Indian Geography notes lesson 5
PUNJAB HIMALAYAS
• The Himalayan region between the Indus and the Satluj rivers (560 km long).• All the major rivers of the Indus river system flow through Punjab Himalayas.
• A large portion of Punjab Himalayas is in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Hence, they are also called the Kashmir and Himachal Himalaya.
• Major ranges: Karakoram, Ladakh, Pir Panjal, Zaskar and Dhaola Dhar
• The general elevation falls westwards.
• The Kashmir Himalayas are also famous for Karewa formations which are useful for the cultivation of Zafran, a local variety of saffron.
• Important glaciers of South Asia such as the Boltaro and Siachen are also found in this region.
• The Ladakh plateau and the Kashmir valley are two important areas of the Kashmir Himalayan region.
KUMAON HIMALAYAS
● The Kumaon Himalayas lie in Uttarakhand and extend from the Satluj to the Kali river.● The Lesser Himalayas in Kumaon Himalaya is represented by the Mussoorie and Nag Tiba ranges
● Two distinct features of this region from the point of view of physiography are the 'shiwalik' and 'Dun' formations.
● The Shiwalik in this region runs south of the Mussoorie range between the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers.
● The region is also known to have five famous Prayags (river confluentces).
NEPAL HIMALAYAS
● The Great Himalaya range attains maximum height in this portion.● Lies between river Kali in the west and river Teesta in the east.
● Famous peaks Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Annapurna, Gosainthan and Dhaulagiri, are located here
● The Lesser Himalaya is known as Mahabharat Lekh in this region.
● The range is crossed by rivers like Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, etc.
● In between the Great and the Lesser Himalayas, there are Kathmandu and Pokhra lacustrine valley
ASSAM HIMALAYAS
- This part of the Himalayas lies between the Tista river in the west and the Brahmaputra river in the east and stretches for a distance of about 720 km.
● It is a region of High mountain peaks like Kanchenjunga, and deep valleys.
● The southern slopes are very steep, but the northern slopes are gentle.
● British introduced Tea plantations in this region
● Famous for ‘Duar formations’ e.g Bengal ‘Duars’
● Himalayas are narrower in this region and Lesser Himalayas lie close to Great Himalayas.
● The Assam Himalayas show a marked dominance of fluvial erosion due to heavy rainfall.
● Jelep la pass- tri-junction of India- China-Bhutan lies in this region
EASTERN HIMALAYAS
The North-Eastern Hills and Mountains (Purvanchal)
● The Himalayas take a sudden southward turn after the Dihang gorge and the hill ranges running in a more or less north-south direction along India's border with Myanmar are collectively known as the Purvanchal
● Purvanchal hills are known by various local names such as Patkai Bum, Naga Hills, Kohima hills, Manipur hills, Mizo hills (previously known as the Lushai hills), Tripura hills and Barail range
● These hills run through the northeastern states of India
● These hills differ in scale and relief but stem from the Himalayan orogeny
● The Himalayas take a sudden southward turn after the Dihang gorge and the hill ranges running in a more or less north-south direction along India's border with Myanmar are collectively known as the Purvanchal
● Purvanchal hills are known by various local names such as Patkai Bum, Naga Hills, Kohima hills, Manipur hills, Mizo hills (previously known as the Lushai hills), Tripura hills and Barail range
● These hills run through the northeastern states of India
● These hills differ in scale and relief but stem from the Himalayan orogeny
They are mostly composed of sandstones (i.e. Sedimentary rocks)
● These hills are covered with dense forests.
● Their elevation decreases from north to south.
Although comparatively low, these hill ranges are rather forbidding because of the rough terrain, dense forests and swift streams. These hills are composed of:
Extension of Purvanchal to A&N Islands
● The extension of the Purvanchal Himalaya continues southwards up to Andaman and Nicobar Islands through the Myanmar range (Arakan Yoma) and even up to the Indonesian archipelago.
● These hills are covered with dense forests.
● Their elevation decreases from north to south.
Although comparatively low, these hill ranges are rather forbidding because of the rough terrain, dense forests and swift streams. These hills are composed of:
Extension of Purvanchal to A&N Islands
● The extension of the Purvanchal Himalaya continues southwards up to Andaman and Nicobar Islands through the Myanmar range (Arakan Yoma) and even up to the Indonesian archipelago.
●Patkai Bum – Border between Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar
● Naga Hills
● Manipuri Hills – Border between Manipur and Myanmar
● Mizo Hills
● Patkai Bum and Naga Hills form the watershed between India an Myanmar
● Manipuri Hills – Border between Manipur and Myanmar
● Mizo Hills
● Patkai Bum and Naga Hills form the watershed between India an Myanmar