Physical set-up of India
In patriotic songs we hear of rivers, mountains and plains. Our country has all of them: snow peaks in the north, a long sea coast in the south, and deserts in the west.
India has many landforms: rivers, mountains, plateaus, plains, islands, forests and deserts. The land surrounded by water on three sides is the Indian peninsula (भारतीय द्वीपकल्प).
Rule 1: Landforms of India — Our country has rivers, mountains, plateaus, plains, islands, forests and deserts. The Indian subcontinent is surrounded by water on three sides and narrows towards the south.
In the figure : In the figure India has many kinds of landforms.
- Easy : Easy: India has rivers and mountains.
- Medium : Medium: The south of India is surrounded by water on three sides.
- Exam-type : Exam: The southern part is called the Indian peninsula.
Rule 2: Himalaya and the weather — The lofty Himalaya ranges mark our northern border. India is so large, and its height above sea level varies so much (going beyond 8000 metres), that the weather differs from region to region.
Physical set-up of India
In the app you can move this figure with your finger.
Open in the app- Easy : Easy: The Himalaya are in the north.
- Medium : Medium: Height changes the weather.
- Exam-type : Exam: Large size and varying height cause weather differences.
Water on three sides = peninsula. Himalaya in the north. Weather changes by region.
Thinking all India has the same weather. It differs from place to place.
Memory clue: "उत्तरेला हिमालय, तिन्ही बाजूंना समुद्र".
Spot the difference
| Feature | Where |
|---|---|
| Himalaya | North border |
| Peninsula | South, water on three sides |
| Deserts | West |
Practice questions
- 1Name three landforms of India.
- 2What is the Indian peninsula?
- 3Which mountains define our northern border?
- 4How high does India's height go above sea level?
- 5Why does weather differ across India?
- 6Which side of India has the sea?
- 7A mountain is 8000 m high and a plain is 100 m high. By how much do they differ?
- 8Why can people in the north and the south wear different clothes in the same month?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Mountains, plains and plateaus (any three).
- 2The southern part surrounded by water on three sides.
- 3The Himalaya.
- 4Beyond 8000 metres.
- 5The country is large and its height above sea level varies.
- 6East, south and west.
- 78000 − 100 = 7900 m.
- 8The weather differs between the regions.
Diversity in India
For lunch, a family in Punjab eats wheat roti, a family in Kerala eats rice, and a family in Maharashtra eats jowar bhakri. The weather and crops of each place decide the food.
Diversity (विविधता) means many kinds. India has diversity of weather, crops, plants, animals, languages and customs.
Rule 1: Crops and nature — Changing weather gives a wide variety of plants, animals and birds, and differences in crops. Wheat is a main crop in the north, rice in the south and along the coast, and jowar is grown widely in central India.
In the figure : In the figure the weather differs from region to region, so the main crops differ too.
- Easy : Easy: Wheat grows mostly in the north.
- Medium : Medium: Rice is the main crop in the south and on the coast.
- Exam-type : Exam: Jowar is grown on a large scale in central India.
Rule 2: Culture and nature — This diversity affects our lifestyle, customs, traditions and culture. People of many castes, tribes and religions live in India, many languages are spoken, and food, clothing and festivals differ by region. The variety of plants, animals and birds is easy to see in forested regions, and we must preserve it.
- Easy : Easy: Many languages are spoken in India.
- Medium : Medium: Festivals and clothes differ by region.
- Exam-type : Exam: We must preserve the diversity of plants and animals.
Wheat: north; rice: south and coast; jowar: central India. Diversity must be preserved.
Thinking differences are a problem. Diversity is India's richness.
Memory clue: "उत्तर = गहू, दक्षिण = भात, मध्य = ज्वारी".
Spot the difference
| Region | Main crop |
|---|---|
| North | Wheat |
| South and coast | Rice |
| Central India | Jowar |
Practice questions
- 1Which is the main crop of the north?
- 2Which crop is grown along the coast?
- 3Which crop is grown on a large scale in central India?
- 4Why do crops differ from region to region?
- 5Name two things that differ across India's regions.
- 6Where is the diversity of plants and animals easily seen?
- 7Why must we preserve diversity?
- 8A family moves from Punjab to Kerala. What change might it notice in its food?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Wheat.
- 2Rice.
- 3Jowar.
- 4The weather differs.
- 5Food and festivals (also clothing, language).
- 6In forested regions.
- 7It enriches life and nature and, once lost, cannot return.
- 8More rice and less wheat.
Political India
To find out where your school is, you use an address. For the country, you use a political map that shows States and the capital.
India is a democratic republic (लोकशाही गणराज्य) and its capital is New Delhi (नवी दिल्ली).
Rule 1: Biggest and smallest States — By area, Rajasthan is the largest State, Madhya Pradesh is second and Maharashtra is third. Goa is the smallest State.
In the figure : In the figure Rajasthan is the largest State, then Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra; Goa is the smallest.
- Easy : Easy: The capital is New Delhi.
- Medium : Medium: Maharashtra is the third largest State.
- Exam-type : Exam: Goa is the smallest State by area.
Rule 2: State project — For a class activity, each student picks one State and collects social and cultural facts (language, festivals, clothing, dance forms) and geographical facts (landforms, water bodies, forests). Charts of States and Union Territories (UT) are put up in the classroom.
- Easy : Easy: Pick one State for the project.
- Medium : Medium: Collect language, festivals and dance forms.
- Exam-type : Exam: Also collect landforms, water bodies and forests.
