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INDIAN GEOGRAPHY
Position and Extent of India and its Locational Advantage:
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India forms part of the large continental land mass of Eurasia.
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It is located on one of the peninsulas of Southern Asia. The country extends from Kashmir in north to Kanyakumari
in the south.
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The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are situated on western and eastern side of peninsular India respectively.
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The latitudinal extent of the country is from 8°.4` north to 37°.6` north.
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India is a tropical country because of its latitudinal extend.
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The Tropic of Cancer (23½° N) which passes through the middle of the country.
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Indian standard time depends on 82.5° East meridian passing through Allahabad
 Southernmost Point of India--- Indira Point
 Northernmost Point--------------Indira Col
 Westernmost Point---------------Sir Creek/ Cori Creek in Rann Of Kutch (Guhar Motti Village)
 Easternmost Point----------------Kibuthu in trijunction
Size of India (in terms of area and population):
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India is the seventh largest country (in terms of area) in the world.
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The area of India is nearly equal to the area of the continent of Europe excluding Russia.
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India contains about one-sixth of the total population of the world.
The states through which Tropic of Cancer passes
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram
Neighbors of India:
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India shares her borders with China (Chinese Tibetan Autonomous Region), Nepal and Bhutan in north, Pakistan
and Afghanistan in North-west and Myanmar in east.
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The states sharing border with Pakisthan are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and J&K.
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Bangladesh forms almost an enclave within India on the eastern side.
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In the south, on the eastern side, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait separate India from Sri Lanka.
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The boundary between India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China is known as McMohan Line.
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The practical border between India and China is Line of Actual Control (LOAC)
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Azkai Chin is a part of India occupied by China.
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The boundary line between Pakistan and Afghanistan is known as Durand Line.
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The boundary between India and Pakistan is known as Radcliff Line.
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Practical border between India and Pakistan is Line of Control.
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India is surrounded by the India Ocean on its three sides, thus it is a subcontinent. India and its neighbors Pakistan,
Nepal and Bhutan are together known as the Indian sub-continent.
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The northern most tip, where the boundaries of China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan meet is known
as ‘Wakh Corridor’.
The largest country with which India shares border-China
The smallest country with which India share border- Bhutan.
But India shares the largest border with Bangladesh
And shares smallest border with Afghanistan
Physical Divisions of the Indian Subcontinent:
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A chain of high mountains radiate out from the Pamir Knot which lies just in the north of India.
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In these mountains the Hindukush, the Sulaiman and the Kirthar in the east and the Himalayas in the west
separate the Indian subcontinent from rest of Asia.
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Indian subcontinent can be divided into following physical divisions :
 The Great Mountains Wall of the North.
 The Great Northern Plains.
 The Great Peninsular Plateau
 The Coastal Plains.
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The Great Indian Desert.
The Island Groups.
Superlatives in India
The largest state in area-Rajasthan
The smallest state in India –Goa
The largest Union territory- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The southernmost state in India-Tamil Nadu
The state with largest Coastline- Gujarat
The state having largest Coastline in South India- Andrapradesh
The state having smallest Coastline-Goa
The oldest mountain ranges in India - Aravallis
The most populated state in India-Uttar Pradesh
The least populated state in India-Sikkim
Northern Mountains:
Trans Himalayans:
Trans Himalayans consists of three mountain ranges: Karakhoram, Ladakh and Zaskar.
Karakhorum Ranges:
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The mountains ranges extending from Pamir Plateau to Indus River in Kashmir are known as the Karakorum.
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The Karakorum Mountains contain the Siachen, the world’s largest mountain glacier outside the polar region.
(Siachen is the world’s second largest glacier)
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Siachen is known as world’s third Pole.
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The river originating from Siachen is Nubra
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Ancient name of Karakorum Range is Krishnagiri.
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It contains world’s second highest peak Mount K2 or Godwin Austin but it does not lie completely within India
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Kunjerab Pass is in Karakhorum range. World’s highest international highway , Karakhorum highway is in this pass.
Ladakh
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Ladakh range lies south to the Karakorum.
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The extension of Ladakh in Tibet is known by the name Mt. Kailash.
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Ladakh is India’s largest Loksabha constituency.
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Little Tibet is also another name of Ladakh.
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Ladakh is also called cold desert.It is also known by the name land of passes.
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Khardung la the highest motorable road in India in Ladakh ranges.
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Kargil Valley is also in this region.Suru is a river flowing through through this valley.
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Zaskar range lies south to the Ladakh.
Mountain wall of the North:
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Himalayas means ‘Abode of snow’ and they are young fold mountains, which were folded due to intercontinental
collision.
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The Himalayas, the highest mountain wall of the world, are situated on the northern boundary of India like an arc.
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From west to east the Himalayas are 2500 km long. The average breadth of the Himalayas is between 250 -400
km.
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Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, lies in these mountains in Nepal.
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The first men to climb Mt. Everest –Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
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The first Indian woman to climb Everest is Bachendri Pal.
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Kanchenjunga in Sikkim is the highest peak of the Himalayas in India.
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First Woman to climb Everest is Junko Tabei.
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Division of the Himalayas:
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The Himalayas consist of three parallel mountain ranges:
 The Greater Himalayas.
 The Lesser Himalayas
 The Outer Himalayas.
The Greater Himalayas (or Himadri)
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This is the northern most part of Himalayan range and is world highest part with an average altitude of 6100 m
above sea level.
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Himadri is known as Backbone of Himalayas.
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Himadri range is made up of granite rocks.Nangaparbath , the most dangrous mountain in India is in this region.
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Mount Everest world’s highest peak is located in Himadri (8850m
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Mount Everest is known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in China.
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The highest peak which lies completely within India , Kanchanjunga is in this region (Sikkim).
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Kanchanjunga is also known by the name five treasures of snow.
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The famous glaciers in Gangotri are Gangotri glacier and Yamunotri glaciers.
Important passes in Himadri.
Pass
Karakhoram
Zojila
Shipkila
Jelep La
Burzil
Lipulek
Nathu La
Location
Jammu& Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir
Himachal Pradesh
Sikkim
Jammu &Kashmir
Uttarkhand
Sikkim
Connectivity
India to China
Srinagar to Leh
Shimla to Tibet. The river Sutlej enters India through this pass
Eastern Sikkim and Lahsa.
Kashmir Valley to Central Asia
Uttarakhand and Nepal
Sikkim and Tibet
Lipulek ios also called tricorner as it is a pass between India Nepal and China. Lipulek Pass is used by Kailas
Manassarovar pilgrims
The Lesser Himalayas (or Middle Himalayas or the Himachal):
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South of the Greater Himalayas, the discontinuous range also lies parallel to it from west to east. This ranges 60 to
80 km wide and its average height ranges between 3500 to 4500 meters.
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Tourist centers like Shimla, Mussorie and Nainital are situated in this range. Mussorie is called the Queen of
Mountains.
From west to east middle Himalayas is divided into Pirpanjal range, Dhouladhar range, Mussorie range,
Mahabharath range.
Important Passes:
Pass
Location
Pirpanjal
Jammu & Kashmir
Banihal
Jammu & Kashmir
Rohtang
Himachel Pradesh
Connectivity
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu Srinagar NH 1-A passes from this path.(Jawahar tunnel is
India’s longest road tunnel)
