SPI Geography · Indian Geography — Physical Features
The Himalayas and the Northern Plains
The Himalayas run in three parallel ranges and are divided from west to east by rivers; south of them, the Northern Plains are made of river deposits laid down in belts.
Why this matters
Five questions in the bank, three EASY and two MODERATE. Each asks for one name: a range, a division between two rivers, a peak, a kind of alluvium or the part of the plain between two rivers. The names sound alike (Himadri, Himachal; bhabar, bhangar), so learn each with the fact that sets it apart.
Concept 1 of 4: The three parallel ranges and the highest peaks
Seen from north to south, the Himalayas are three ranges side by side, each lower than the one before it. The highest peaks are in the northern range; the hill stations are in the middle one; the low outer hills face the plains.
Definition
- Himadri (Great or Inner Himalayas): the northernmost and highest range, about 6,000 m high on average, covered in snow all year.
- Himachal (Lesser or Middle Himalayas): south of Himadri. Its ranges include the Pir Panjal, the Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat, and it has most of the hill stations.
- Shiwalik (Outer Himalayas): the outermost range, only 900 to 1,100 m high, made of loose sediments brought down by rivers.
- The long valleys between the Himachal and the Shiwalik are called duns, such as Dehra Dun.
- Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. K2 (Godwin Austen), about 8,611 m, in the Karakoram range, is the second highest.
| Range | Other name | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Himadri | Great or Inner Himalayas | Northernmost and highest; snow all year |
| Himachal | Lesser or Middle Himalayas | Pir Panjal, Dhaula Dhar, Mahabharat ranges; hill stations |
| Shiwalik | Outer Himalayas | Lowest and outermost, 900 to 1,100 m Duns such as Dehra Dun lie between the Himachal and the Shiwalik. |
Highest peak in the world: Mount Everest. Second highest: K2 (Godwin Austen), in the Karakoram.
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The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 1 · Indian Geography — Physical Features · The Himalayas and the Northern Plains
The lesser Himalayas are also called
Mixing up Himadri and Himachal
Himadri is the Great Himalayas, the high snowy range in the north. Himachal is the Lesser Himalayas, the middle range. The state of Himachal Pradesh takes its name from the same word, which helps you remember Himachal is the one with the hill stations.
Taking the Karakoram for a peak
The Karakoram is a range. K2 is the peak in it, the second highest in the world.
Concept 2 of 4: Divisions of the Himalayas by river valleys
From west to east, rivers cut the Himalayas into parts, and each part is named after the region it lies in. Learn the rivers in order from west to east and each division falls between two of them.
Definition
- Punjab Himalayas: between the Indus and the Satluj.
- Kumaon Himalayas: between the Satluj and the Kali.
- Nepal Himalayas: between the Kali and the Teesta.
- Assam Himalayas: between the Teesta and the Dihang.
- Beyond the Dihang gorge the mountains turn south along India's eastern border. These are the Purvanchal (eastern hills): the Patkai, Naga, Manipur and Mizo hills.
| Division | From river | To river |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab Himalayas | Indus | Satluj |
| Kumaon Himalayas | Satluj | Kali |
| Nepal Himalayas | Kali | Teesta |
| Assam Himalayas | Teesta | Dihang |
River order from west to east: Indus, Satluj, Kali, Teesta, Dihang. The Purvanchal lies beyond the Dihang.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionModerate
Example 2 · Indian Geography — Physical Features · The Himalayas and the Northern Plains
The part of Himalaya lying between Teesta and Dihang rivers is known as
Calling the Purvanchal a part of the Assam Himalayas
The Assam Himalayas end at the Dihang. The Purvanchal is the line of hills that turns south beyond the Dihang gorge.
Getting the river order wrong
The Satluj comes before the Kali, and the Kali before the Teesta. If you place the Kali west of the Satluj, every division shifts by one.
Concept 3 of 4: Belts of the Northern Plains: bhabar, terai, bhangar, khadar
The Northern Plains are built from mud, sand and pebbles carried down by Himalayan rivers. Close to the hills the coarse pebbles drop first; further out the fine alluvium spreads. Each strip has its own name.
Definition
- Bhabar: a narrow belt, about 8 to 16 km wide, of pebbles at the foot of the Shiwaliks. Streams sink into it and disappear.
- Terai: south of the bhabar. The streams come up again and make the land wet, swampy and marshy.
- Bhangar: the older alluvium, on higher land above the level of floods.
