The Six Physiographic Divisions
India's relief is grouped into six divisions. Learn them in this order, north to south.
| # | Division | Origin / age | Typical features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Himalayan Mountains | Youngest fold mountains (about 50 Ma onwards) | Peaks, glaciers, passes, valleys |
| 2 | The Northern Plains | Alluvium (Quaternary) | Flat, fertile, river-made |
| 3 | The Peninsular Plateau | Oldest (Archaean-Gondwana block) | Hills, plateaus, black and red soils, minerals |
| 4 | The Indian Desert | Arid west of the Aravalli | Dunes, salt lakes, Luni |
| 5 | The Coastal Plains | Sea-deposit strips | Lagoons, deltas, backwaters |
| 6 | The Islands | Volcanic and coral | Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep |
Quick comparison
| Feature | Himalaya | Northern Plains | Peninsular Plateau |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Young | Youngest (still forming) | Oldest, stable |
| Rocks | Folded sedimentary | Alluvium | Igneous, metamorphic |
| Rivers | Perennial, young, deep gorges | Meandering, braiding, deltas | Seasonal, old, graded |
| Earthquakes | Frequent | Moderate | Rare (but Latur 1993, Koyna 1967) |
| Resources | Forests, hydropower | Soil, groundwater | Minerals |
In the next topics we study each division in detail, starting with the Himalayas.
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from NCERT, standard geography textbooks, the Census of India 2011, the India State of Forest Report, IMD, Ministry of Agriculture and other official sources. Maps are schematic teaching maps, not Survey of India maps, and zone boundaries are approximate. Figures such as production, capacity, counts of parks and ports, and census status change, so check the latest official source before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.