Kullu Keylang road passes from this pass
Important Peaks:
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Important hill stations
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Pahal gav and Gulberg are in J&K
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Shimla, Manali and Dalhousie are in Himachal Pradesh.
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Dareeling is in West Bengal.
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Mussorie, Nainital and Bhimtal are in Uttarakhand.
Outer Himalayas (Siwaliks)
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This is the third and lowest range of Himalayas which is continuous.
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This is the youngest part of the mountains
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It forms the foothills and lies between lesser Himalayas and the great Indian planes.
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Valleys formed between Himachal and Siwalik are called Dunes.The largest dune is DehraDune.
Purvachachal (Eastern Hills)
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Eastern hills are discontinuous hills in the eastern part of India.
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Patkai bum in Arunachal Pradesh, Naga hills in Nagaland, Mizo hills in Mizoram are part of Eastern hills.
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Mizo hills are also called Lushai Hills
Regional division of the Himalayas
Name
Punjab Himalayas
Kumaon Himalayas
Nepal Himalayas
Assam Himalayas
Location
Between Indus and Sutlej
Between Sutlej and Kali
Between Kali and Teesta
Between Teesta and Dihang
Northern Plains
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This plain lies south to the Northern mountains
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It is also known as Indo –Gangetic Plain
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This is one of the most extensive stretches of the alluvium in the world deposited by the river Ganga, Indus and
Brahmaputra and their tributaries
Western Plain
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The western part of the Northern Plain is also called Punjab Plain. This part is drained by Indus and its tributaries
Eastern Plain
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Eastern Plain consists of the flood plain and the delta plains of Ganga and Brahmaputra.
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This plain is characterized by the streams that flow as sub-surface channels in dry seasons
Some Important Points:
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The vast plains of North India are alluvial in nature.
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It is composed of Bhabar and Terai, Bhangar, Khadar.
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Bhabar is a long narrow plain which is full of pebbles unsuitable for agriculture along the foot hills. This is a region
where rivers seem to disappear
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Terai is a Marshy damp area covered with dense forest and suitable for agriculture where rivers seem to
reappear.
The Bhangar are low plains which end in Khadar. Bhangar is a plain of old alluvium.
Khadar is the deposit of fresh Alluvium by the Himalayan Rivers. Khadar is highy fertile..
The Punjab-Haryana plain is drained by five rivers and the intervening area between the rivers is known as doab.
The Marshy areas of Punjab are called Mand.
Plateau
The peninsular Plateau
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The irregular Triangular plateau separated from the Gangetic plain to the north by Satpura and Vindya Ranges.
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Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats form its east and west boundaries
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The river Narmada divides the plateau into two regions: Malwa plateau in the north and Deccan plateau in the
south.
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The Satpuras lie between Narmada and Tapti.
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The Deccan trap represents the core of the Plateau region and it is in this part the oldest crystalline rocks are seen.
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Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats meet at Nilgiri Hills.
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South of this are Anaimalai Hills.
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Two branches of Anaimalai Hills are known as the Palani Hills and Yelagiri Hills (Cardamom Hills).
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The rocks of the Deccan Trap are rich in deposits of a variety of minerals. Granite, basalt; gneiss and quartzite are
the major rocks besides some limestone and sandstone.
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The main soil type of Deccan trap region is Black soil.
The Deccan Plateau:
This plateau is a triangular land lying to the South of the river Narmada. It is made up of lava flows in the cretaceous era
through the fissure eruptions.
Azir Ghat which is called the key to the Deccan is in this region.
Chhotanagpur Plateau:
This plateau is also called the mineral house of India.
It covers mostly Jharkhand, adjoining Eastern Madhya Pradesh and Purulia of West Bengal.
Meghalaya Plateau:
This is separated from Peninsular Plateau by Malda gap. Garo, Khasi and Jaintia are hills in this plateau. Mausynram ,
world’s wettest place is in Khasi region
Hill Ranges of the Peninsular India:
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Aravalli Range:
Aravallis are the world’s oldest fold mountains running in North East to South-East direction. It is an example of Relict
Mountain.
Jain pilgrim centre, Dilwara temple is located in Mt.Abu .The highest peak in Aravalli , Mt. Gurusikhar is in Mt. Abu .
Vindyan Range geographically divides India into South India and North India.
Satpura Range:
It is a series of seven mountains running in East-West direction, South of Vindhya and in between the Narmada and Tapi.
Eastern Ghats:
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The eastern edge of the plateau rises steeply to form Eastern Ghats.
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It comprises the discontinuous and low hills that are highly eroded by the rivers such as the Mahanadi, the
Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery etc.,
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Some of the important ranges include the Javadi hills, the Velikonda range, the Nallamala hills, the Mahendragiri
hills etc.
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The highest peak in Eastern Ghats is Jindhagada.
Western Ghats:
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The western edge of the plateau rises steeply to form Western Ghats.
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It runs from the South of the valley of river Tapi to Kanyakumari.
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Nilgiri hills are also called Blue Mountains.
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The highest peak in Western Ghats is Anamudi.
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Western Ghats was included in the world heritage site in 2012
Western Ghats and its Regional name :
 In Maharashtra and Karnataka Western Ghats are known as Sahyadri.
 In Tamil Nadu they are known as Nilgiris.
 Further South in Kerala and Tamil Nadu they are known as Anaimala and Cardamom Hills.
Passes in Sahyadris:
There are three important passes in the Sahyadris:
 Thalghat (between Mumbai and Pune)
 Palghat (between Palakkad and Coimbatore)
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Bhorghat (between Mumbai and Nasik)
Coastal Plains:
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The Coastal Plains separate the peninsular plateau from the sea.
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The plain along the Bay of Bengal coast is known as the Eastern Coastal Plain
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The Eastern Coastal Plain is also known as Coromandel Coast.
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The Eastern Coastal Plain of India stretches along the Bay of Bengal form river Subernarekha to Kanya Kumari.
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The Western Coastal Plain is a narrow strip of land along the western coast of India.
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It stretches from Gujarat to Kerala, The northern most part is called the Gujarat Coastal plain and the
southernmost plain is known as Kerala coastal plain.
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Buckingham Canal connects all the backwaters in the East Coast.
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Major Ports in India
Name of the Port
Coast
State
Kandla
Western Coast
Gujarat
Mumbai
Western Coast
Maharashtra
Jawaharlal Nehru
Western Coast
Maharashtra
Marmugoa
Western Coast
Goa
Manglore
Western Coast
Karnataka
Cochin
Western Coast
Kerala
Haldia
Eastern Coast
West Bengal
Paradip
Eastern Coast
Odisha
Vishakapatnam
Eastern Coast
Andhra Pradesh
Chennai
Eastern Coast
Tamil Nadu
Ennore
Eastern Coast
Tamil Nadu
Tutikorin
Eastern Coast
Tamil Nadu
Ennore is the only major port with private capital.
Islands:
India has two groups of Islands namely:
1) The Andaman and Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal.
2) The Lakshadweep Island in the Arabian Sea.
Drainage in India:
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Water drains in two direction in India
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90% of the land water drains into Bay of Bengal
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The rest of the water drains into Arabian Sea
In India Rivers can be divided into two main groups
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1.Himalayan Rivers
2.Peninsular Rivers.
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Himalayan Rivers:
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The Himalayan Rivers are snow fed and therefore perennial.
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The Himalayan river system is divided into three major river systems:
1)
The Indus System:
 The Indus is also known as Sindhu. Indus is the western most of Himalayan Rivers in India.
 Indus is the national river of Pakisthan.
 It originates from a glacier near Mansarovar Lake. In Tibet, it is known as ‘Singi Khamban’ or lion’s mouth.
 River Indus is of length 2880 km but only 709 km flows through India
 The most important tributaries of the Indus are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej,
 In Jammu &Kashmir the Himalayan Tributaries of the Indus are Zaskar, Dras, Gartang, Shyok, Shigar, Nubra.
 River Indus is considered as older than the Himalayas.
 Ravi the tributary of Indus is the smallest river of Punjab and is known as the river of Lahore.
 The Chenab is the largest of Indus tributaries.
 The Jhelum flows through Jammu & Kashmir. Sri Nagar is on the Banks of River Jhelum.
 The Beas rises at Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.