- Khadar: the newer, younger alluvium of the flood plains, renewed almost every year and very fertile.
| Name | What it is | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Bhabar | Belt of pebbles, 8 to 16 km wide; streams disappear | Foot of the Shiwaliks |
| Terai | Wet, swampy, marshy land; streams reappear | South of the bhabar |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium | Above the flood level |
| Khadar | Newer, younger alluvium; very fertile | Flood plains Khadar is renewed by floods almost every year. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 3 · Indian Geography — Physical Features · The Himalayas and the Northern Plains
The newer younger deposits of flood plains are called:
Mixing up bhabar and bhangar
Both start with bh. Bhabar is the pebble belt at the foot of the hills; bhangar is the old alluvium of the plain. Only bhangar is a kind of alluvium.
Thinking the older alluvium is the more fertile
Khadar, the newer alluvium, is renewed by floods and is the more fertile one. Bhangar is older and lies above the floods.
Concept 4 of 4: Parts of the Northern Plains from west to east
The Northern Plains are one long stretch, but each part belongs to a different river system: the Indus in the west, the Ganga in the middle, the Brahmaputra in the east.
Definition
- Punjab plain: the western part, made by the Indus and its tributaries. Much of it is made of doabs, the land between two rivers.
- Ganga plain: between the Ghaggar and the Teesta rivers, across North India and West Bengal.
- Brahmaputra plain: the eastern part, in Assam.
| Part | River system | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab plain | Indus and its tributaries | West |
| Ganga plain | Ganga | Between the Ghaggar and the Teesta |
| Brahmaputra plain | Brahmaputra | Assam, in the east |
A doab is the land between two rivers that meet.
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionModerate
Example 4 · Indian Geography — Physical Features · The Himalayas and the Northern Plains
The plain extends between Ghaggar and Teesta rivers is
Calling the bhabar a part of the plain
The bhabar is a narrow belt of pebbles along the hills, not one of the three parts of the plain. The parts are named after the Indus (Punjab), the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (4)
The three parallel ranges and the highest peaks3 rows
| Range | Other name | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| Himadri | Great or Inner Himalayas | Northernmost and highest; snow all year |
| Himachal | Lesser or Middle Himalayas | Pir Panjal, Dhaula Dhar, Mahabharat ranges; hill stations |
| Shiwalik | Outer Himalayas | Lowest and outermost, 900 to 1,100 m Duns such as Dehra Dun lie between the Himachal and the Shiwalik. |
Highest peak in the world: Mount Everest. Second highest: K2 (Godwin Austen), in the Karakoram.
Divisions of the Himalayas by river valleys4 rows
| Division | From river | To river |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab Himalayas | Indus | Satluj |
| Kumaon Himalayas | Satluj | Kali |
| Nepal Himalayas | Kali | Teesta |
| Assam Himalayas | Teesta | Dihang |
River order from west to east: Indus, Satluj, Kali, Teesta, Dihang. The Purvanchal lies beyond the Dihang.
Belts of the Northern Plains: bhabar, terai, bhangar, khadar4 rows
| Name | What it is | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Bhabar | Belt of pebbles, 8 to 16 km wide; streams disappear | Foot of the Shiwaliks |
| Terai | Wet, swampy, marshy land; streams reappear | South of the bhabar |
| Bhangar | Older alluvium | Above the flood level |
| Khadar | Newer, younger alluvium; very fertile | Flood plains Khadar is renewed by floods almost every year. |
Parts of the Northern Plains from west to east3 rows
| Part | River system | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Punjab plain | Indus and its tributaries | West |
| Ganga plain | Ganga | Between the Ghaggar and the Teesta |
| Brahmaputra plain | Brahmaputra | Assam, in the east |
A doab is the land between two rivers that meet.
Watch out for (7)
- Mixing up Himadri and Himachal→ The three parallel ranges and the highest peaks
- Taking the Karakoram for a peak→ The three parallel ranges and the highest peaks
- Calling the Purvanchal a part of the Assam Himalayas→ Divisions of the Himalayas by river valleys
- Getting the river order wrong→ Divisions of the Himalayas by river valleys
- Mixing up bhabar and bhangar→ Belts of the Northern Plains: bhabar, terai, bhangar, khadar
- Thinking the older alluvium is the more fertile→ Belts of the Northern Plains: bhabar, terai, bhangar, khadar
- Calling the bhabar a part of the plain→ Parts of the Northern Plains from west to east
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