India - Location

• India is located entirely in the northern hemisphere; specifically in the south-central part of the continent of Asia.
  

India - Size

• With an area of 3.28 million square km, India is the $7^{th}$ largest country of the world.
• The six largest countries of the world in decreasing order are Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil, and Australia.
• India accounts for about 2.4 percent of the total geographical area of the world.
• India has a total land boundary of about 15,200 km.
• The coastline of India stretches along the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west (as shown in the map given above).
• The sun rises in Arunachal Pradesh about two hours earlier as compared to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
• The maximum length of the mainland from north to south is about 3214 km.
• The maximum length of the mainland from east to west is about 2933 km.
• India’s total length of coastline is 6,100 km of its mainland and after including Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep islands, it is about 7,516 km.
• India’s territorial limit further extends towards the sea up to 12 nautical miles (i.e. about 21.9 km) from the coast.

India and Neighbors

• India has total 29 States, 6 Union Territories, and 1 National Capital Territory.
• India is bounded by young fold mountains (the Great Himalaya) in the North and North-East.
• Throughout the history, India’s connections with other parts of the world has been heavily influenced by waterways and also the mountain passes.
• India shares its international boundaries with Afghanistan and Pakistan in the North-West; China, Tibet (China), Nepal, and Bhutan in the North and NorthEast; and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the East.
• Island countries Sri Lanka and Maldives are India’s neighbors across the sea.
• Sri Lanka is an island nation located off the southern coast of India in South Asia and it is bordered by the Indian Ocean. India and Sri Lanka are separated by a thin water body called the Palk Strait
• Maldives is a chain of islands located south-west of Sri Lanka and India in the Indian Ocean.

India - Evolution

• As per the estimation, the earth is approximately 460 million years old.
• The endogenic and exogenic forces played a significant role in giving shape to various surface and subsurface features of the earth.
• The theory of Plate Tectonics defines the formation of physical aspects of the earth.
  
• Initially, all continents were united (there was one landmass), and known as Pangea or Super Continent (as shown in the image given below).
• The northern part of the ancient super continent Pangea was named as ‘Angara Land’ or Laurasia and the southern part was named as ‘Gondwana Land’.
• The Gondwana Land includes India, Australia, South Africa, South America, and Antarctica.

India - Structure

• Based on geological history, India is divided into three regions. The regions are −

  --> The Peninsular Block;

  --> The Himalayas & other Peninsular Mountains; and

  --> Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain.

• The Peninsular Block is formed essentially by a great complex of very ancient gneisses and granites.
• The Peninsular Block mostly consists of relicts and residual mountains like the Aravali hills, the Nallamala hills, the Javadi hills, the Veliconda hills, the Palkonda range, the Mahendragiri hills, etc.
• Unlike the rigid and stable Peninsular Block, the Himalayan Mountains are young, weak, and flexible in their geological structure.
• Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain comprises the plains formed by the river Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra.
• In fact, Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain is a geo-synclinal depression, which attained its maximum development during the third phase of the Himalayan mountain formation, approximately about 64 million years ago.

Physiography

• India’s physiography is divided into six following regions −

  --> The Northern and Northeastern Mountains

  --> The Northern Plain

  --> The Peninsular Plateau

  --> The Indian Desert

  --> The Coastal Plains

  --> The Islands

Northern and Northeastern Mountains

• The Northern and the Northeastern Mountains consist of the Himalayas and the Northeastern hills.
• The Himalayan Ranges include the Greater Himalaya, Lesser/Middle Himalaya, and the Siwalik Range.
• Based on relief, alignment of ranges and other geomorphological features, the Himalayas can be divided into the following sub-divisions −

  --> Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas

  --> Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas

  --> Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas

  --> Arunachal Himalayas

  --> Eastern Hills and Mountains.

Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas

• Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas consist of a series of ranges such as the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar, and Pir Panjal.
• Important glaciers of South Asia, i.e., the Baltoro and Siachen are found in the Northwestern Himalayan region.
• The Kashmir Himalayas are also popular for the Karewa formations, which are useful for the cultivation of Zafran, a local variety of saffron.
• Karewas are the thick deposits of glacial clay and other materials embedded with moraines.
• Important passes of the Northwestern Himalayas are Zoji La on the Great Himalayas, Banihal on the Pir Panjal, and Khardung La on the Ladakh range.
• Important fresh lakes are Dal and Wular and salt water lakes are Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri.
• The southernmost part of the Northwestern Himalayas consists of longitudinal valleys locally known as duns.

Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas

• The Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas are located approximately between the rivers Ravi in the west and the Kali (a tributary of Ghaghara) in the east.

Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas

• The Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas are flanked by the Nepal Himalayas in the west and the Bhutan Himalayas in the east.

Arunachal Himalayas

• The Arunachal Himalayas extend from the east of the Bhutan Himalayas up to the Diphu pass in the east.
• Some of the prominent tribes of Arunachal Himalayas from west to east are the Monpa, Abor, Mishmi, Nyishi, and the Nagas.

Eastern Hills and Mountains

• Located in the northeast India, the Eastern Hills i.e. parts of the Himalayan mountains are known by different local names. They are known as Patkai Bum, Naga hills, the Manipur hills in the North, and Mizo or Lushai hills in the South.

Northern Plains

• The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the rivers − the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra.
• The northern plains are divided into three major zones − the Bhabar, the Tarai, and the alluvial plains.
• Bhabar is a narrow belt spread between 8-10 km parallel to the Shiwalik foothills at the break-up of the slope where all the rivers coming through this way deposit heavy materials of rocks and boulders and get disappeared.
• These streams again re-emerge in Tarai region.
• The south of Tarai is a belt consisting of old and new alluvial deposits known as the Bhangar and Khadar accordingly.
• The alluvial plains are further divided as the Khadar and the Bhangar.

Peninsular Plateau

• The Peninsular Block is made up of a series of patland plateaus such as the Hazaribagh plateau, the Palamu plateau, the Ranchi plateau, the Malwa plateau, the Coimbatore plateau, and the Karnataka plateau.
• Delhi ridge in the northwest, (extension of Aravalli’s), the Rajmahal hills in the east, Gir range in the west and the Cardamom hills in the south are the peripheral parts of the Peninsular Block.
• The Peninsular plateau can be further divided into three broad groups i.e. the Deccan Plateau, the Central Highlands, and the Northeastern Plateau.
• Western Ghats is known by different local names. They are known as Sahyadri in Maharashtra; Nilgiri hills in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; and Anaimalai hills, and Cardamom hills in Kerala.
• Located on the Anaimalai hills of the Western Ghats Anaimudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak of Peninsular plateau, followed by Dodabetta (2,637 m) on the Nilgiri hills.
• Thal, Bhor, and the Pal Ghats are the important passes of the Western Ghats.
• The Eastern Ghats stretch from the Mahanadi Valley in the north to the Nilgiris in the south.
• The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and irregular and dissected by many rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal.
• Mahendragiri (1,501 meters) is the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats.
• The most distinct feature of the peninsular plateau is the black soil area known as Deccan Trap.
• Formed by a series of scarped plateaus on the south, the Satpura range is part of the Central Highlands.
• The general elevation of the Central Highlands ranges between 700 and 1,000 m above the mean sea level.
• Rajmahal hills and the Meghalaya plateau are the part of the Northeastern Plateau.
• The Meghalaya plateau is further sub-divided as the Garo Hills; the Khasi Hills; and the Jaintia Hills.
• Meghalaya plateau is rich in mineral resources. The most significant of these resources are coal, iron ore, sillimanite, limestone, and uranium.

Indian Desert

• The Great Indian Desert, also known as the Thar Desert, lies in the northwest of the Aravalli hills.
• The Aravali Hills lie on the western and north western margins of the peninsular plateau. These are highly eroded hills and are found as broken hills between Gujarat and Delhi.