 The longest river in Indian subcontinent is Indus
2)
The Ganga System:
 The longest river in India is Ganga.
 It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3900 m).
 Ganga is constituted by two major streams known as Alakananda and Bhagirathi.
 At Devprayag, Bhagirathi and Alakananda meet and hereafter it is known as Ganga.
 The Ganga is joined by Yamuna at Allahabad.
 The meetimg place of Ganga , Yamuna and Saraswathi in Allahabad is called Triveni Sangamam
 The main tributaries of Ganga are Yamuna, Gomti, Ghagra, Gandak, Ramaganga, Son, Chambal, Betwa and
Ken, Kosi, Damodar.
 Yamuna is most important tributary of Ganga.
 Kosi is called as Sorrow of Bihar.
 Damodar is called as Sorrow of Bengal.
 Hoogly is a distributary of Ganga flowing through Calcutta.
 Farraka bridge is in Hoogly river.
 The River Ganga has been declared as India’s National River.
 It is considered as the holy river by the Hindus.
 Prayags
The Panch Prayags
3)
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Vishnu Prayag Alaknanda meet the Dhauli Ganga River
NandaPrayag Alaknanda meets the Nandakini River.
KarnPrayag Alaknanda meets the Pindar River.
RudraPrayag Alaknanda meets the Mandakini River.
Devprayag Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi.
Kumba Mela an important religious festival held once in every 12 years is held at Allahabad.
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Ganga is known by the name Padma in Bangladesh.
Brahmaputra is known by the name Jamuna in Bangladesh.
The Brahmaputra System:
 The 2900 km Brahmaputra is longer than Ganga but only one-third of the river passes through India.
 Brahmaputra is known as the Red river of India.
 The third major river system of North India.
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The Brahmaputra rises in Manasarovar Lake Tibet. In Tibet Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo.
It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh and there it is known as Dihang.
When it enters Bangladesh it is known as Jamuna.
The Ganga and Brahmaputra join in Bangladesh and form the extensive delta of Sundarbans. This name is
derived from the Sundri Tree that grows widely in this region.
The river line island formed by Brahmaputra in Assam is Majuli.
Lifeline of Sikkim is Teesta
Sorrow of Bengal is Damodar.
Sorrow of Bihar is Kosi
Sorrow of Odisha is Mahanadi
Peninsular Rivers:
Peninsular river system can be divided into two groups that is eastward flowing rivers and westward flowing rivers.
Eastward flowing rivers form delta, and fall into Bay of Bengal.
While westward flowing rivers form estuaries, and fall into Arabian Sea.
The main Peninsular Rivers are Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadi, Krishna, Kaveri (Cauvery) etc.
Mahanadi:
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The Mahanadi system consists of the main river of the same name and its tributaries, the important ones being
the Seonath, Hasdeo and Tel.
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Seonath is the first privatized river in India.
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Cuttack in Orissa is on the banks of Mahanadi.
Godavari:
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The Godavari is the largest peninsular river.
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The Godavari is originates from Triambak in Nasik district of Maharastra.
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It is known as Vriddha Ganga (Old Ganga).
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Rajahmundry is the largest city on the banks of Godavari.
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Pushkar Mela is held on the banks of Godavari.
Krishna:
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It is the second largest east flowing system of the peninsular region.
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The river rises in Western Ghats near Mahabaleshwar.
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Krishna drains the states of Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
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The major tributaries are Koyna, Bhima, Thungabadra and Musi.
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Hyderabad is on the banks of the river Musi.
Kaveri:
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The river Kaveri is the most southerly among the major peninsular rivers
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It originates from Thalaikaceri in the Brahmagiri Hills in Cooorg district of Karnataka
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River Kaveri is known as Dakshina Ganga
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Kaveri water dispute is between Karnataka and Tamilnadu
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The major tributaries are Bavani, Hemavathi, and Kabani.
Narmada:
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It rises in the Amarkhandak plateau.Its ancient name was Reva.
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It is the longest westward flowing river in India
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It separates Vindya and Satpura ranges.
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Dhuandher falls also called Marble falls is in this river.
Tapti:
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It rises in Belur district of Madya Pradesh.
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It is also a westward flowing river
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It lies south to Satpura ranges. Surat is on the banks of Tapti
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The major Eastward flowing rivers are: Mahanadi Godavari, Kaveri, and Krishna.
The major Westward flowing rivers are: Narmada, Tapti, Sabarmathi, Mahi, and Luni.
Major River valley Projects in India
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The first river valley project in India is DamodarValley project. It is of the model of Tennesse Valley project of USA
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Kosi Project in India is Bihar. It is the combined project of India and Nepal.
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The longest dam in India, Hirakud Dam is in Mahanadi River.
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The hydro electric ProjectRihand is in Uttar Pradesh which is also known as Govind Vallabh Panth Dam.
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Tehri Dam is in riverBhageerathi.
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The biggest dam in India is Bakra Nangal which is in river Satlej. Its water reservoir is Govind Sagar.
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Ranjithsagar dam is in Ravi.
Lakes
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The largest fresh water lake in India is Lake Wular in Jammu & Kashmir
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Kolleru in Andra Pradesh is the second largest fresh water lake.
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The largest salt water lake is Chilka lake in the state of Odisha
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The second largest salt water lake is Sambar in Rajastan
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Dal lake in J& Kis famous for house boat tourism.
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Pulicat Lake is in Orissa.
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The only floating lake in the world is Loktak lake
The only floating National park in the world is Keibul Lemjavo in Manipur
The Great Indian Desert:
 It lies to the west of the Aravalli range.
 It extends over major part of Rajasthan and Sindh in Pakistan.
 This desert does not get much rain as the Aravalli range run parallel to the south-western monsoon winds.
 It is in the rain shadow area of the Bay of Bengal current.
 Lake Sambhar is found here.
 Luni is a river flowing through the desert region which is dry most of the months which disappears in the Rann of
Kutch in Gujarath
 Kankar nodules are the calcium deposits found in soil horizon.
The Climate of India.
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India has tropical monsoon type of climate. It is greatly influenced by the presence of Himalayas in the North as
they block the cold masses from Central Asia. It is because of Himalayas that the monsoons shed their water in
India.
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On the basis of monsoonal variations India’s climate has been divided into four
1. Cold winter season from December to February
2. Hot summer season from March to May
3. Rainy season due to south west monsoon from to June to September
4. Retreat of monsoon from October to November.
5. Tamil Nadu coastal region receives rain during the retreat of Monsoon.
Western Disturbances:
Western disturbances are the winter rains in Northern Part of India formed due to the depressions generated over the
Mediterranean Sea and enter India after crossing over Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan under the influence of
Westerly jet stream. This rain helps the Rabi crops in North India.
The following table shows the summer rains in particular regions
Summer Rains
Significance
Norwester
It is a spring storm shower causing rainfall in Assam and West Bengal
Mango Shower
Thunderstorm causing rainfall in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh
Cherry Blossom
Thunder storm causing rainfall in Karnataka
Kalbaisakhi
Storms in west Bengal during summer
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Loo: It is a very hot and dry wind that blows in the months of May and June in north India.
Climatic Regions:
Indian climate varies from one part to the other. While some of the parts of the country are among the rainiest areas of
the world, others are extremely arid. India can be divided into climatic regions on the basis of a number of climatic
classification schemes.
Type
Tropical Rain Forests
Climate
Areas
Western Ghats, West coastal plains,
Parts of Assam, Meghalaya.
Tropical Savanna Climate
Most of peninsular region (except
leeward side of Western Ghats)
Rain shadow belt running
Southward from Central
Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu.
Punjab, Haryana and Kutch region
Tropical Semi-Arid Steppe
Climate
Tropical and Sub-tropical
Steppes Climate
Tropical Desert Climate
Humid Sub-tropical Climate
with dry Winters
Mountain Climate
Characteristics
High temperature throughout the year, heavy
seasonal rainfall, annual rainfall 200 cm
annually (May to November)
Dry winters, annual rainfall varies fro 76 cm
to 150 cm.
Low rainfall varies from 38 cm to 80 cm and
temperature from 20° C to 30° C.
Temperature varies form 12° C to 35° C
Western parts of Barmer, Jaisalmer
and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan
and parts of Kutchchh
South of Himalayas
Scanty rainfall (mostly in form of cloud burst),
high temperature.
Mountainous region (above 6000 m
or more)
Rainfall varies from 63.5 cm to 254 cm (most
during South-West monsoon)
Mid winters and extremely hot summers
Factors influencing Climatic conditions of India:

