India has the 7th largest area and the 2nd highest population in the world. India is the perfect example of diverse topography. It has excellent examples of beautiful land formations giving it a variety of vegetation, people, culture, and wildlife. Our country India has a diverse culture. Let us learn how many physical divisions are there in India with a proper description of its location and neighbouring countries surrounding it. In this section, you will find a proper description of the topics mentioned here.
India: A Brief Introduction
Many travellers visited different eras of history and depicted India as a diverse country where people consider guests as gods and believe in harmony. India has always been the prime attraction for other countries. Spreading across an area of 3.287 million square kilometers, this country is the home of a diverse ecosystem comprising exotic wildlife and vegetation.
Where is Our Country Located?
Our country India is located in the northern hemisphere spreading from the latitudes 37°6’N to 8°4’N. It has a span ranging from the longitudes 68°7’E to 97°25’E. The Tropic of Cancer (23°30’N) passes through the upper middle section of the subcontinent dividing it into two parts. The majority of this country enjoys a tropical and subtropical climate.
Due to the vast longitudinal distance, India has a difference in time witnessed by different zones. For instance, Arunachal Pradesh witnesses sunrise two hours before it hits Kutch in Gujarat. Despite the fact, the Indian Standard Time is considered to be 82°30’E longitude.
Administration and Neighbours
If you want to find out which is our country on the map, you can easily tell it by pointing at the neighbouring countries surrounding India in the eastern, northern, and western parts. The border of our country is shared by seven other countries that we call neighbours. These countries are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, China, and Pakistan.
India has 29 states as per the new configuration and 7 union territories. The capital of our country is Delhi. The central government takes care of the international affairs whereas the state governments take care of the individual states. Every state is divided into smaller sections called districts for better administration. Rajasthan is the largest state in India by area whereas Goa is the smallest state. Rajasthan is also bordered by Pakistan on the western side. If you study the map carefully, you will understand India’s physical and adjacent countries.
Physical Divisions of India
The geographical map of India is topographically divided into the following sections. This is the part where you will find the answer to ‘how many physical divisions are there in India?’
1. The Himalayan Ranges
The mighty Himalayan Ranges guards the northern and north-eastern border of India like a giant. This is the highest mountain range in the world. Our nation India is guarded against the Arctic winds by this huge wall so that the majority of the states can enjoy a subtropical climate. The ranges are divided into three parallel sub-ranges.
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The Greater Himalayas, also called Himadri, is the highest in the world.
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The Middle Himalayan ranges or Himachal.
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The Southern Himalayas or the Shivalik Ranges.
A majority of the highest peaks in the world are located in the Himalayas.
2. The Northern Plains
The Northern Plains are a prime division of India that comprises the river basins and plains. It includes the network of a few of the largest rivers in the world such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus. The river basins are rich in alluvial soil and provide the ideal place for human settlement. This is why this physical region of India is highly populated. Cultivation and industries are the prime occupations of the people here.
3. The Great Indian Desert
You will easily answer which is your country when it gives the hint of the Thar Desert. It is the desert region located in the western part of our country and is considered to be one of the diverse landscapes. It sprawls over Rajasthan and a part of Gujarat. Due to the arid climate and less vegetation, the human population here is also less.
4. The Peninsular Plateau
This is probably the vastest physical division of India that sprawls across the lower northern states to the peninsular region. This area covers a few of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Aravalli Hills resides on the north-western corridor of this division. Satpura and Vindhya mountains are also in this region. The eastern and western borders of this region are guarded by the Eastern and Western Ghats respectively.
5. Coastal Plains
This is the longest among the physical divisions of India. India boasts of its 7516 km of continuous coastline adding more diversity to its topographical map. The eastern coastline is guarded by the Bay of Bengal. The western part is guarded by the Arabian Sea and the southern part faces the Indian Ocean. This region is adorned by fertile deltaic formations in the estuaries of large rivers such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra.
6. Archipelagos
The presence of two archipelagos explains India is which type of country. In the south-eastern part of the subcontinent, Andaman & Nicobar Islands lies. In the south-western part, we find the Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.
You can now easily find out in which region India is located. Study this article properly to gather more knowledge about India and its different physical divisions.