Peninsular Plateau Overview

Peninsular Plateau

• The Peninsular Plateau is a tableland made of ancient crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
• It formed from the breakup of the Gondwana continent, making it one of Earth's oldest landmasses.
• The general slope of the plateau is west to east, directing river flow.
• The region has undergone repeated uplift and submergence, along with crustal faulting, which has diversified its relief.

Major Plateaus of Peninsular India

• Malwa Plateau: Located in western Madhya Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, bordered by the Aravalli Range; known for rich black soil ideal for cotton.
• Chota Nagpur Plateau: Spreads over Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh; known for its rich, black soil. Contains the Ranchi and Hazaribagh plateaus.
• Deccan Plateau: Covers much of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu; bounded by the Western and Eastern Ghats; rich in volcanic black soil, ideal for cotton and sugarcane.
• Vindhya Plateau: Lies between the Malwa Plateau and the Narmada Valley, made of sandstones and shales; acts as a natural boundary between northern and southern India.
• Baghelkhand Plateau: Located in eastern Madhya Pradesh and northern Chhattisgarh; known for its rugged terrain and rich mineral resources (limestone and coal).
• Bundelkhand Plateau: Spans parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh; known for its hard, rocky terrain, granite, and poor soil, challenging agriculture.
• Meghalaya Plateau: An extension of the Peninsular Plateau in northeastern India, containing the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills; rich in coal and limestone, with a favorable climate for agriculture.

Other Mountain Ranges

• Shiwaliks (Outer Himalayas): Outermost Himalayan range, 10–15 km wide, with altitudes ranging from 900m to 100m; unconsolidated sediments, thick gravels, alluvium. It has longitudinal valleys (duns) like Dehra Dun, Kotli Dun, Patli Dun.
• Purvanchal (Eastern Hills): Northeast India, along the India-Myanmar border; width: 40 km at ends, 225 km centrally; notable ranges: Patkai Bum, Naga Hills, Manipur Hills, Mizo Hills.
• Aravalli Range: Northeast to southwest direction; ~800 km long, from Delhi to Palanpur, Gujarat; one of the oldest fold mountains in the world; elevations: 400–1,158 m (Mount Abu); composed of granite, schists, and granites.
• Vindhyan Range: Parallel to the Narmada Valley, from Jobat (Gujarat) to Sasaram (Bihar); length: over 1,200 km; elevation: 300–650 m; horizontally bedded sedimentary rocks; acts as a watershed between Ganga and South Indian river systems.
• Satpura Range: South of the Vindhyan range, between the Narmada and Tapi rivers. Length: ~900 km; peaks: Dhupgarh (1,350 m), Amarkantak (1,127 m); folded and uplifted, known as horsts; rugged terrain dense forests.
• Western Ghats (Sahyadris): Western edge of the Deccan Plateau, from Tapi Valley (21°N) to near Kanniyakumari; length: ~1,600 km; steep-sided, terraced hills with flat tops; elevations: 1,000 m average; peaks like Anai Mudi (2,695 m). Sub-divisions: Northern Ghats, Middle Sahyadris, Southern Ghats.
• Eastern Ghats: Parallel to the East Coast; highly broken and detached hills; composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rocks; includes Nallamalai range in Andhra Pradesh, Mahendra Giri (1,501 m), Jindhagada Peak (1,690 m). Sections: Northern Eastern Ghats, Central to Southern Ghats, merging with Western Ghats.

Coastal Plains

• Coastal plains surround three sides of India.
• Eastern Coastal Plains: West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, covering Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
• Western Coastal Plains: Kerala to Gujarat, covering Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.

Islands of India

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Positioned in the Bay of Bengal; running north-south, extending from 6°45′ N to 13°45′ N; consists of 265 islands (203 in Andaman, 62 in Nicobar). Divided into North, Middle, and South groups.
• Lakshadweep Islands: Positioned in the Arabian Sea, extending between 8°N and 12°N; area: 32 square kilometers; main islands: Kavaratti, Agatti, Minicoy, Amini; distance: 280–480 km off Kerala's coast; made of coral deposits.