Coastal Plains

• The Indian coastal plains are divided as the western coastal plains and the eastern coastal plains.
• The western coastal plains are an example of submerged coastal plain.
• The western coast may be divided into the following divisions − the Kachchh and Kathiawar coast in Gujarat; Konkan coast in Maharashtra; Goan coast in Karnataka, and the Malabar coast in Kerala respectively.
• The Malabar Coast has certain distinctive features such as Kayals (backwaters), which are used for fishing, inland navigation, and these backwaters hold a special attraction for the tourists.
• In comparison to the western coastal plains, the eastern coastal plain is broader and is an example of an Emergent coast.
• The Eastern Coast is named as the Northern Circar (in the north part i.e. part of West Bengal, Odisha, etc.) and the southern part is known as the Coromandel Coast (part of Southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu). The eastern coastal plain is known as the Northern Circars in the region between Krishna and Mahanadi rivers (West Bengal, Odisha, etc.) and as the Coromandel Coast in southern part between Krishna and Kaveri rivers (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu).

Islands

• There are two major island groups in India, i.e., one in the Bay of Bengal (Andaman and Nicobar) and the other in the Arabian Sea (Lakshadweep).
• The Bay of Bengal island group consists of about 572 islands/islets.
• The two principal groups of islets include the Ritchie’s archipelago and the Labyrinth Islands.
• However, the entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories − the Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south and they are separated by Ten Degree Channel.
• Situated in the Nicobar Islands, Barren Island is the only active volcano in India.
• Located on the North Andaman, Saddle peak (738 m) is the highest peak of the region.
• Lakshadweep and Minicoy are the islands of the Arabian Sea.
• The entire island group of Lakshadweep is built of coral deposits.
• There are approximately 36 islands, among which, 11 are inhabited.
• The entire group of islands is broadly divided by the Eleventh-degree channel. The Amini Island lies to the north and the Cannanore Island lies to the south of the channel.

Drainage System

• The flow of water through well-defined channels is known as drainage and the network of such channels is known as drainage system.
• The drainage pattern of an area is the result of the geological time period, nature, and structure of rocks, topography, slope, etc.
• About 77% of the drainage area consisting of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, etc. is oriented towards the Bay of Bengal.
• On the other hand, 23% comprising the Indus, the Narmada, the Tapi, the Mahi, and the Periyar systems discharge their waters in the Arabian Sea.
• A river drain is a specific area, which is known as the catchment area of that river.
• An area drained by a river and its tributaries is known as a drainage basin.
• The boundary line separating one drainage basin from the other is called as the watershed area.

Drainage Pattern

• Following are the major drainage patterns −

  --> Dendritic

  --> Radial

  --> Centripetal

  --> Trellis

• A drainage pattern which looks like tree branches with lots of twigs is known as Dendritic drainage pattern. For example, the rivers of northern plain.
• Radial drainage patterns form when rivers originate from a hill and flow in all directions. For example, the rivers originating from the Amarkantak.
• Centripetal drainage pattern is formed when rivers discharge their waters from all directions into a lake or a depression. For example, Loktak lake in Manipur.
• Trellis drainage pattern is formed when the primary tributaries of main rivers flow parallel to each other and secondary tributaries join them at right angles. For example, rivers in the upper part of the Himalayan region.

Classification of Drainage

• On the basis of the mode of origin, nature, and characteristics, the Indian drainage is classified as −
  --> The Himalayan drainage and
  --> The Peninsular drainage.

Himalayan Drainage

Major Himalayan drainage systems are the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra rivers.

The Indus

• The total length of the Indus River system is 2,880 km (in India 1,114 km).
• The Indus, which is also known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of the Himalayan Rivers in India.
• The Indus originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain range.
• In Tibet, the Indus is known as Singi Khamban or the Lion’s mouth.
• The Indus enters into Pakistan near Chillar in the Dardistan region.
• Major tributaries of Indus are the Shyok, the Gilgit, the Zaskar, the Hunza, the Nubra, the Shigar, the Gasting, and the Dras in the upper part.
• In the lower part, the Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab, and the Jhelum are the major tributaries of the Indus.
• Finally, the Indus discharges into the Arabian Sea near Karachi in Pakistan.
• The Jhelum, an important tributary of the Indus, rises from a spring at Verinag situated at the foot of the Pir Panjal.
• The Jhelum flows through Srinagar and the Wular Lake before entering into Pakistan.
• Jhelum joins the Chenab near Jhang in Pakistan.
• Formed by two streams i.e. the Chandra and the Bhaga, the Chenab is the largest tributary of the Indus.
• Chenab is also known as Chandrabhaga.
• The Chenab flows about 1,180 km before entering into Pakistan.
• Originating from the Rohtang pass in the Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flowing through the Chamba valley of the state, Ravi is one of the important tributaries of the Indus.
• Originating from the Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass at an elevation of 4,000 m above the mean sea level, Beas is also an important tributaries of the Indus.
• Beas enters into the Punjab plains and meets with the Satluj near Harike.
• Also popular as Langchen Khambab (in Tibet), the Satluj originates from the Rakas lake near Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,555 m in Tibet.
• The Satluj passes through the Shipki La on the Himalayan ranges and enters into the Punjab plains.
• The Satluj is the river that feeds the canal system of the Bhakra Nangal project.