Physiography: Such as temperature atmospheric pressure, direction of wind and rainfall

Monsoon wind

El Nino: It is a narrow warm current, appearing occasionally off the coast of Peru in December by temporarily
replacing the cold Peru cold current

La Nina: It is the reverse of El Nino .It is a harbinger of every Monsoon showers in India
Forests of India
Forest Type
Tropical Evergreen forests
Tropical Moist Deciduous
Forests(This part constitute
about 20% of India’s forest)
Tropical
Forest
Dry
Deciduous
Dry or Arid Forest
Mountainous Forests or
Himalayan Forests
Mangrove forest in India
Region
Distribution
Climatic Conditions
 Rainy Slops of Western Ghats
Rainfall >200cm
 N-E India except Arunachal Pradesh.
Relative Humidity >70%
 Eastern Part of West Bengal and Odisha
Average Temperature is about 24° C
 Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Hot and Humid
 Eastern Part of Western Ghats N-E parts of 100-200 cm of rainfall
Peninsula
Moderate Temperature
 Middle and lower Ganga valley
 Foothills of Himalayas
 Parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, 500-100cm of rain fall
Punjab, Haryana, Rajastan
 Northern and Western parts of Madhya
Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Southern Part of UP
 Rajastan and adjoining part Haryana,
Low rainfall
Gujarat and Punjab
Humidity is less
 Rainshadow regions of Peninsular
Himalayan Region
Due to increase in altitude temperature decreases Himalayan
Forest contains most the varieties of the world
State/UT
11
Sunderbans
Godavari and Krishna
Ratnagiri
Gulf of Kutch
Condapur
Cauvery Delta
Types of Soil in India
Types of soil in India
Alluvial
Black soil (Also called
Regur soil)
Red
Laterite
Desert
Mountain
Saline and alkaline
Peaty and Marshy
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Karnataka
Tamilnadu
States
Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar,
Jharkhand
Compositions
Rich in potash and lime but
deficient in nitrogen and
phosphoric acid
Deccan Plateau, Valleys of
Krishna and Godavari. Andra
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu
Eastern part of Deccan plateau,
Tamil Nadu, Goa, Odisha and
Meghalaya
Summits of Eastern and
Western Ghats, Assam, Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka,
West Bengal and Odisha
West and North West India,
Rajasthan, North Gujarat and
South Punjab
Hills of Jammu & Kashmir,
Uttharakhand and Assam
Drier parts of Bihar, Rajasthan,
Rajasthan,
coastal regions of Odisha,
Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Rich in iron, lime,
magnesium, calcium but
lacks in nitrogen,
phosphorus and humus
Rich in iron ,potash but
deficient in lime, nitrogen
Rich in iron but poor in silica
Crops grown
Large variety of Rabi and
Kharif crops such as rice,
wheat sugar cane, jute,
cotton
Cotton, Sugar cane, jowar,
tobacco, wheat and rice
Wheat, rice, cotton ,sugar
cane and pulses
Tea, coffee, rubber, cashew
and millets
Rich in soluble salt,
Generally unsuitable for cultivation
but deficient in
but with the help irrigation millets
organic matter
barley cotton ,maize can be grown
Rich in iron and humus but
Tea fruits and medicinal
deficient in lime
plants can be grown
Rich in Sodium, magnesium Unit for culture
and calcium
Large amount of soluble
Rice and jute cultivation
salts and organic matter
Metallic Mineral Mines in India
Metallic Minerals
Mines and places
Iron
Kemmangudi, Sandur and Hospet (Karnataka)
Manganese
Karnataka, Odisha, Madhyapradesh,Maharashtra
Chromite
Odisha, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra
Copper
Malanjkhand, Khetri-Sanghana belt, Singbhum
Bauxite
Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand
Gold
Kolar and Hutti
Atomic Minerals
Atomic Mineral
Uranium
Thorium
Lithium
Zirconium
Beryllium
Antimony
Mines
Jaduguda (Jharkhand),Gaya(Bihar)
Derived from monazite, found in Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan
Leepidolite (Rajasthan),Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
Kerala coast, Andhra Pradesh
Nellore, (Andhra Pradesh)
Lahul and Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh
Agriculture in India

About 65-70% of the total population of the country is depending on agriculture.
12


Approximately 48.9% of our population derives its livelihood from agriculture.
Agriculture with its allied activities accounts for 45% of our national income.
Types of Agriculture in India:
Subsistence Farming:

In this type of agriculture, farmers work hard to grow enough food to survive only.

There remains no surplus to sell in the market.
Mixed Farming:

The combination of agriculture and pastoral farming is called mixed farming.

In this type of farming cultivation of crops and rearing of animals are done together on the same farm.
Jhum/ Shifting Cultivation:

This is a primitive form of agriculture, in which a plot of land is cultivated for a few years and then is deserted.

This slash and burn method of farming is carried on in jungles of north-eastern part of India e.g. in Assam,
Meghalaya, Mizoram etc.,
Extensive Farming:

This is a system of farming in which the cultivator uses a limited amount of labour and capital on relatively large
area.

Agriculture is done with the help of machines.
Intensive Farming:

This is a system of farming in which the cultivator uses large amount of labour and capital on a relatively small
area.

Agriculture is done with the help of manual labour.
Plantation Agriculture:

In this type of agriculture, trees or bushes are planted on huge estates.

