Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Physical Divisions Of from Class 7 Social_Science. Let us begin by understanding the geographical setting of our country. The neighbouring countries of India are Pakistan and Afghanistan on the north-west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan on the north and Bangladesh and Myanmar on the east. Sri Lanka is on the south-east and is separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. The water bodies that surround India are the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. Hence India has an extensive coastline and many islands. India has 28 states and 8 union territories. Delhi is the National Capital Territory.
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India has a variety of physical features. Based on the topography, India can be divided into four major physical divisions. These are the Northern Mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateaus, and the Coastal Plains. Let us explore each one in detail. First, we have the Northern Mountains. They consist largely of the Himalayan ranges. They are the natural boundaries in the north, east and north-west. They are the highest mountains in the world and covered with snow. They have the highest peaks, deep valleys, glaciers, and mountain passes. Mt. Everest at 8848 metres is the highest peak in the world. But Mt. Godwin Austin, also known as Mt. K2 at 8611 metres, is the highest peak in India. The role of the Himalayas in the economic system of our country is significant. They act as natural frontiers. They prevent the cold winds from Central Asia from blowing into India and they check the monsoon winds and cause heavy rainfall in India. They are the birthplace of many rivers and home to many hill stations.
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Next, we will learn about the Northern Plains. The Northern Plains are located between the Himalayas and peninsular plateaus. They are formed by the alluvium deposited by the rivers Sutlej, Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries which rise in the Himalayas. Thus the plains are fertile, extensive and flat. They are very useful for the development of agriculture, industries, transport, towns, and cities. Due to all these advantages the plains are densely populated. Now, let us move to the Peninsular Plateau. The peninsular plateau is the most extensive of all the physical divisions of India. It is to the south of the North Indian plains and mostly comprised of old hard rocks. The Narmada-Sone rift valley divides the plateau into two plateaus. The northern part is known as the Malwa Plateau and the southern part is known as the Deccan Plateau. The Malwa Plateau lies between the Aravalli Range in the north and the Vindhyas in the south. The highest peak in the Aravallis is Mt. Gurushikhar at 1722 metres.
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The Deccan plateau is surrounded by the Satpura Range, Maikala Range, Amarkantak hill and Rajmahal hills in the north, the Western Ghats to the west and the Eastern Ghats to the east. The Western Ghats extend further to the south as Anamalai hills, Cardamom hills and Palani hills. Anaimudi at 2695 metres, on the Anamalai hills, is the highest peak in south India. The Western Ghats join the Eastern Ghats at the Nilgiri hills. Ooty, a famous hill station is located here. The Western Ghats are higher than the Eastern Ghats. Many rivers of South India originate in the Western Ghats. The Peninsular Plateau is rich in minerals. The rivers help in the cultivation of crops. There are many waterfalls which are useful for the generation of hydro-electricity. Let us now explore the Coastal Plains. On both the sides of the Peninsular Plateaus are the coastal plains. They are divided into two. They are the Eastern Coastal Plain and the Western Coastal Plain.
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The Western Coastal Plain lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It extends from the Gulf of Kuch in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. It is very narrow and rocky. The Eastern Coastal Plain lies between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It extends from the Gangetic delta in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. The Eastern Coastal Plain is broader. There are seaports along the western and eastern coastal plains. Moving on to the Island Groups. There are 247 islands in Indian territorial waters, of which 204 are in the Bay of Bengal. They are called the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The remaining 43 islands, namely the Lakshadweep Islands, are in the Arabian Sea. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are made up of hard volcanic rocks. The Lakshadweep islands are made up of coral sand. Now, let us talk about Deserts. India has a desert, known as the Thar desert. It is located in North-western India. Nearly two-thirds of the desert is in Rajasthan and the rest is in Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.
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There are some salt lakes called Playas in the desert. There are many saline lakes which are the source of common salt. Examples are Sambhar, Didwana and Sargol. The Sambhar lake is the largest salt lake in India. Now, let us focus on our own state. Karnataka is located in the southwestern part of India. It is the eighth largest state in India. The Latitudinal extent is from 11 degrees North to 18 degrees North latitudes and 74 degrees East to 78 degrees East longitudes. Karnataka has both land and water boundaries. Maharashtra is in the north, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana are in the east, Kerala is to the south west, and the Arabian Sea is in the west. This state has 31 districts and 227 Taluks. Karnataka is a part of Peninsular Plateau of India. It has a variety of physical features. On the basis of land forms, Karnataka can be divided into three physical divisions. They are the Coastal Plain, the Malnad region, and the Maidan region.
