Physical Features of India-Question Answer-Class 9-Social Science

 NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Chapter 2-Physical Features of India (Geography)

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

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

(a) Coast                 (c) Peninsula

(b) Island                (d) None of the above

(ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with

Myanmar are collectively called

(a) Himachal             (c) Purvachal

(b) Uttarakhand       (d) None of the above

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

(a) Coromandel        (c) Kannad

(b) Konkan              (d) Northern Circar

(iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is

(a) Anai Mudi                (c) Mahendragiri

(b) Kanchenjunga          (d) Khasi

Q2. Answer the following questions briefly

(i) What is the bhabar?

1. Bhabar is a narrow belt of land, about 8-16 km wide, found at the foothills of the Shiwaliks.

2. It is made up of pebbles deposited by rivers descending from the mountains.

3. Streams and rivers disappear into the ground in this region due to its porous nature.

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

1. The Great Himalayas or Himadri

2. The Lesser Himalayas or Himachal

3. The Shiwaliks

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

1. The Malwa Plateau lies between the Aravali and Vindhyan ranges.

2. It forms part of the Central Highlands.

3. It is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

4. Rivers like Chambal and Betwa flow here.

5. It has gently sloping terrain with fertile black soil in some regions.

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

1. Lakshadweep Islands have a coral origin.

2. They are located in the Arabian Sea.

3. These are formed from coral polyps and are mainly atolls and reefs.

4. The administrative headquarters is Kavaratti.

5. Earlier called Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands.

Q3. Distinguish between

(i) Bhangar and Khadar:

Bhangar	Khadar
Bhangar is the older alluvial soil	Khadar is the newer alluvium.
Bhangar lies above the floodplains	Khadar is found in the floodplains.
Bhangar has calcareous deposits called kankar	Khadar is very fertile.
Bhangar is less suitable for agriculture	Khadar is ideal for farming
Bhangar has a terrace-like appearance	Khadar is flat and levelled.

(ii) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats:

Western Ghats	Eastern Ghats
Western Ghats are continuous	Eastern Ghats are discontinuous
Western Ghats are higher (900–1600 m)	Eastern Ghats are lower (~600 m)
Western Ghats face the Arabian Sea	Eastern Ghats face the Bay of Bengal
Western Ghats cause orographic rainfall	Eastern Ghats do not
Highest peak in Western Ghats: Anai Mudi	Highest peak inEastern Ghats: Mahendragiri.

Q4. Major physiographic divisions of India and contrast between Himalayan region and Peninsular plateau

Major physiographic divisions:

1. The Himalayan Mountains

2. The Northern Plains

3. The Peninsular Plateau

4. The Indian Desert

5. The Coastal Plains

6. The Islands

Contrast:

• Himalayan Region:

  • Geologically young and fold mountains

  • High peaks, deep valleys, and rivers

  • Formed due to tectonic collision

• Peninsular Plateau:

  • Geologically old and stable

  • Broad valleys and rounded hills

  • Formed from igneous/metamorphic rocks

Q5. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India

1. Formed by alluvial deposits from the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra rivers.

2. Covers about 7 lakh sq. km and is densely populated.

3. Divided into Punjab Plain, Ganga Plain, and Brahmaputra Plain.

4. Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, and Khadar are sub-divisions based on relief.

5. Fertile soil, water supply, and flat land make it agriculturally significant.

Q6. Write short notes on the following

(i) The Indian Desert

1. Located to the west of the Aravalis in Rajasthan.

2. Sandy terrain with dunes and sparse vegetation.

3. Receives very low rainfall (<150 mm/year).

4. Arid climate and dry streams; only major river is Luni.

5. Known for features like barchans and camel-based life.

(ii) The Central Highlands

1. Part of the Peninsular Plateau north of the Narmada River.

2. Includes the Malwa Plateau and Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand regions.

3. Bounded by Aravalis in the northwest and Satpuras in the south.

4. Drained by rivers like Chambal, Betwa, and Ken.

5. Slope from southwest to northeast; important for agriculture and minerals.

(iii) The Island groups of India

1. India has two main island groups: Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar.

2. Lakshadweep (coral origin) lies in the Arabian Sea.

3. Andaman-Nicobar (volcanic origin) lies in the Bay of Bengal.

4. These islands have biodiversity and strategic importance.

5. Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep; Port Blair for Andaman-Nicobar.