The Ganga

• The Ganga originates from the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
• However, the river, when it originates from the Gangotri glacier is known as the Bhagirathi.
• At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi merges with another river, i.e., the Alaknanda; and from here, it is known as the Ganga.
• The Alaknanda originates from the Satopanth glacier above Badrinath.
• The major tributaries of the Alaknanda are the Dhauli and the Vishnu Ganga; these two rivers meet at Joshimath/Vishnu Prayag.
• Some other tributaries of the Alaknanda are the Pindar (joins at Karna Prayag), the Mandakini or Kali Ganga (joins at Rudra Prayag).
• The total length of the Ganga in India is 2,525 km, which is shared by Uttarakhand (110 km); Uttar Pradesh (1,450 km); Bihar (445 km); and West Bengal (520 km).
• The Ganga river system is the largest river system in India.
• The Son is a major right bank tributary of the Ganga; however, major left bank tributaries are the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the Gandak, the Kosi, and the Mahananda.
• Originating from the Yamunotri glacier on the western slopes of Banderpunch range (6,316 km), the Yamuna is the longest tributary of the Ganga.
• The Yamuna joins the Ganga at Allahabad (Prayag), Uttar Pradesh.
• The Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa, and the Kenon are the right bank tributaries of the Yamuna and the Hindan, the Rind, the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. are the left bank tributaries.
• The Chambal rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh.
• The Chambal is famous for its badland topography, known as the Chambal ravines (as shown in the image given below).
• Originating from the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest, the Gandak consists of two streams, namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga.
• The Gandak joins the Ganga at Sonpur near Patna, Bihar.
• The Ghaghara originates from the Mapchachungo glaciers and joins the Ganga at Chhapra, Bihar.
• The Kosi originates from the north of Mount Everest in Tibet where it is known as the Arun.
• Originating from the Garhwal hills near Gairsain, the Ramganga joins the Ganga near Kannauj.
• The Damodar drains the eastern margins of the Chottanagpur plateau, where it flows through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli.
• The Barakar is the main tributary of the Damodar.
• The Sarda or Saryu River rises from the Milam glacier in the Nepal Himalayas where it is known as the Goriganga. However, along the Indo-Nepal border, it is called as Kali or Chauk, where it joins the Ghaghara.
• Originating from the Darjeeling hills, the Mahananda joins the Ganga as its last left bank tributary in West Bengal.
• Originating from the Amarkantak plateau, the Son is a large south bank tributary of the Ganga; it joins the Ganga at Arrah, Bihar.

The Brahmaputra

• The Brahmaputra originates from the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar Lake.
• In Tibet, the Brahmaputra is known as the Tsangpo (means ‘the purifier’).
• The Rango Tsangpo is the major right bank tributary of the Brahmaputra in Tibet.
• The Brahmaputra enters into India near the west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Major left bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra are Lohit, Dibang or Sikang, Burhi Dihing, and Dhansari.
• Major right bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra are the Subansiri, Kameng, Manas, and Sankosh.
• The Tista joins the Brahmaputra on its right bank in Bangladesh and from here, the river is known as the Yamuna.
• Finally, the Brahmaputra merges with the river Padma and falls in the Bay of Bengal.