Capital: New Delhi. Largest: Rajasthan; smallest: Goa.
Calling Maharashtra the largest State. It is the third.
Memory clue: "रा-म-म : राजस्थान, मध्य प्रदेश, महाराष्ट्र".
Spot the difference
| Rank by area | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rajasthan |
| 2 | Madhya Pradesh |
| 3 | Maharashtra |
| Smallest | Goa |
Practice questions
- 1What type of country is India?
- 2What is the capital of India?
- 3Which is the largest State by area?
- 4Which is the smallest State?
- 5Where does Maharashtra stand by area?
- 6Which State is second largest?
- 7What facts will you collect for a State project?
- 8Name the largest, second and third largest States in order.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1A democratic republic.
- 2New Delhi.
- 3Rajasthan.
- 4Goa.
- 5Third.
- 6Madhya Pradesh.
- 7Language, festivals, clothing, dance, landforms, water bodies and forests.
- 8Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.
Islands and sea forts
Harsh and Tanishka live in Mumbai. They first visit their uncle in Chennai, then fly to the Andaman and Nicobar islands. On the way they cross the sea and see how far our country stretches.
Besides the mainland, India has groups of islands: Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea and Andaman and Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal.
Rule 1: Islands — Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar islands lie in the Bay of Bengal. There are also coastal islands near the mainland. All these islands have a strategic location for defence.
In the figure : In the figure the islands are important for defence, and sea forts guard the Konkan coast.
- Easy : Easy: Lakshadweep is in the Arabian Sea.
- Medium : Medium: Andaman and Nicobar are in the Bay of Bengal.
- Exam-type : Exam: Islands are strategic from the defence point of view.
Rule 2: Sea forts — Long ago, forts were built on some islands off the coast of Maharashtra to protect the coast. These are called sea forts (जलदुर्ग). Several can be seen along the Konkan coast, for example Janjira.
- Easy : Easy: Janjira is a sea fort.
- Medium : Medium: Sea forts guard the Konkan coast.
- Exam-type : Exam: Sea forts were built on islands off the coast.
Lakshadweep: Arabian Sea. Andaman and Nicobar: Bay of Bengal. Sea forts: Konkan coast.
Swapping the two seas. Lakshadweep is west, Andaman is east.
Memory clue: "लक्षद्वीप = अरबी, अंदमान = बंगाल".
Spot the difference
| Island group | Sea |
|---|---|
| Lakshadweep | Arabian Sea |
| Andaman and Nicobar | Bay of Bengal |
| Sea forts | Konkan coast, e.g. Janjira |
Practice questions
- 1Where are the Lakshadweep islands?
- 2Where are the Andaman and Nicobar islands?
- 3Why are the islands important?
- 4What are sea forts?
- 5Name one sea fort of the Konkan coast.
- 6Harsh goes Mumbai → Chennai → Andaman. Which sea does he cross to reach the Andaman islands?
- 7Which islands are on India's west and which on its east?
- 8Why were forts built on islands near the coast?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1In the Arabian Sea.
- 2In the Bay of Bengal.
- 3They are strategic for defence.
- 4Forts built on islands off the coast to protect it.
- 5Janjira.
- 6The Bay of Bengal.
- 7West: Lakshadweep. East: Andaman and Nicobar.
- 8Enemies coming by sea could be watched and stopped from there.
Learning about India with maps
To plan a trip, you open a map. Maps tell you where mountains, rivers and States are, and even which route a mango takes from the orchard to your home.
A physical map shows landforms and water bodies. A political map shows States. Another map shows cash crops and transport routes.
Rule 1: Reading maps — The physical map shows landforms and water bodies, and the political map shows States. The map of cash crops and transport routes helps us trace how coffee, tea, oranges and mangoes reach us.
- Easy : Easy: A physical map shows mountains and rivers.
- Medium : Medium: A political map shows States.
- Exam-type : Exam: A transport map shows how mangoes reach our market.
Rule 2: Other sources — We can also collect information from the school library, newspapers, magazines, the internet, television and the teacher. Activities teach us about languages, clothes, festivals and other features of India.
In the figure : In the figure many sources help us learn about India.
- Easy : Easy: A library is a source of information.
- Medium : Medium: Newspapers and the internet also give information.
- Exam-type : Exam: Activities help us learn about languages and festivals.
Physical map = landforms and water. Political map = States. Use many sources.
Using only one source. Check information from more than one source.
Memory clue: "भौतिक = भू + पाणी, राजकीय = राज्ये".
Spot the difference
| Map | Shows |
|---|---|
| Physical | Landforms and water bodies |
| Political | States and capital |
| Cash crops and transport | Routes of coffee, tea, oranges, mangoes |
Practice questions
- 1What does a physical map show?
- 2What does a political map show?
- 3Which map helps us trace how mangoes reach us?
- 4Name two sources of information about India.
- 5Name two cash crops mentioned in the lesson.
- 6Which map would you use to find the highest mountain?
- 7Which map would you use to find the neighbouring State?
- 8Why should we check information from more than one source?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Landforms and water bodies.
- 2States.
- 3The map of cash crops and transport routes.
- 4School library and newspapers (any two).
- 5Coffee and tea.
- 6The physical map.
- 7The political map.
- 8One source may be wrong or incomplete.
Quick revision
- India is surrounded by water on three sides in the south; the Himalaya define the northern border.
- Wheat in the north, rice in the south and coast, jowar in central India; Rajasthan is the largest State, Goa the smallest.
- Lakshadweep is in the Arabian Sea, Andaman and Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal; sea forts guard the coast.