Download India, its regions and its climate

India, its regions and its climate
India is split into four main
regions:
North
South
East
Each region has its own unique
features, very different from its
counterparts.
Did you know that India used to be ruled by Britain?
Until the partition (divide) of India in 1947, Central India used to be made up of ‘princely
states’, areas of India which were not formally part of ‘British India’ and were ruled by
potentates (rulers) with titles such as Maharaja and Khan. Pakistan used to be part of
India until 1947 when they became two separate countries.
Northern India
North India is home to India’s capital city, New Delhi. The region of North India is
dominated by Himalaya mountains and the Indus-Ganga (also known as the North Indian
River Plain), a fertile area of land, often flooded by the Indus and Ganga–Brahmaputra
river systems.
The Himalayas form part of the world’s
largest mountain range, extending two
kilometres and dominating Northern
India. The range is bound by the Indus
and the Bhramaputra Rivers.
This mountain range and the rivers near it, impact other areas of the land as well. The
force of the rivers eroding the mountains, feeds the green plains. Eventually, the Ganga
and Brahmaputra rivers join to form the world's largest delta near the Bay of Bengal. The
Himalayas slowly flatten to create the forests of Srinagar and Jammu.
North India also homes some of the world’s grandest
buildings including the Taj Mahal and the Golden Sikh Temple.
Did you know the beautiful ceiling of Golden Temple is carved
with various precious stones and gold?
The Taj Mahal is considered one of the wonders of the world.
It is a monument which stands amid acres of gardens on the
banks of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra in north India.
North India has a varied climate. During summer, the temperature often rises above 35°C
across the Indo-Gangetic plain and as high as 60 °C in the Thar desert. During winter, the
lowest temperature on the plains dips to below 5 °C, and below freezing point and snow in
some northern areas. Dras is claimed to be the second-coldest place on the planet (after
Siberia) with temperatures of -60 °C.
North India is home to many wildlife sanctuaries and
animals such as: elephants, tigers, leopards, snow
leopards, deer, porcupines, foxes, bears, rhesus
monkeys, dolphins, snakes, scorpions, bir bahuti (red
mite), parrots, eagles and the endangered caracal (big
cat).
Did you know? The Himalayan Wolf of India are the world's oldest species of wolves.
Southern India
The south of India has very green and pure land which has not been spoiled by new
buildings or roads being built. Hinduism is the main religion in South India. The people
that
live
in
this
part
of
India
are
called
the
Dravidian people. They are very religious and pray in the temples. The temples are
decorated on the outside with coloured sculptures of gods and goddesses.
There are many temples in this
part of India. They are very
decorative and a main feature
for people who visit southern
India to go and see them.
By the roadside you will often see carts which are
pulled by oxen. They are very brightly coloured and
the oxen have painted horns. Villagers also harvest
their hay at the side of the road.
South India is bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east,
the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the
south. The geography of the region is diverse with two
mountain ranges - the Western and Eastern Ghats,
bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari, Krishna,
Kaveri, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important
sources of water.
Southern India has a tropical climate and depends on
monsoons for rainfall with the rainy seasons lasting from
June to September.
The Deccan Plateau covers parts
of central and southern India
The region is home to one of the largest populations of endangered Indian elephant and
Bengal Tiger in India along with leopards.
South Indian women traditionally wear a sari, whilst men wear a
dhoti. However, western-style school uniforms are worn by both
boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas.
The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the
floor, having the food served on a banana leaf and using the fingers
A traditional meal
served on a banana
leaf
of the right hand to take the food into the mouth. Eating on banana
leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavour
to the food and is considered healthy.
Eastern India
Most of Eastern India lays on the Bay of Bengal and Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Himalayas
overlap into this part of the land. They are a huge mountain range. Eastern India has
many beautiful beaches, temples and monasteries.
As well as this, people travel to Eastern India to visit
the mountains where the famous Darjeeling tea is
made. The Northeast part of the country is the
biggest contributor to tea production in India.
Did you know that India is the second largest tea
producer of the world?
The varied wildlife in East India includes the amazing Wild
Buffalos and One-horned Rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park
and the Pigmy Hog and Hispid Hare found in the grasslands of
Manas Tiger Reserve of Assam. Nearer to the coast you will find
mangroves and coral reefs too.
The region experiences hot summers from March to June,
monsoons from July to October and mild winters from November
to February. Further inland the climate is drier and slightly more
extreme, especially during the winters and summers, but the
whole Eastern region receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon
months. Snowfall occurs in the extreme northern regions of
Many areas remain flooded
West Bengal.
during the heavy rains.
Bengali is the most spoken language of this region and it is
also the second most spoken language in India after Hindi.
The majority of the population of East India is Hindu with small
Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Sikh minorities. Hinduism is the
dominant religion. Puri in Odisha is one of the coly
cities of the Hindu religion.
Odissi is a classical dance in Eastern India. It originates from the state of
Odisha, in Eastern India. Archeologists have found evidence to prove that
it is the oldest surviving dance from ancient India.
Performing Odissi
Almost 70 per cent of the world’s
orchids are found in India’s Northeast.
The world’s largest river island, the Majuli,
is in the Northeast. It is in the middle of
the Brahmaputra river.
Western India
Western India is bounded by the Vindhya mountain range
in the north, the Thar Desert in the northwest, the
Arabian Sea in the west with a large portion of Western
India sharing the Deccan Plateau with South India.
Before the partition (division) of India, the nowPakistani territories of Sindh and Balochistan were also
included in this region.
The western part of India is popular for tourists looking for
relaxing breaks because of its beaches. However, the region is
highly industrialized, with a large urban population. The cities
in Western India are very modern, with many skyscrapers and
there is a hectic working life for the people who live there.
The vegetation varies from tropical rainforests along the Konkan
coast to thorny bushes and shrubs in northern Gujarat. This is a very
dry area of land with some forest. The four major rivers running
Konkan in monsoon
through India help to support this land, creating a fertile soil where
many species of animal and plant life can live.
Some of the cities in Western India include Gujarat,
Maharashtra, and Goa. These are coastal areas (near to
the sea) and the weather is milder than in other areas of
India. In this region of India, there are plains and
highlands which produce wheat and pulses. There is also a
thriving fishing industry.
Fisherman in Maharashtra
The majority of Indians in Western India follow Hinduism, with a significant minority who
follow Islam.
Bollywood (Indian film industry) has had a huge impact on the
lifestyle and culture of this part of India as the industry is
primarily located in Mumbai. But, many people also live in this
region in poverty. In many areas, basic shelters provide homes
to lots of people. In particular, Mumbai (Bombay) is known for
having lots of poor families living in shanty towns or “slums”.
It is not only the Asiatic Lion which brings visitors to the
Western India. There are many wildlife sanctuaries and
national parks which support a huge variety of animal and
bird life. Along with the lions, there are other famous
species of animals like blackbuck, Indian wild ass, Ridley
turtles, eels, wolves and desert cats.
Information sourced from:
http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/india.html
http://greetingindia.tripod.com/climateland.html
http://india-tour.us/indian-regions/
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/countries/india.html
http://www.oddizzi.com/teachers/explore-the-world/country-close-up/case-study-india/