📘 Indian Geography Notes for Competitive Exams
📍 1. Location and Extent of India
India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
Mainland latitudes: 8°4'N to 37°6'N
Longitudes: 68°7'E to 97°25'E
Total area: 3.28 million sq. km
7th largest country in the world
Tropic of Cancer (23°30'N) passes through 8 Indian states:
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura,
Mizoram
📍 2. Major Physiographic Divisions of India
a) The Himalayan Mountains
Young fold mountains, formed by tectonic collision
Divided into:
Greater Himalayas (Himadri) – Highest (Mount Everest in Nepal, Kanchenjunga in
India)
Lesser Himalayas (Himachal) – Hill stations: Shimla, Mussoorie
Shiwaliks – Foothills, prone to landslides
b) The Northern Plains
Formed by alluvial deposits of Ganga, Brahmaputra, Indus
Fertile, flat, agriculturally rich
Subdivisions: Punjab Plains, Ganga Plains, Brahmaputra Valley
c) The Peninsular Plateau
Oldest landmass of India (Archean rock system)
Divided into:
Central Highlands – Malwa Plateau
Deccan Plateau – Bounded by Western & Eastern Ghats
d) The Indian Desert
Thar Desert in western Rajasthan
Sandy, low rainfall (< 150 mm annually)
Luni is the only major river
e) Coastal Plains
Western coast: Narrow, has estuaries (e.g., Narmada)
Eastern coast: Broad, has deltas (e.g., Godavari)
f) Islands
Andaman & Nicobar (Bay of Bengal) – Volcanic origin
Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea) – Coral origin
📍 3. Major Rivers of India
Himalayan Rivers:
Ganga: Longest in India (2,510 km); Origin: Gangotri (Bhagirathi)
Yamuna: Tributary of Ganga; Origin: Yamunotri
Brahmaputra: Origin – Tibet (as Tsangpo); enters India via Arunachal Pradesh
Peninsular Rivers:
Godavari: Longest in Peninsular India ("Dakshin Ganga")
Krishna, Narmada, Mahanadi, Kaveri, Tapi
💡 Note: Narmada and Tapi flow westward; form estuaries.
📍 4. Soils of India
Soil Type Found In Crops Grown
Alluvial Soil Indo-Gangetic plains Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane
Black Soil Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra, MP) Cotton (Regur soil)
Red Soil Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha Millets, Pulses
Laterite Soil Western Ghats Cashew, Tea
Desert Soil Rajasthan Bajra, Guar
📍 5. Climate of India
India has tropical monsoon climate
Four main seasons:
Winter (Jan–Feb)
Summer (Mar–May)
Monsoon (Jun–Sep)
Post-Monsoon (Oct–Dec)
Southwest Monsoon – Main source of rainfall
Retreating Monsoon – October-November, causes cyclones in east coast
📍 6. Natural Vegetation
Tropical Evergreen Forests: High rainfall, Western Ghats, Andaman
Tropical Deciduous Forests: Most widespread, monsoon forests
Desert Vegetation: Thorns and xerophytes
Mangroves: Coastal, Sundarbans (West Bengal)
📍 7. Important Mountains and Peaks
Mountain State Height
Kanchenjunga Sikkim 8,586 m (highest in India)
Nanda Devi Uttarakhand 7,816 m
Anamudi Kerala 2,695 m (highest in Western Ghats)
📍 8. Important Indian Lakes
Wular Lake – J&K (largest freshwater lake)
Chilika Lake – Odisha (largest brackish water lake)
Sambhar Lake – Rajasthan (salt lake)
📍 9. India's Neighbours
Land border shared with 7 countries:
Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan
Longest border with: Bangladesh
Smallest border with: Afghanistan (106 km – Wakhan Corridor)
📝 Summary Points
India has diverse landforms and climate zones
Most questions are based on rivers, soil, climate, monsoons, and locations
Practice maps and diagrams for better score