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Important Question Answers:

1. Why are the Himalayas called the young fold mountains?

Answer:

The Himalayas are not very old, they are of recent birth. So they are called the young fold mountains.

2. What is meant by doab?

Answer:

The land between two rivers is locally known as the doab. 

3. “Each physiographic region of India complements the other and makes the country richer in its natural resources.” Justify this statement with five examples.

                                                                Or

‘The diverse physical features of India are of immense value’. Justify the statement by giving suitable examples.

Answer:

Importance of diverse physical features of India is as follows:

The northern mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth.

The northern plains are the granaries of the country. They provide the base for early civilizations.

The plateau is a storehouse of minerals which has played a crucial role in the industrialization of the country.

The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port activities.

The deserts are the storehouse of solar energy.

4. Describe any five features of northern plains of India.

Answer:

Features of northern plains of India are:

The northern plains have been formed from the alluvium deposited by the mountain rivers.

They are located between the Himalayan rivers in the north and the Peninsular Plateau in the south.

They turned the soil on the surfaced land fertile for growing a rich harvest of variety of crops.

They are made up of deposits of alluvium and cover an area of 7 lakh sq. km.

They are densely populated physiographic division of India and are believed to be highly productive in terms of agriculture.

The North Indian plains have the Indus river system in the west and the Ganga, Brahmaputra river system in the East.

The northern plain is divided into three sections— Punjab plain, Ganga plain and Brahmaputra plain. The Ganga plain has diverse relief features. It has four belts:

5. “The land of India displays great physical variations”. Justify this statement with five examples.

Answer:

Physical variations of land of India are:

Geologically, the Peninsular Plateau constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on the earth’s surface. It was supposed to be one of the most stable land blocks.

The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent landforms.

From the yiew point of geology, Himalayan Mountains form an unstable zone.

The whole mountain system of Himalaya represents a very youthful topography with high peaks, deep valleys and fast flowing rivers.

The Northern Plains are formed of alluvial deposits.

The Peninsular Plateau is composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks with gently rising hills and wide valleys.

6. Differentiate between Western Himalayas and Eastern Himalayas.

Answer:

Western Himalayas	Eastern Himalayas
These are spread over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.	These are spread over West Bengal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Western Himalayas are very high.	These are of medium height.
The Indus and the Sutlej are main rivers which pass through the Western Himalayas and fall into the Arabian Sea.	The Brahmaputra is the main river which passes through these and falls into the Bay of Bengal.
The average annual rainfall is less than 100 cm.	The average annual rainfall is more than 200 cm.
Srinagar, Shimla, Manali are the famous hill stations found in the Western Himalayas.	Darjeeling and Shillong are the famous hill stations found in the Eastern Himalayas.

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Chapter 1- The French Revolution

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Chapter 3- Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

Chapter 4- Forest Society and Colonialism

Chapter 5- Pastoralists in the Modern World

Class 9- Civics

Cahpter 1- What is Democracy? Why Democracy?

Chapter 2- Constitutional Design

Chapter 3- Electoral Politics

Chapter 4- Working of Institutions

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Chapter 1- The Story of Village Palampur

Chapter 2- People as Resource

Chapter 3- Poverty as a Challenge

Chapter 4- Food Security in India

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Chapter 1- India: Size and Location

Chapter 2- Physical Features of India

Chapter 3- Drainage

Chapter 4- Climate

Chapter 5- Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

Chapter 6- Population