Coastal Plains of Bay of Bengal

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Questions and Answers

What is the name of the largest saltwater lake in India?

Lake Mahanadi

Lake Chilika (correct)

Lake Krishna

Lake Godavari

Which of the following rivers has formed an extensive delta on the coast of the Bay of Bengal?

Mahanadi

Krishna

Godavari

All of the above (correct)

What is the name of the coastal plain in the northern part of the Bay of Bengal?

Western Ghats

Eastern Ghats

Coromandel Coast

Northern Circar (correct)

What type of dunes cover larger areas in the Indian Desert?

Barchans Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a feature of the coastal plains along the Bay of Bengal?

Mountain ranges Signup and view all the answers

What is the location of the Coromandel Coast?

Southern part of the Bay of Bengal Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following islands is located to the south of the Mahanadi delta?

Chilika Lake Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the islands located in the Bay of Bengal?

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Signup and view all the answers

What is the main component of coral secretion?

Calcium carbonate Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary source of water and forest wealth in the country?

Mountains Signup and view all the answers

What type of coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef of Australia an example of?

Barrier reef Signup and view all the answers

What is the shape of atolls, a type of coral reef?

Circular or horse shoe-shaped Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the northern plains in the country?

Acting as a granary for the country Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the plateau in the country's development?

It serves as a storehouse of minerals Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic required for coral polyps to flourish?

Shallow, mud-free and warm waters Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the coastal region and island groups in the country?

They provide sites for fishing and port activities Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the black soil area found in the Peninsular plateau?

Decean Trap Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the hills that lie on the western and northwestern margins of the Peninsular plateau?

Aravali Hills Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the southern stretch of the western coast?

Malabar Coast Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of the Indian Desert?

Low rainfall and low vegetation cover Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the only large river in the Indian Desert?

Luni Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the central stretch of the western coast?

Kannad Plain Signup and view all the answers

What is the direction of the extension of the Aravali Hills?

Southwest-northeast Signup and view all the answers

What is the average annual rainfall in the Indian Desert?

Below 150 mm Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Physical Features of India

The Indian mainland is accompanied by two groups of islands in the Bay of Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar islands, which are bigger in size and more numerous.

The Coastal Plains

The coastal plains along the Bay of Bengal are wide and level, with the northern part referred to as the Northern Circar and the southern part as the Coromandel Coast.
Large rivers like the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri have formed extensive deltas on this coast.
Lake Chilika is an important feature along the eastern coast, which is the largest saltwater lake in India, located in the state of Odisha.

The Indian Desert

The Indian Desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills, characterized as an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes.
The region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year, has an arid climate with low vegetation cover, and has streams that appear during the rainy season but disappear soon after.
Luni is the only large river in this region.

Islands

The island group has great diversity of flora and fauna, with the Pitti island having a bird sanctuary.
Coral polyps, short-lived microscopic organisms, flourish in shallow, mud-free, and warm waters, secreting calcium carbonate and forming coral reefs of three kinds: barrier reefs, fringing reefs, and atolls.

Peninsular Plateau

The Peninsular plateau is flanked by narrow coastal strips, running along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east.
The western coast is a narrow plain consisting of three sections: the Konkan (Mumbai – Goa), the Kannad Plain, and the Malabar coast.
The Aravali Hills lie on the western and northwestern margins of the Peninsular plateau, which are highly eroded hills and are found as broken hills from Gujarat to Delhi in a southwest-northeast direction.
The Decean Trap is a black soil area of volcanic origin, which has denuded over time and is responsible for the formation of black soil.