A single crop like rubber, sugarcane, coffee, tea or banana is grown.
Three Crop Seasons in India:
1.
Rabi:
 This season starts after the rainy season. Sowing beings in September- October and harvesting takes place in
February – March.
 Wheat, barley, pulses and some oil seeds are grown in the Rabi season.
2.
Kharif:
 The Kharif season begins with the onset of the monsoons in June – July.
 The crop grows in the rainy season and harvesting takes place after the retreat of monsoon in SeptempberOctober.
 Rice, Maize, millets, groundnuts, cotton and jute are grown in the Kharif season.
3.
Zayad :
 This is the summer season for growing crops which remain till April, May and June.
 Products are mainly vegetables and fruits.
Important Crops in India:
Rice:

Growing best in areas of warm, humid climate, rice requires temperatures between 20°C and 35°C and well
distributed rainfall of about 100 cm or irrigation facilities.

The major rice-producing states are West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh etc.,

The World’s largest producer of rice is China, and India’s largest producer is West Bengal.
Wheat:

Ranking after rice in terms of both area and production, wheat is grown widely as it can adapt to a variety of
environmental conditions.
13



Wheat requires a moderate amount of rainfall of 25 to 75 cm and can be grown even in dry areas with the help of
irrigation.
The major wheat producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The World’s largest producer of wheat is China, and India’s largest producer is Uttar Pradesh.
Maize:

Maize can be grown over a wide variety of areas including mountain regions

The highest concentration of maize is found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and etc.,
Bajra:

It is an important millet crop grown in India.

Bajra is produced in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana.
Sugarcane:

India is considered the original homeland of sugarcane and is a leading producer in the world.

The country also has the largest area under sugarcane in the world.

The most important producers of sugarcane are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh.
Cotton:

Cotton is an important fiber crop of India and the cotton fiber is obtained from the fruit bolls of the plant.

It is one of the most important industrial crops of India.

The largest producer of cotton is Gujarat, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab
and etc.,

The World’s largest producer of cotton is China, and India’s largest producer is Gujarat.
Jute:

Jute fiber is obtained from the inner bark of the plant and has been the highest foreign exchange-earning crop of
India.

The chief jute-producing states are West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Odisha and Tripura.

The World’s largest producer of Jute is India, and India’s largest producer is West Bengal.
Tea:




Tea is one of the chief items of India’s export trade.
It requires temperatures between 24°C and 35°C.
The largest producers of tea in India are Assam and West Bengal and Nilgiri Hills (Tamil Nadu) region in the south.
The World’s largest producer of Tea is China, and India’s largest producer is Assam.
Coffee:

The coffee plant requires almost all the conditions a tea bush requires.

The largest coffee producer in India are Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh

The World’s largest producer of coffee is Brazil, and India’s largest producer is Karnataka.
Rubber:

Rubber requires high temperatures of around 35°C and more than 200 cm rainfall.

Kerala is the largest producer according for more than 90 percent of total production followed by Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka.

The World’s largest producer of Rubber is Thailand, and India’s largest producer is Kerala.
Silk:




India produces many varieties of raw silk, the mulberry and tassar are the most important.
The chief Silk producers are Karnataka, Jammu &Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Assam.
Bihar leads in the production of tassar silk.
The World’s largest producer of Silk is China, and India’s largest producer is Karnataka.
Tobacco:

Tobacco requires temperatures of 15°C and 40°C and rainfall of over 50cm or irrigation facilities.

The World’s largest producer of Tobacco is China, and India’s largest producer is Andhra Pradesh.
14
Coconut:

The chief coconut producers are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, etc.,

The World’s largest producer of Coconut is Indonesia, and India’s largest producer is Tamil Nadu.
Political Division of India: India is divided into 29 States and 7 Union Territories:
Andhra Pradesh:

Andhra Pradesh is the first state formed on linguistic basis in India.

At present Andhra Pradesh shares the capital Hyderabad with Telungana.

Hyderabad is on the banks of Musi

The proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amaravathi.

Hyderabad is also called Hi-Tech city.

Hyderabad is also known as Pearl City.

National Institute of Rural Development is in Hyderabad.

Nagarjuna sagar Srisailam Tiger reserve is located in both Telungana and Andhra Pradesh.

T. Prakasham the first chief minister of Andhra state is known as Andra Kesari.

The dance form of Andhra Pradesh is Kuchipudi

Andhra Pradesh leads all other south Indian states in the production of rice. Hence, it is known as the ‘Rice Bowl
of south India’.

Tirupati in Chittoor district houses one of the most famous temples in India. The presiding deity is known as
‘Venkateswara’.

Andhra Pradesh is rich in mineral resources; it is the leading producer of Mica in India.

Nagarjuna Srisailam Sanctuary is the largest tiger reserve in India.

The High Court at Hyderabad is made common for both residuary Andhra Pradesh and Telungana till a separate
High Court is set-up.

The satellite launching centre Satish Dhavan Space Centre at Sriharikkotta is in Andhra Pradesh

Central tobacco research institute is in Rajamundri.

The first ship building centre is at Vishakapattanam.

Vishaklapattanam is the one and only landlocked port in India.
Arunachal Pradesh:

The state is known as Orchid state of India

Capital is Itanagar.

Arunachal Pradesh is also known as the land of rising sun or the land of Dawn lit mountains.

Languages in Arunachal Pradesh are Tani, Nishi and Apatani.

Patkai hills are located in Arunachal Pradesh.

Namdapha National Park is in Arunachal Pradesh.

The state is having the largest number of regional languages

The population is predominantly tribal. The main tribes are Adi, Nishi, Tagin, Mishmi, Singhpho, Monpa etc

The state was earlier known as North West Frontier Agency

The traditional method of farming is Jhumming, a kind of shifting cultivation.

The state is also known by the name Paradise of Botanists.

The famous Buddist monastery Tawang is in Arunachal Pradesh.
Assam:

Assam is the tea state of India.

Capital is Dispur.

Kamarupa and Pragjyothishapura are the ancient names of Assam.

The oldest paramilitary force in India is Assam Rifles was formed in 1835.

The dance form of Assam is Sattriya.

Bihu is a festival of Assam.

The oldest oil refinery in India is Digboy

Petroleum and petroleum products from Assam amount to a large share of the country’s total output of
petroleum and natural gas.
15



Assam is the largest producer of tea.
Assam is the largest producer of the golden colored ‘muga’ silk in the world.
Kaziranga National Park is world famous for great one horned rhinoceros. Manas are another national park. Both
of them are in the world heritage site.
Bihar:

Bihar means ‘Vihara’.

Bihar was the home state of the Mauryan emperors.

Pataliputra was the ancient name of Patna

Sher Shah founded the city of Patna, on the site of the ancient capital Pataliputra.

Bodh Gaya, near Gaya in Bihar, is a Buddhist center of pilgrimage.

Nalanda was one of the great seats of learning in ancient India and contains the ruins of many Buddhist temples
and monasteries.

Sasaram is famous on account of the magnificent tomb of Sher Shah Suri, Emperor of Delhi.

Vaishali was the seat of ancient Lichavi Republic.

Mythili and Bhojpuri are spoken in Bihar.

Chhath is a famous festival in Bihar.

