NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Geography Social Science Chapter 2: Physical Features of India

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Geography Chapter 2, which covers the Physical Features of India, provides answers to the exercises found at the end of the chapter. The questions mainly focus on different geographical regions of India, including the Himalayan Mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the Coastal Plains, and the Islands. These NCERT Solutions are simple to grasp and precise, ensuring that students’ preparation aligns with the questions commonly asked in CBSE examinations.

In this article, we are going to discuss NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Geography Social Science Chapter 2: Physical Features of India in detail.

Chapter 2: Physical Features of India Class 9 Geography Solutions

NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Geography Social Science Chapter 2: Physical Features of India

India has all the main natural features found on Earth, such as mountains, plains, deserts, plateaus, and islands. The land in India shows a lot of physical differences. Geologically, the Peninsular Plateau is one of the oldest land masses on the Earth’s surface. The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the newest landforms. The northern plains are made of sedimentary deposits. The CBSE Notes for Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 on the Physical Features of India will give you more information about these topics. You can also use them for studying before exams. These CBSE Class 9 Social Science Notes are short and give you a quick overview of the entire chapter.

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) A landmass bounded by the sea on three sides is referred to as

(a) Coast

(b) Island

(c) Peninsula

(d) None of the above

Answer: (c)

(ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with Myanmar are collectively called

(a) Himachal

(b) Uttarakhand

(c) Purvachal

(d) None of the above

Answer: (c)

(iii) The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as

(a) Coromandel

(b) Konkan

(c) Kannad

(d) Northern Circar

Answer: (c)

(iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is

(a) Anai Mudi

(b) Kanchenjunga

(c) Mahendragiri

(d) Khasi

Answer: C

2. Answer the following questions briefly.

(i) What is the bhabar?

Answer:

The northern plains are often thought of as flatlands with no changes in their landscape. However, that’s not accurate. These extensive plains actually have different types of landscapes. Based on these differences, the northern plains can be divided into four regions. When rivers flow down from the mountains, they leave behind pebbles in a narrow strip of land, about 8 to 16 km wide, running parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. This area is called the bhabar region.

(ii) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.

Answer:

1. The northernmost range is known as The Great or Inner Himalayas or Himadri.
2. Himachal or Lesser Himalaya.
3. Outer Himalayas or Shiwaliks.

(iii) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya ranges?

Answer:

The Malwa plateau lies between Aravali and Vindhya ranges.

(iv) Name the island group of India having a coral origin.

Answer:

The Lakshadweep Islands is the island group of India having a coral origin.

3. Distinguish between

(i) Bhangar and Khadar

Answer:

Bhangar

1. Lies above flood plains of the river.
2. Older alluvium or old soil and forms the largest part of the northern plains.

Khadar

1. It is a newer, younger deposit of flood plains. It is renewed every year.

(ii) the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats

Answer:

The Western Ghats

1. Lie parallel to the Western Coast.
2. They are continuous and can be crossed through passes only.
3. The Western Ghats’ average elevation is 900 – 1600 metres.
4. The Western Ghats cause orographic rain by facing the rain-bearing moist winds to rise along the western slopes of the Ghats.
5. The height of the Western Ghats progressively increases from north to south.

The Eastern Ghats

1. Lies parallel to the Eastern Coast.
2. They are discontinuous and irregular.
3. The Eastern Ghats are dissected by rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
4. The Eastern Ghats average elevation is 600 metres.

4. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau

Answer:

The major physiographic divisions of India are

1. The Himalayan Mountains
2. The Northern Plains
3. The Peninsular Plateau
4. The Indian Desert
5. The Coastal Plains
6. The Islands

Compare the landscape of the Himalayan region and the Peninsular Plateau.

In terms of geology, the Peninsular Plateau is considered one of the oldest landmasses on the Earth’s surface. It was thought to be one of the most solid and stable land areas. In contrast, the Himalayas are a relatively recent geological formation. Geologically speaking, the Himalayan mountains are part of an unstable region. The entire Himalayan mountain range displays a landscape that is still in the early stages of formation, characterized by towering peaks, deep valleys, and swiftly flowing rivers. The northern plains are formed from sedimentary deposits. On the other hand, the Peninsular Plateau is made up of igneous and metamorphic rocks, featuring gently sloping hills and broad valleys.

5. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.

Answer:

The Northern Plains are relatively new and made of soil and rocks carried by rivers, called alluvial deposits. These plains were shaped by three main rivers: the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra, along with their smaller rivers. Over millions of years, rich and fertile soil accumulated near the Himalayas, forming this plain. It’s a big area, around 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km wide, densely populated because of its good soil, water, and weather for farming.

