Structure and Physiography Short and Long Important Question Class 11 Geography Chapter-2 Book-India Physical Environment

 

Question: Explain five differences between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats?

Answer -

1. Western Ghats Mountains 

• To the west of the Deccan Plateau, the Western Ghats mountains extend from Maharashtra in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.

• They are known as Sahyadri in Maharashtra and Goa, Nilgiris in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Anamalai and Cardamom Hills in Kerala. 

• These mountains form a continuous range

• There are three passes from north to south namely Thalghat, Bhorghat and Palghat 

• The average height of this mountain range is about 1500 meters, which increases from north to south. 

• The highest peak of the peninsular plateau, Anaimudi, is located in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats.

• Most of the peninsular rivers originate in the Western Ghats 

2. Eastern Ghats Mountains 

• To the east of the Deccan Plateau, the Eastern Ghats extend from the Mahanadi valley to the Nilgiris in the south.

• The main ranges of the Eastern Ghats are the Javadi Hills, Palkoda Range, Nalamala and Mahendragiri Hills. 

• The Eastern Ghats mountain range is not continuous; many large rivers have carved their paths by cutting them 

• The average height of this mountain range is about 600 meters 

• The range is a residual chain due to erosion by rivers 

• The Eastern and Western Ghats meet at the Nilgiri Hills 

• No major river originates from this range 

Question:  Explain five differences between the Peninsular Plateau and the Himalayan Mountains?

Answer -

1. Peninsular Plateau  

• The peninsular plateau is an ancient land mass made of hard rocks

• It is constructed as a block

• It has been a land area from the Cambrian period till today, only its coastal areas were submerged in the sea for a short period. 

• Mainly residual mountains are found in the peninsular plateau, Aravalli mountain is its main example

• The rivers here are shallow and have gentle slopes 

2. Himalaya Mountains   

• The Himalayas are new mountains formed from soft rocks 

• The Himalayas are a folded mountain range that is formed by various movements

• The Himalayan mountain range remained submerged for a long period from the Cambrian period till the formation of mountains

• The Himalayas and its related mountain ranges are weak and flexible. 

• As a result, that folding and deformation process has taken place 

• Himalayas are tectonic mountains, that is why these rivers are young and flow at a fast speed. 

Question -  Where is the cold desert located in India? Write the names of the main ranges of this region.

Answer -

• Kashmir, the coldest place in India, is located in Leh-Ladakh, the north-eastern region of the Himalayas.

• This cold mass is situated between the mighty Himalaya and Karakoram ranges.

• The major categories of this sector are as follows:-

1. Ladakh Range 

2. Joscar Category 

3. Karakoram Range

Question –  Why is there no delta on the western coastal plain?

Answer -

• The Western Coastal Plain is a narrow plain stretching along the coast of the Arabian Sea. 

• To its east are the hills of the Western Ghats from which many small and fast-flowing rivers originate. 

• Due to short route and hard rocks these rivers do not bring much sediment. 

• Due to insufficient deposition of sediments, no delta can form here.