Goutama Budda Wild life sanctuary is in Bihar.
Chhattisgarh:

Capital of Chhattisgarh is Raipur.

Chhattisgarh means the land of 36 forts.

Bhilai Steel Plant is in Chhattisgarh.

Maikala Hills are in Chhattisgarh.

Kailas Caves in Ambikapur is in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh is the 26th state of the Indian Union.

Chhattisgarh is among the most backward regions in the political class.

The region is rich in minerals and earns a handsome royalty from mining activity.
Goa:











Goa is the smallest state in India.
Capital is Panaji.
Goa was part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. It became the 25th state in the Indian Union in 1987.
Goa is the state which was under foreign rule for the longest peroid (451 years).
The state having smallest coastline is Goa.
Ptolemy, the great geographer refers to Goa in his geography as ‘Gouba’.
The Goa government has introduced Konkani as the official language.
Tourism is a major industry in Goa.
The permanent venue of International Film Festival of India is Panaji.
Mandovi and Zuari are the main rivers. Mandovi is known as the lifeline of Goa.
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is in Goa.
Gujarat:

Capital is Gandhinagar.

The state having longest coastline is Gujarat.

Gujarat ranks first in the country in the production of cotton and groundnut and second in the production of
tobacco.

The city known as Diamond City, Surat is in Gujarat.

The place in Gujarat India’s Manchester is Ahmedabad.

The biggest tidal port in India, Kandla is in Gujarat.

Indian wild ass Sanctuary is located in Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.

National Diary Development board is in Anand, Gujarat.

Sardar Vallabai Patel University is in Anand.

The state accounts for nearly 63 per cent of infant milk produced in the country.

Gujarat is the largest producer of salt.
16



The first expressway of the nation is in Gujarat between Ahmadabad and Vadodara.
The wildlife sanctuary at Gir is the world’s last habitat of the Asiatic lion.
The sacred temples of Dwaraka and Somanath; Palitana, the picturesque mountain city of Jain temples on the
2000 feet high Shetrunaya hills and Udwada, the oldest Fire Temple of Parsees in India are just a few of the varied
attractions in the state.
Haryana:

The Capital is Chandigarh.

Haryana and panjab have their High court in Chandigarh.

The earlier name of Haryana was Aryanka.

The only river which flows through Haryana is the Ghaggar.

The state was the home of the legendary Bharata Dynasty, which has given the name Bharat to India.

Kurukshetra, the scene of the epic battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, is situated in Haryana.

National Diary Research Institute is in Karnal, Haryana

Haryana is proverbially known as ‘the milk pail of India’.

The first eco town in India is Panipat in Haryana.

Haryana is the first state to have electrified all of its villages.

The famous bird sanctuary in Haryana is Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary.

Lohri is a festival in Haryana.

The cricketer known by the name Haryana Hurricane is Kapil Dev.

The birth Place of Kalpana Chowla is Karnal in Haryana.
Himachal Pradesh:

Capital is Shimla.

Himachal Pradesh is known as the fruit bowl of India.

Thestate is also known by the name India’s mountain state.

The first state which banned the use of plastics

The H.Q of Dalai Lama is at Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh.

Himachal Pradesh is watered by a number of rivers, the most important of which are the Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej
and Yamuna.

Shimla, Dalhousie, Dharmasala, Kulu, Kasauli, Solan, Chail and Kufri are some of the famous hill stations. Kulu
valley is known as the valley of Gods.

Kharjiar in Himachal Pradesh is known by the name ‘Mini Switzerland’.
Jammu & Kashmir:

The winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir is Jammu.

The summer capital is Srinagar.

The river flowing through Kashmir Valley is Jhelum

The official language is Urdu. Dogri is also a language in Jammu & Kashmir.

The only state in India with a majority of Muslim population.

The Dance forms of Jammu & Kashmir are Rouf, Kud, and Dhamali.

Jammu & Kashmir is the only state of India having its own constitution

Main centers of attraction are Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonamarg.

Main pilgrim centers are Amarnath and Vaishnodevi.

The Mughal emperor Jahangir called Kashmir as the Paradise on Earth.

Shalimar garden in Srinagar was built by Jahangir. But Shalimar Garden in Lahore was built by Shahjahan.

The place in Jammu & Kashmir known as Little Tibet is Ladakh.

The main dams in Jammu & Kashmir are Bhagilar and Uri Dam.

Salal Hydro electric project is in River Chenab in Jammu & Kashmir.
Jharkhand:

Capital is Ranchi.

Ranchi is known as the city of waterfalls.

Jharkhand is known as the Tribal State. Santal, Munda, Korwa , Oranon, Kol are Tribesin the state
17





India’s first planned Industrial City, Jamshedpur is in Jharkand
The state is fabulously rich in minerals such as iron ore, coal, mica, limestone, graphite, asbestos, dolomite etc.
Jharkand is the largest producer of Uranium.
Nehru Zoological Garden is in Bokkaro.
Boccarro steel plant, TISCO’s plant at Jharkhand and Heavy Engineering Complex are some of its prized
inheritances.
Karnataka:

Karnataka was formerly known as Mysore.

The name Karnataka is derived from Karunadu, literlally means ‘lofty land’.

The vast ruins at Hampi, near Hospet, remain today as somber remainders of the glorious Vijayanagar Empire.

Karnataka is the largest coffee producer in India.

Karnataka accounts for 85 percent of the raw silk produced in the country.

Karnataka’s sandal soap and sandal oil are well known in world markets.

The ‘Garden City’, of Bangalore has been adjudged the cleanest city in India.

Mysore city is famous for the Dasara festival during September-October.

The famous Krishnaraja Sagar dam and Brindavan gardens are in Karnataka.

Sravanabelagola, where the 18 meter statue of Gomateswara Bahubali stands, is a Jain pilgrim center
Mahamastakabhisheka is held once every 12 years.

Gersoppa (Jog Falls) of Karnataka is world famous and is the highest waterfall in India.
Kerala: Discussed in another chapter.
Madhya Pradesh:

Capital is Bhopal.

The state often called as the Heart of India.

The state with largest area of forest land is in Madhya Pradesh.

Indian Institute of Forest management is in Madhya Pradesh.

Three biosphere reserves in Madhya Pradesh are Pachmarhi biosphere reserve (Satpura range), Amarkandak and
Panna National bio reserve.

Main tribal groups of Madhya Pradesh are Gond and Bedia.

The hill station in Madhya Pradesh known as Queen of Satpura is Pachmarhi Hill station.

The first tribal university in India is Indira Gandhi National tribal university in Madhya Pradesh.

Khajuraho Temple built by Chandela rulers is situated in Madhya Pradesh.

Omkareshwar dam is situated in Madya Pradesh.

Panna is the famous diamond mining place in Madhya Pradesh.

Kanha National Park mentioned in Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle book is in Madhya Pradesh.

The main river systems in this state are the Chambal, Betwa, Sindh, Narmada, Tapti, Mahanadhi and Indravati.

The major industries are the Bharat Heavy Electricals at Bhopal, the Security Paper Mills at Hoshangabad, the Bank
Note Press at Dewas, the Newsprint Mill at Nepanagar and Alkaloid Factory at Neemuch.

Pithampur near Indore is called the ‘Detroit of India’.

Khajuraho, once the capital of Chandela rulers is the embodiment of the great artistic activity between the 9 th and
12th centuries.