The Northern Plain is divided into three parts. The western part is called the Punjab Plains, mostly in Pakistan, formed by the Indus and its rivers. The Ganga Plain is between the Ghaggar and Teesta rivers, covering states like Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and some of Jharkhand, extending further east into Bengal. In Assam, to the east, is the Brahmaputra Plain.

Though people think of the Northern Plains as flat, they have different features. There are four regions based on these features. When rivers come down from the mountains, they leave pebbles in a narrow belt parallel to the Shiwalik mountains, called bhabar. Streams disappear underground in this area. South of bhabar is terai, a wet and swampy region with lots of forests and wildlife.

6. Write short notes on the following.

(i) The Indian Desert

Answer:

The Indian desert is located on the western edges of the Aravali Hills. It’s a rolling sandy plain covered with sand dunes. This area gets very little rainfall, with an average of less than 150 mm per year. The climate here is arid, and there’s not much vegetation. During the rainy season, some streams briefly flow, but they quickly vanish into the sand because there isn’t enough water to reach the sea. The Luni River is the only major river in this region.

(ii) The Central Highlands

Answer:

The Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau are two significant geographical features of India. The region north of the Narmada river, including a large portion of the Malwa plateau, is referred to as the Central Highlands. These highlands are broader in the west but narrower in the east. The eastern extensions of this plateau are called the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand regions. Further east, we find the Chotanagpur plateau, which is drained by the Damodar river.

(iii) The Island groups of India

Answer:

Lakshadweep Islands

The Lakshadweep islands consist of small coral islands. They were previously known as Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindive but were renamed Lakshadweep in 1973. Covering a small area of 32 sq km, Kavaratti Island serves as the administrative center. These islands boast diverse plant and animal life, with Pitti Island hosting a bird sanctuary.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Stretching from north to south in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar islands form an elongated chain. Larger and more numerous than Lakshadweep, they are scattered across the region. Divided into two main categories, the Andaman lies to the north, and the Nicobar lies to the south. These islands are believed to be elevated portions of underwater mountains and hold significant strategic value. Similar to Lakshadweep, they exhibit a rich diversity of flora and fauna, with lush forest cover due to their equatorial climate and proximity to the equator.

Physical Features of India Summary

The NCERT Geography Class 9, Chapter 2 – Physical Features of India talks about the main natural features of the country, such as land, plateaus, mountains, deserts, and islands. It covers the main geographical divisions of India in depth. These divisions include:

1. The Himalayan Mountains
2. The Northern Plains
3. The Peninsular Plateau
4. The Indian Desert
5. The Coastal Plains
6. The islands

The significant geographical regions and their characteristics mentioned above are thoroughly explained in this chapter. This chapter will aid students in comprehending India’s geographical positioning and its extent in terms of longitude and latitude on the global map.

FAQs – NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Geography Social Science Chapter 2: Physical Features of India

What are the physical features of India Class 9?

India is a vast country with diverse landforms, including the lofty Himalayan range, the fertile northern plains, coastal plains in the east and west coasts of India, the Peninsular plateau in the south, and two groups of islands in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, respectively.

What are 5 physical features?

Physical Features are the natural features on the Earth’s surface​. They also have another name, which is “Landforms”. Some of the examples of landforms are mountains​, deserts​, islands​, plains, plateaus​, canyons​, valleys, rivers, oceans​, glaciers, etc.

Which physical feature you have seen in India?

There are six main physical divisions in India – The Himalayas, the Northern plains, the Great Indian desert, the Peninsular Plateau, the Coastal Plains and the Islands.

What is the special feature of India?

India has nearly 90,000 types of animals including over 350 mammals, 1,200 bird species and 50,000 plant species. All these features made India a Unique Country in the World.

What are the physical features of South India?

The geography of the region is diverse, with two mountain ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats, bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non-perennial sources of water.

What is physical feature?

Physical features are parts of a landscape, organism, etc., that you can see and touch. The term is often used in geology to refer to features such as mountains, rivers, forests, and so on.

How are physical features formed?

The relief features of India are formed by geological formations, weathering, erosion and deposition, have created and modified the relief to its present form. According to ‘Theory of Plate Tectonics’, the crust of the earth has been formed out of seven major and some minor plates.

What is a physical feature?

Physical Features are the natural features on the Earth’s surface​. They also have another name, which is “Landforms”. Some of the examples of landforms are mountains​, deserts​, islands​, plains, plateaus​, canyons​, valleys, rivers, oceans​, glaciers, etc.

How many types of physical features are there?

Typical landforms include hills, mountains, plateaus, canyons, and valleys, as well as shoreline features such as bays, peninsulas, and seas, including submerged features such as mid-ocean ridges, volcanoes, and the great ocean basins.