarkantak hills, Narmada flows to create a gorge in marble rocks of Madhya Pradesh.
Narmada flows towards the west in a rift valley formed due to faulting.
The Tapi Basin: Originating in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, Tapi flows through a basin that covers Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The main west flowing rivers are
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Sabarmati, Mahi, Bharatpuzha and Periyar.
The Kaveri Basin: Originating in the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats, the Kaveri reaches the Bay of Bengal at Kaveripatnam, sharing its basin with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Lakes
Most lakes are permanent while other contain water only during the rainy season.
Some lakes are result of the glacial action and ice sheets and some may have been formed by wind, river action and human activities.
A river meandering across a floodplain forms cut-offs that later develop into oxbow lakes.
Glacial lakes are formed when glaciers dig out a basin which is later filled with snowmelt.
Some lakes like Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir result from tectonic activity. Apart from natural lakes, the damming of the rivers for the generation of hydel
power has also led to the formation of lakes. Lakes help to regulate river water flow, prevent flooding, aid to develop hydel
power, moderate climate, maintain aquatic ecosystem, enhance natural beauty, develop tourism and provide recreation.
Role of rivers in the economy
Rivers are natural sources of water.
Settlements on the river banks have developed into cities. Rivers are used for irrigation, navigation, hydro-power generation, all vital for
India, an agricultural economy.
River Pollution
Quality of river water is affected by the growing domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand.
A heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial effluents are emptied into the river affecting the river's self-cleansing property.
Concern over rising pollution in our rivers led to the launching of various action plans to clean the rivers.
Chapter 04 – Climate
General weather conditions over a period of thirty years period is said to be the climate of a place.
Temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation are elements of weather and climate.
Generalised monthly atmospheric conditions determine the basis on which the
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year is divided into the seasons — summer, winter or rainy. India has a monsoon type of climate. Monsoon is basically a seasonal reversal in the wind through the year. There is huge difference in temperature from one region to another. Form of precipitation, its amount and distribution also differ from one part of
India to another. Coastal areas observe lesser difference in temperature conditions. It is the
interior of India that experiences temperature contrasts. Decrease in rainfall is seen from east to west in the Northern Plains. All this
influences diversity in professions, food, dress and houses of people. Climatic Controls
The interplay of latitude, altitude, distance from the sea, pressure and wind system, ocean currents and relief features determine climatic conditions of a place.
Factors Affecting India’s Climate
The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country from the Rann of Kuchchh to Mizoram.
The Himalayas prevent the cold winds from central Asia from entering the subcontinent.
The climate and associated weather conditions in India are governed by various atmospheric conditions namely pressure and surface winds, upper air circulation, western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.
An apparent force caused by the earth’s rotation is the Coriolis Force.
Jet streams are narrow belts of high-altitude (above 12,000 m) westerly winds in the troposphere.
The western cyclonic disturbances are weather phenomena of the winter months, brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean region.
The Indian Monsoon
The climate of India is strongly influenced by monsoon winds.
The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a broad trough of low pressure in equatorial latitudes where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge.
Reversal in the pressure conditions and eastern Pacific Ocean having lower pressure than eastern Indian Ocean is a periodic change in pressure condition known as the southern oscillation.
El Nino is a warm ocean current that flows past the Peruvian coast in place of the cold Peruvian current, every 2 to 5 years.
The Onset of the Monsoon and Withdrawal
The monsoon are pulsating winds affected by different atmospheric conditions encountered by it, on its way over the warm tropical seas.
Monsoon arrives at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula generally by first
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week of June. The Arbain Sea and the Bay of Bengal branches of the monsoon merge over
the north western part of the Ganga plains. The withdrawal or the retreat of the monsoon is a more gradual process which
begins in the northwestern states of India by early September. The retreating monsoon or the transition season sees the change from hot rainy
season to dry winter conditions. The low pressure conditions over northwestern India get transferred to the Bay
of Bengal by early November causing cyclonic depressions originating over the Andaman Sea.
Distribution of Rainfall
Owing to the nature of monsoons, the annual rainfall is highly variable from year to year.
Areas of high rainfall are liable to be affected by floods while areas of low rainfall are drought prone.
The Seasons
Four main seasons can be identified in India — the cold weather season, the hot weather season, the advancing monsoon and the retreating monsoon with some regional variations.
In the cold weather season the northeast trade winds prevail over India. Days are warm and nights are cold. Frost is common in the north and the higher slopes of the Himalayas experience
snowfall. The summer months’ experience rising temperature and falling air pressure in
the northern parts of the country. A striking feature of the hot weather season are strong, gusty, hot, dry winds
blowing during the day over the north and northwestern India called loo. In the advancing monsoon, i.e. the rainy season, the north-western region of the
country receives the maximum rainfall. Monsoon has ‘breaks’ in rainfall, thus it has wet and dry spells. The alternation of dry and wet spells varies in intensity, frequency and duration
causing heavy floods in one part and droughts in the others. Monsoon as a Unifying Bond
The dependence of farmers on rain, a change in seasonal cycle, variance in temperature, the needs of humans, plants and animals, festival dates etc., all depend on monsoon in India. In this way monsoon is a unifying bond for Indians.