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First, the Coastal Plain. It is the western part of Karnataka and lies between the Malnad region and the Arabian Sea. It stretches from Goa in the north to Kerala in the south, covering 324 kilometres. It includes the coast of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. The coastal Plain is narrower in the north and broader in the south. Many west-flowing rivers pass through this plain. There are some islands near the coast, for example, St. Mary’s Island, also known as Coconut Island. New Mangalore, a major port of India, is located here. It is known as the Gateway of Karnataka. Second, we have the Malnad region. This is a hilly area lying between the coastal plains and the maidan region. It is popularly known as the Sahyadri Ranges. It is an important physical division of Karnataka. Because it gets heavy rain, it is densely forested and has wild life sanctuaries. It is the source of many rivers. There are many beautiful waterfalls, for example, Jog falls, and many tourist centres. Agumbe, which is located here, gets the heaviest rainfall in Karnataka.
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There are some high hills. One of them is Mullayanagiri at 1913 metres, which is the highest in the state. Third, the Maidan region. It lies to the east of the Malnad region and has an undulating surface. River Tungabhadra, which passes through the centre of this region, divides it into two divisions. They are the Northern Maidan and the Southern Maidan. The Northern Maidan is an extensive flat plateau with a few flat topped hills. This region is made up of basalt rocks and covered with black soil. It slopes towards the east in the direction in which rivers Krishna and Bhima flow. This region has very low rainfall. The Southern Maidan is also known as Mysore Plateau. It is very undulating and has some hill ranges, such as Biligirirangana hills, Male Mahadeshwara hills, Nandi hills, and Chamundi hills. Like the Northern Maidan this plateau also slopes towards the east in the direction of river Kaveri. A large part of this plateau is covered with red soil. This region gets more rain than the northern maidan.
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Let us quickly review some new terms from this chapter. They are Peninsula, diversity, coast, physical divisions, corals, ghats, and basalt. Now, here are some interesting facts for you to remember. The greatest ocean known by the name of the country India is the Indian Ocean. River Ganga is the sacred river to the people of India. The Indian Standard Time is taken from 82 and a half degrees East longitude, which passes through the centre of our country. The Yana mountain hill in North Kannada is made up of two rocky hillocks, with many streams flowing down its slopes. It is surrounded by thick forests and is a tourist centre. A distinct African-based bottle shaped gigantic Baobab trees are in Savanur in Haveri district, also called as Gorakhnath tree. Bijapur and Bhagalkote district breed of dogs called Mudhol Hounds are very popular and are exported to other countries. Handloom cloth sarees of Banhatti in Bagalkote district, silk sarees of Ilakal, and the slippers of Athani are famous and have great demand.
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A hillock at Muski, in Raichur district looks like Lord Buddha, in a lying down position. The Chuliki river, flowing through Basavakalyana in Bidar, seems to have inspired Basavanna. Davangere was known as the Manchester of Karnataka, because it was famous for cotton textiles. Now, let us solve the exercises together to prepare for your exams. I will read each question and give you the complete answer. Question one: Fill in the blanks. In terms of its area, India ranks seventh in the world. Question two: Karnataka has 31 districts. Question three: India has 28 states and 8 union territories. Question four: India's highest peak is Mt. Godwin Austin or Mt. K2. Question five: The Gateway of Karnataka is New Mangalore. Question six: The place which receives highest amount of rainfall in Karnataka is Agumbe.
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Question seven: Between which latitudes and longitudes does India extend. India extends between 8 degrees 4 minutes North to 37 degrees 6 minutes North latitudes, and 68 degrees 7 minutes East to 97 degrees 25 minutes East longitudes. Question eight: List out the neighbouring states of Karnataka. The neighbouring states are Maharashtra in the north, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana in the east, and Kerala to the south west. Question nine: Name the physical divisions of India. The four physical divisions are the Northern Mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateaus, and the Coastal Plains. Question ten: Which are the physical divisions of Karnataka? The three physical divisions are the Coastal Plain, the Malnad region, and the Maidan region. Question eleven: Name the districts of Karnataka which have a coast. The coastal districts are Uttara Kannada, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada.
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Now, let us go through the activities. Activity one: On the outline map of India and Karnataka, mark the major physical divisions of India and Karnataka. You should carefully draw the boundaries and label the Northern Mountains, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau, and Coastal Plains on the India map. On the Karnataka map, mark the Coastal Plain, Malnad region, and Maidan region. Activity two: With the help of your teacher mark the important mountains and plateaus and plains of India and Karnataka. You can locate Mt. Everest, Mt. Godwin Austin, Aravalli Range, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Malwa Plateau, and Deccan Plateau on the India map. For Karnataka, mark Mullayanagiri, Biligirirangana hills, and the Mysore Plateau. Activity three: Observe your surroundings and list out the physical features, vegetation and crops cultivated. Take a walk in your local area, note down the hills, rivers, or plains you see. Write down the types of trees and plants growing there, and list the crops that farmers in your region grow.
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That brings us to the end of our lesson on the Physical Divisions of India and Karnataka. I hope you now have a clear picture of our country's diverse landscapes, from the snowy Himalayas to the fertile plains, the mineral-rich plateaus, and the beautiful coastal regions of Karnataka. Keep practicing your map work and revise these geographical features regularly. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]