Peninsular River System

• The Peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan Rivers.
• The Mahanadi originates from Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs through Madhya Pradesh and Odisha and finally discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
• The total length of Mahanadi is 851 km.
• Popularly known as the Dakshin Ganga, the Godavari is the largest peninsular river system.
• The Godavari originates from Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its water into the Bay of Bengal.
• With total 1,465 km length, Godavari covers the areas of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
• The Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra are the major tributaries of Godavari.
• Originating from Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri, the Krishna is the second largest east flowing Peninsular River.
• The Koyna, the Tungabhadra, and the Bhima are the major tributaries of the Krishna.
• Of the total catchment area of the Krishna, 27% lies in Maharashtra, 44% in Karnataka, and 29% in Andhra Pradesh.
• The Kaveri originates from the Brahmagiri hills (1,341m) located in Kogadu district of Karnataka.
• The river Kaveri’s total course of 770 km commands a basin area of 8.8 million hectare mha, of which, 3% lies in Kerala, 41% lies in Karnataka, and 56% lies in Tamil Nadu.
• Major tributaries of the Kaveri are the Kabini, the Bhavani, and the Amravati.
• The Narmada originates from the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau (1,057 m).
• Flowing through a rift valley located between the Satpura in the south and the Vindhya range in the north, the Narmada forms Dhuandhar waterfall and a picturesque gorge of marble rocks nearby Jabalpur.
• The total length of Narmada is 1,312 km.
• Flowing in the westward direction, Narmada finally empties into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.
• Originating from Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, Tapi is the other important westward flowing river emptying into the Arabian Sea.
• About 79% of the Tapi basin lies in Maharashtra, 15% in Madhya Pradesh, and the remaining 6% in Gujarat.
• Luni is the longest river system of Rajasthan.
• Primarily, Luni originates in the Pushkar valley of the Aravalli range, Rajasthan in two branches, i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati; which join each other at Govindgarh. From here, the river is known as Luni.
• Luni finally debouches into the Arabian Sea nearby the Rann of Kachchh.
• Some small rivers flowing towards the West are the Shetruniji, the Bhadra, Dhadhar, Sabarmati, Mahi, Vaitarna, Kalinadi, Dedti, Sharavati, Mandovi, Juari, Bharathapuzha, Periyar, etc.
• Some small rivers flowing towards the East are Subarnarekha, Baitarni, Brahmani, Penner, and Palar.

Climate

• Weather is the temporary state of the atmosphere, while climate refers to the average of the weather conditions over a longer period of time.
• Weather changes quickly, may be within a day or week, but climate changes in imperceptivity and may be noted after 50, 100 years, or even more.
• The climate of India has distinct regional variations discernible by the pattern of winds, temperature, and rainfall; further, also in the form of rhythm of seasons and the degree of wetness or dryness.

Winter

• During the winter, north of the Himalayas develops a high pressure center.
• This high pressure center gives rise to the flow of air at the low level from the north towards the Indian subcontinent (i.e. south of the mountain range).
• All of Western and Central Asia remains under the influence of westerly winds (known as Jet Stream) along the altitude of 9-13 km from west to east.
• These winds blow across the Asian continent at the latitudes, north of the Himalayas, roughly parallel to the Tibetan highlands.
• However, Tibetan highlands act as a barrier in the path of these jet streams, as a result of this, the jet streams get bifurcated into two branches.
• One branch is located to the south of the Himalayas, while the second branch is positioned to the north of Tibetan Plateau.
• The western cyclonic disturbances, which enter the Indian subcontinent from the west and the northwest during the winter months, originate over the Mediterranean Sea and are brought into India by the westerly jet stream.

Summer

• During the Summer, the wind circulation over the subcontinent undergoes a complete reversal at both, the lower as well as at the upper levels.
• The ITCZ is a zone of low pressure, attracts inflow of winds from different directions.
• With the apparent northward movement of the Sun towards the Tropic of Cancer in March, temperatures start rising in north India, which is the sign of advent of Summer season.
• April, May, and June are the months of summer in north India.
• In the heart of the ITCZ in the northwest, the dry and hot winds known as Loo, blow in the afternoon, and very often, they continue to well into midnight.
• Towards the end of the summer, there are pre-monsoon showers, which are a common phenomenon in Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka. This phenomenon is locally known as mango showers, as it helps in the early ripening of mangoes.