Ujjain, where kumbha mela is held every 12th year and Sanchi with ancient Buddhist monuments is among the
other tourist attractions.

Kanha National Park near Jabalpur is one of the most beautiful wild life sanctuaries in India.

Sanchi Stupa built by Emperor Asoka is in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhopal Gas Disaster happened in 1984. The cause of the Disaster was the leakage of Methyl Isocyanate.
Maharashtra:
 Capital is Mumbai.
 Mumbai is called the city of seven Islands.
 Mumbai is the most populous metropolitan city in India
 Gateway of India is in Mumbai.
 Mumbai has the largest and oldest stock exchange BSE in the country
18










Ajanta Ellora caves are in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Elephanta caves are in Maharashtra.
The largest oil refining centre in India is Bombay High.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park, previously known as Borivali National park is in Mumbai.
National Defence Academy is in Khadakvasla.
Prince of wales museum is in Mumbai
Maharashtra has India’s largest harbor, accounting for nearly 50% of India’s international passenger traffic.
Mumbai is also well-known for its film production.
Ganesh Chathurthi is the main festival of the state.
A Sports university, Asia’s first, was inaugurated in Pune in 1996.

The states known as seven sisters are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, and Tripura.
Manipur:

The state known as the gateway to the east.

Jawharlal Nehru gave the name Jwell of India to Manipur

Capital is Imphal.

The principal language is Manipuri also known by the nameMeitelion.

Handloom is the biggest industry in Manipur.

Manipur is the first to introduce Oak Tussar industry Sericulture.

The Loktak lake, the biggest fresh water lake in eastern India is in Manipur

Keibul Lamjao, the only floating national park in the world is in Loktak.

The iron lady of Manipur is Irom Chanu Sharmila.

The Indian boxer Mary Kom is from Manipur.

The classical dance form Manipuri is also called Raslila.
Meghalaya:

Capital is Shillong.

Meghalaya literally means ‘the abode of the clouds’.Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, has been called ‘Scotland
of the East’ because of its elevation
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It is the exclusive tribal state of the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos.
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Khasi Garo and Jaintia are also the names of hill ranges in Meghalaya.
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The wettest place in the world, Mowsynram is in Meghalaya.
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Formerly the wettest place was chirapunji whose earlier name was Sohra.
Mizoram:
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Capital of Mizoram is Aizwal.
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Mizoram, in the local language, means the land of hill people- Mizo itself means highlander.
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The people living in the Mizo hills are Kukis.
Nagaland:
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The capital is Kohima.
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The population of Nagaland is entirely tribal.
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These are Angamis, Zeliangs, Rengmas, Kukis, Semas, Aos, Lothas, Chang, Sangtam and Konyaks.
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Hornbill Festival is celebrated in Nagaland.
Odisha:
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‘Orissa’ was renamed ‘Odisha’ and ‘Oriya’ language was renamed ‘Odia’.
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Former name of Odisha was Kalinga. It was also referred to as Utkala

Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Odisha is known as the cathedral city of India on account of its numerous temples.
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Odissi is the classical dance form of Odisha.
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Puri (Jagannath Puri) is a coastal town in Odisha. It is one of the four dhamas (holy place of pilgrimage) in India.
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The famous poet Jayadevan lived in Odisha.
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Mahari dance is performed in Odisha.
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Konark is famous for the great temple of the SunGod. It is also known as Black Pagoda.
Puri Jagannath Termple, also known as White Pagoda is in this state.
Central Rice research Institute is at Kattak, Odisha
Odisha is the first state in India to privatise electriicty.
The longest dam in India Hirakud is built across river Mahanadi in Odisha.
Chilka is the largest brackish water inland lake in Asia. It is the first Ramsar site in India
The largest lion safari of India, and the only white tiger safari in the world, is located on the outskirts of
Bhubaneshwar.
Breakfast Islands and Honeymoon islands are in Odisha
The missile testing centre Wheeler Island is in Odisha.
Punjab:
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The land is highly fertile as it is watered by the tributaries of the Indus, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej and the river Ghaggar.
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The word ‘Punjab’ means land of five rivers.
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The fertilizer consumption in Punjab is the highest in India.

Punjab’s contribution is highest in the procurement of food grains for the central pool.And Punjab is known as
Granary of India and Bread basket of India
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The per capita availability of milk in the state is also the highest in the country.
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Per capita availability of eggs in Punjab is 90, the highest in India (national-22).
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Amristar, the city of the Golden Temple, (now renamed Harmandar Sahib), is sacred to the Sikhs.
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The only state in India having a Majority of Sikh Population.
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Wagha Boarder (Boarder between India and Pakisthan) is in Punjab.
Rajasthan:
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Capital is Jaipur.
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India’s largest state in area is Rajasthan.
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Thar Desert is in Rajasthan.
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The only hill station in Rajasthan is Mt.Abu in Aravalli ranges.
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The desert national park is situated in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
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Jaipur known as Pink City is in Rajasthan.
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Jaisalmer in this state is the driest place in India
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Hawa Mahal is in Jaipur.
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The fort in Rajasthan is in Chittorgarh.
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Bharathpur Birst sanctuary (also known as Keoladeo National Park) is in Rajasthan.
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The national tiger reserves in Rajasthan are Ranthambore National Park and Sariska Tiger reserve.
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The major rivers are Chambal, Banas and Luni and Ghaggar.
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Panchayathiraj instituitions were first implemented at Nagur in Rajasthan in 1959.
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Rajasthani handicrafts are famous all over the world.
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Pushkar Lake and Sambhar Lake are in Rajasthan.
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Indira Gandhi canal(from Punjab to Rajasthan) facilitates the irrigation in Thar Desert.
Sikkim:
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Capital is Gangtok.
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River Teesta and its tributaries drain the state.Teesta is known as the life line of Sikkim.
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Sikkim boasts of several hundred varieties of orchids and is frequently referred to as a botainsts’ paradise.
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The population of Sikkim is mainly made up of the Lepchas, the Bhutias and Nepalese.
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Sikkim has the largest area and the highest production of large cardamom in India.
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Khangchendzonga National Park is one of the highest national parks in the world and includes the world’s third
highest mountain (Kanchenjunga).
Tamil Nadu:
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Capital is Chennai and the Official language is Tamil
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Tamil is the first language recognized as a classical language
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The first bioreserve in India is Nilgiri biosphere reserve.

The classical dance form of Tamilnadu is Bharathanatyam.
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Tanjavur is known as Rice bowl of South India.
Tamilnadu is the largest producer of wind Energy
Pongal is the harvest festival of Tamilnadu.
Indira Gandhi Atomic Research centre is in Kalpakkam
Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur is built by Rajaraja chola.
Salem is known as Mango City.
Capital of Pallava Kingdom was Kanchipuram.
The main hill stations in Tamilnadu are Udhakamandalam (Ooty) and Kodaikanal.
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere is in Tamilnad.
The navigation project from Rameshwaram to Srilanka is known as Setu Samudram.
The Nilgiris and the Anamalai (Elephant Hills) are the hill groups with the maximum height.
Telangana:
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Telangana is the 29th state of the Indian Union.
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Hyderabad is the capital of Telengana.
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The first chief minister of Telengana is K.Chandraseghar Rao

Hyderabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and Nizamabad are the major cities in the state.

