Himalayan Mountain Peaks

The Indian Coast

• The Western Coastal Plain is divided into two parts: the Konkan and the Malabar Coast
• Major rivers flowing into the sea include the Tapi, Narmada, Mandovi, and Zuari
• The Malabar Coast moist forests constitute a unique ecoregion
• Vegetation is mostly deciduous in the region

The Indian Islands

• The Lakshadweep Islands lie 200-300 km off the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea
• The islands consist of 12 atolls, 3 reefs, and 5 submerged banks, with a total of 36 islands and islets
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands consist of 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal near the Myanmar coast
• India's only active volcano, Barren Island, is situated in the Andaman Islands and last erupted in May 2005
• Indira Point, India's southernmost land point, is situated in the Nicobar Islands
• The highest point is Mount Thullier at 642m (2,106 ft)

Other Significant Islands

• Diu is a former Portuguese enclave
• Majuli is a river island of the Brahmaputra
• Elephanta is an island in Bombay Harbour
• Sriharikota is a barrier island in Andhra Pradesh
• Salsette Island is India's most populous island, where the city of Mumbai (Bombay) is located
• 42 islands in the Gulf of Kutch constitute the Marine National Park

Mountain Ranges

• The notable peaks in the Himalayas include Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Mansalu, Cho Oyu, Nanga Parbat, and Annapurna
• The Himalayas are classified into three regional divisions: the Western Himalayas, the Central Himalayas, and the Eastern Himalayan Regions
• The Western Himalayas include ranges such as the Siwaliks, Jammu Hills, Himachal, Pir Panjal, and Dhaua Dhar
• The Central Himalayas, also known as the Nepal Himalayas, include ranges such as the Siwaliks, Himachal, and Mahabharat Range
• The Eastern Himalayas include ranges such as Bhutan, Sikkim, and Darjeeling Himalayas, and Arunachal Pradesh except Tirap district
• The Garo-Khasi range lies in Meghalaya

The Indo-Gangetic Plain

• The Indo-Gangetic Plains are the most fertile zones in the world
• The plains are formed by basins of three distinct river systems: the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra
• The main tributaries of these rivers include the Yamuna, Chambal, Gomti, Ghaghara, Kosi, Sutlej, Ravi, Beas, Chenab, and Tista
• The plains encompass an area of 700,000 sq.km and are one of the most densely populated areas on the planet
• The Indus Valley, the Punjab, and the middle and lower Ganga are the three parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain
• The Punjab Plain is centered in the land between five rivers: the Jhelum, the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, and the Sutlej

The Deccan Plateau

• The Deccan Plateau is a large triangular plateau bounded by the Vindhyas to the north and flanked by the Eastern and Western Ghats
• The plateau covers a total area of 1.9 million km² and is mostly flat, with elevations ranging from 300 to 600 m
• Much of the Deccan is covered by thorn scrub forest scattered with small regions of deciduous broadleaf forest

Other Plateaus and Ranges

• The Chota Nagpur Plateau is situated in eastern India, covering much of Jharkhand and adjacent parts of Orissa, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh
• The Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat is bounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambat
• The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains run along the western edge of India's Deccan Plateau and separate it from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea
• Anai Mudi in the Anaimalai Hills in Kerala is the highest point in the Western Ghats
• The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast

Test your knowledge of the Himalayan mountain range, including the highest peaks and their elevations, as well as geographic features and classifications.