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Chapter 05 – Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
With over 47,000 plant species, India occupies tenth place in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity.
India has 89,000 species of animals as well as a rich variety of fish in its fresh and marine waters.
Plant community which grows naturally with no human help and is not disturbed by humans for a long time is teemed as natural vegetation.
Virgin vegetation which are purely Indian are known as endemic species and those which have come from outside India are termed as exotic plants.
Relief
The nature of land influences the type of vegetation. Different types of soils provide basis for different types of vegetation.
Climate
The character and extent of vegetation are mainly determined by temperature along with humidity in the air, precipitation and soil.
Period of exposure to sunlight varies for different plants leading to their different rates of growth.
Areas of heavy rainfall have more dense vegetation as compared to other areas of less rainfall.
Forests are renewable resources and play a major role in enhancing the quality of the environment.
Vegetation in most parts of India has been modified at some places, or replaced or degraded by human occupancy.
Ecosystem
All the plants and animals in an area are interdependent and interrelated to each other in their physical environment, thus forming an ecosystem.
A very large ecosystem on land having distinct type of vegetation and animal life is called a biome.
Types of Vegetation
The major types of vegetation in India are Tropical Rainforests, Tropical Deciduous Forests, Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs, Montane Forests and Mangrove Forests.
With warm and wet climate all year round the Tropical Rainforests have luxurious trees, shrubs and creepers.
A large variety of animals are found in the rainforests. The most widespread forests of India — the Tropical Deciduous Forests — are
also known as the Monsoon Forests.
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On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous forests.
The leaves of vegetation in Thorn Forests and Scrubs are mostly thick and small to minimize evaporation and have succulent stems to conserve water.
Montane forests have a succession of natural vegetation belts in the same order as we see from the tropical to the Tundra region.
Wet temperate forests are found between a height of 1000 and 2000 metres while temperate grasslands are found at higher elevations.
At 3600 metres above sea level temperate forests and grasslands give way to alpine vegetation.
The mangrove tidal forests are found in the areas of coasts influenced by tides. Dense mangroves are the common varieties with roots of the plants
submerged underwater.
Wildlife
India has more than 1200 species of birds, 2500 species of fish and between 5 to 8 per cent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
India is the only country in the world that has both tigers and lions. The Himalayas have a large range of animals that survive the bitter cold. Every species of animal has a role to play in the ecosystem; hence conservation
is essential. Hunting and pollution is causing threat to animal species. To protect the flora and fauna of the country, the government has taken many
steps. Fourteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect flora and
fauna. 89 National Parks, 49 Wildlife Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves have been
set up to take care of natural heritage.
Chapter 06 – Population
People are themselves resources with varying qualities. Population is the point of reference from which all other elements are observed
and from which they derive significance and meaning. The Census of India provides us with information regarding the population of
our country.
Population Size and Distribution
Uttar Pradesh accounts for about 16 per cent of the country’s population. India’s population as in March 2001 stood at 1,028 million accounting for 16.7 per
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cent of the world’s population. Population density is calculated as the number of persons per unit area. Population density is affected by relief of the area.
Population Growth and Processes of Population Change
The numbers, distribution and composition of the population are constantly changing.
Growth of population refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a country/territory during a specific period of time.
When more than a billion people increase even at lower rate, the total numbers added becomes very large.
The declining trend of the growth rate is indeed a positive indicator of the efforts of birth control.
The natural increase of population is the difference between birth rates and death rates.
The number of death per thousand persons in a year is the Death Rate. Migration is the movement of people across regions and territories. Migration changes not only population size but also the population composition of
urban and rural populations in terms of age and sex composition. The age composition of a population refers to the number of people in different
age groups in a country. The population of a nation is generally grouped into three broad categories,
namely children (generally below 15 years), working age (15 - 59) years) and aged (above 59 years).
Sex ratio is defined as the number of females per thousand males in the population.
The sex ratio in India has always remained unfavourable to females. A person of seven years of age or above who is able to read and write with a
certain understanding is called a literate. The distribution of the population according to different types of occupation is
referred to as the occupational structure. Primary activities include agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, fishing, mining
and quarrying etc. Secondary activities include manufacturing industry, building and construction work etc. Tertiary activities include transport, communications, commerce, administration and other services.
Sustained efforts of government programmes have registered significant improvements in the health conditions of the Indian population.
It is a matter of concern that the per capita calorie consumption is much below the recommended level in India.
Adolescent population constitutes one fifth of the total population of India. Adolescents in India face the problem of malnutrition that can be dealt with by
spreading awareness, literacy and education among them. The Family Welfare Programme has sought to promote responsible and planned
parenthood on a voluntary basis.
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National Population Policy 2000 aims at improving conditions of adolescents, aiming at encourages delayed marriages and child bearing, educating about risks of unprotected sex and provisions for nutritional needs.
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