The city of Hyderabad is made the joint capital of both Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh for a period of 10
years.
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AndhraPradesh High Court is renamed as the Hyderabad High Court and is made common for both states till a
separate High Court is setup.

The Qutub Shahis of Golconda laid the foundations of the modern city of Hyderabad.

Charminar built by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty,as a reminiscence to the
eradication of Plague is in Hyderabad in 1591
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The famous diamonds, Kohinoor and Pitt, came from the diamond mines of Golconda.
Tripura:

Tripura is surrounded by Bengladesh on three sides of it

Capital is Agarthala.
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The official languages are Bengali and Kokborok.

NH44 the only national High way in Tripura which connects to the rest of the country.

Handloom weaving is the single largest industry in this state.

It has its unique tribal culture and a fascinating folklore.

In 2013, a separate high court was created for the state of Tripura.
Uttarakhand:
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Capital is Dehradun

Uttarakhand is known as Devabhumi.

Uttarakhand is the only state in India with Sanskrit as one of its official language.

Till 2006, Uttarakhand was known by the name of Uttaranchal.

India’s first national park, Jim Corbett National park is in Uttarakhand.The park was the first to come under
the Project Tiger initiative.

Indian Military Academyis at Dehradun.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) is a research and training institute on
public policy and public administration in India situated at Mussoorie.

UNESCO world heritage site Valley of flowers national park is in Uttarakhand.

Hindu Pilgrim centres Yamnotri, Gangotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Joshimath, Rishikesh and Haridwar and the
Sikh holy places Hemkund SahibGurudwara and Nanakmatt are in Uttarakhand.

Ganga Yamuna and Alakananda are main rivers in Uttarakhand.

Tehri dam across Bhageerathi river is in Uttarkhand

The famous hill stations in the state are Mussoorie, Nainital, Almora, and Dehradun.
Uttar Pradesh:
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Capital is Lucknow
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The most populous state is in U P.
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The state sharing boundaries with largest number (8 states) of states is U.P. It shares boarder Nepal.
The state with highest number of Loksabha seats.
Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ken, Ramganga and Gomati are the main rivers.
Tajmahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World is in Agra, U.P.
Varanasi(Kashi),Mathura, Ayodhya and Kushinagar are fampous pilgrim centres in U.P
UP is the largest producer of wheat and oilseeds in the country.
It leads all the states in India in the production of maize, barley, gram, and potatoes.
The state produces about one half of the total sugarcane output in the country. The state is India’s ‘sugar bowl’.
It was at Saranath, in UP, that the great Buddha preached his first sermon and laid the foundations of his
order.The famous Buddist site Kousumbi is also in U.P
Banarus Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University are in Uttar Pradesh.
Dudva and Pilibhit are the famous tiger reserves in U P.
West Bengal:
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Capital is Kolkata which is known as the cultural capital of India.

Architect of Kolkatta is Job Charnok

The highest jute producing state is West Bengal.
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Durgapur steel plant is in West Bengal.

The old Bengal (of which West Bengal forms a part) is known as Gauda or Vanga in ancient Sanskrit literature.

Kolkata’s metro rail project, the first of its kind in the country, was commissioned in 1995.

Places of interest are Victoria Memorial (picture gallery and museum), Indian Museum, Zoological Garden,
Pareshnath Temple (Jain temple), and Kalighat temple.

The famous cricket stadium Eden Gardens is in Kolkata.
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The first high court in India is Kolkatta.
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Silgouri corridor also known as chiken neck is a narrow road connecting West Bengal to N-E states.

The former French colony Chandranagar is in West Bengal.
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The largest reserve for Bengal tigers, Sundarbans is in West Bengal.

The first IIT in India was set up at Kharagpur in West Bengal.
A PROFILE OF UNION TERRITORIES
Andaman & Nicobar Islands:
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The largest archipelago in India is Andaman & Nicobar. It is also the biggest union territory.

Capital is Port Blair

Pygmalion Point (also known as Parsons Point) which has since been renamed as ‘Indira Point’ is the
southernmost tip of India.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also known as the Bay Islands being situated in Bay of Bengal.
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Andaman and Nicobar islands are separated by Ten Degree Channel.
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Myanmar is the neighboring country of India close to Andaman.
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Indonesia is the neighboring country of India close to Nicobar.
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The notorious cellular jail Kalapani is at Port Blair.
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Andaman & Nicobar is under the jurisdiction of West Bengal.
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The tribal people in Andamans are Jarava and Sentinelly and that of Nicobar are shopman, Caren.
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The main languages are Bengali, Munda and Kurk.

The only active volcano in India is Barren Island.
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The only dormant volcano in India is Nalcondom island

Duncan passage lies between South Andaman and little Andaman group.
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Coco Islands North of Andaman belongs to Myanmar.
Chandigarh:

Capital is Chandigarh.

Chandigarh serves as the capital of the states Punjab and Haryana.

The famous sculpture gardens Rock Gardens Rock garden and Zakir Hussain Rose Garden are in Chandigarh

The first planned city of India is Chandigarh built under the architect Le Corbusier.
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High Court of Chandigarh is the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.
A planned modern city; it was designed by the French architect Le Corbusier.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli:
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Capital is Silvasa.

The Portuguese ruled this territory till its liberation in 1954.

The High Court of Mumbai serves of the High Court of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The territory is a predominantly rural area with about 79 per cent tribal population.
Daman and Diu:

Daman and Diu was the colony of Portuguese.

Capital is Daman.

Daman & Diu is close to Gujarat.
Delhi (National Capital Territory):

The city of Delhi was founded in the 11th century AD by a Rajput chieftain of the Tomara clan.

The architect of New Delhi is Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

Popular monuments in Delhi are Juma Masjid, Jantar Mandir, Humayun’s tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort etc..

Lotus Temple is in New Delhi.

Rashtrapati Bhavan formerly known as Viceroy Lodge was built by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

The swaminarayanan Akshardham temple is in New Delhi

India Gate built in the honour of Indian soldiers died in World war1 is in Delhi

In 1912, the capital of British India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi.

Both the Delhis-the old city of the Mughals established by Shah Jahan and the new city constructed by the British
in 1931- preserve centers of tourist interest.

The main tourists attractions are Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mughal Gardens, Parliament Buildings, Chandni Chowk, Red
Fort, Juma Masjid, Raj Ghat, Shantivan, Vijaya Ghat, Purana Kila (Indraprastha), Humayun’s Tomb, Lodi Tomb,
Qutub Minar, Haus Khas, Safdarjung’s Tomb, Jantar Mantar and India Gate.
Lakshadweep Island:

The Lakshadweep Island in the Arabian Sea comprises of a group of 36 Islands, about 300 km to the west of Kerala
coast. Only 10 of the Islands are inhabited.

Kavarathi is the capital of Lakshadweep.

Agatti is the airport in Lakshadweep

Androth is the largest Island of Lakshadweep.

Malayalam is the official language of Lakshadweep.

Mahal is a language spoken in Minicoy.

Southernmost island is Minicoy.

Nine degree channel separates Minicoy from the rest of Islands in Lakshadweep.

Eight degree channel separates Minicoy from Maldives.
Puducherry:

The territory of Puduchery comprises the former French establishment of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

Till 2006, Puducherry was known by the name of ‘Pondicherry’.

Puduchery and Kalarikkal are situated in Tamil Nadu, Mahe in Kerala and Yanam in Andhra Pradesh.
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