Monsoon

• The maritime tropical air mass (mT) from the southern hemisphere crosses the equator and rushes towards the low pressure area; in general, the southwesterly direction.
• This moist air current causing rainfall in India is popularly known as the southwest monsoon.
• Simultaneously, an easterly jet stream flows over the southern part of the Peninsula in June with a maximum speed of 90 km per hour.
• The easterly jet stream steers the tropical depressions into India and these depressions play a significant role in determining the distribution of monsoon rainfall over the Indian subcontinent.
• The tracks of these depressions are the areas of the highest rainfall in India.
• The southwest monsoon, which is a continuation of the southeast trades, get deflected towards the Indian subcontinent after crossing the Equator.
• The easterly jet stream is held responsible for the burst of the monsoon in India.
• Southwest monsoon gets divided into two branches − the Arabian Sea, causing rain in western coast of India and the Bay of Bengal branch, causing rain in eastern coast to India.
• Generally, the cold weather season sets in by mid-November in northern India.
• However, the Peninsular region of India does not have any well-defined cold weather season.
• There is hardly any seasonal change in the distribution pattern of the temperature in coastal areas because of the moderating influence of the sea and the proximity to the equator.
• Winter monsoons do not cause rainfall, as they move from land to the sea. Hence, primarily, they have little humidity; and secondly, due to anticyclonic circulation on land, the possibility of rainfall from them reduces.
• However, in northwestern India, some weak temperate cyclones coming from the Mediterranean Sea (with little moisture) cause rainfall in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh.
• On the other hand, during October and November, northeast monsoon while crossing over the Bay of Bengal, picks up moisture and causes torrential rainfall over the Tamil Nadu coast, southern Andhra Pradesh, southeast Karnataka, and southeast Kerala.

Interesting Facts

• The shower causing coffee flowers blossom in Kerala and nearby areas is known as blossom shower.
• Nor Westers are the dreaded evening thunderstorms in Bengal and Assam.
• During the south-west monsoon, the period after having rains for a few days, if rain fails to occur for one or more weeks, it is known as break in the monsoon.
• The notorious nature of Nor Westers can be understood from the local nomenclature of Kalbaisakhi, meaning a calamity of the month of Baisakh.
• In Assam, Nor Westers are known as Bardoli Chheerha.
• Hot, dry, and oppressing winds blowing in the Northern plains from Punjab to Bihar are known as Loo.
• The rain in the southwest monsoon season begins rather abruptly.
• Sudden onset of the moisture-laden winds associated with violent thunder and lightning, is often termed as the “break” or “burst” of the monsoon.
• Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during the monsoon season because it is situated parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of southwest monsoon.
• The monsoon rainfall has a declining trend with increasing distance from the sea. For example, Kolkata receives 119 cm, Patna 105 cm, Allahabad 76 cm, and Delhi 56 cm.
• The months of October and November are known as retreating monsoons season.
• The advent of south-west monsoon is known as advancing monsoon.
• As the south-west monsoon passes over the ocean surface (Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal) it picks up moisture and causes rainfall in India.
• Windward side of Western Ghats receives heavy rainfall (more than 250 cm); however, as the distance increases from the sea, the amount and intensity of rainfall start decreasing.
• The Bay of Bengal branch of monsoon advances towards the eastern part of India and causes heavy rainfall. North-east India receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.
• Cherapunji and Mawsynram (two places of Meghalaya) are world’s wettest place.
• Though there are great spatial variations in India; the average annual rainfall of India is 125 cm.
• The whole of India has a monsoon type of climate, but because of the regional variations, there are various types of climate in India.

Natural Vegetation

Natural vegetation refers to a plant community that has been left undisturbed over a long period of time.

1. Tropical Evergreen Forests

• Tropical evergreen forests are found in the regions that receive annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean annual temperature above $22^{\circ}C$.
• Tropical evergreen forests are found in the western slope of the Western Ghats, hills of the northeastern region, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• In tropical evergreen forests, trees reach great heights, i.e., up to 60 m or even above. And, largely these trees do not have fixed time to shed their leaves.
• Major examples of evergreen forests are rosewood, mahogany, aini, ebony, etc.

2. Semi-evergreen Forests

• Semi-evergreen forests are a mixture of evergreen and moist deciduous trees, found in the regions that receive less precipitation than the evergreen forests.
• Main species of semi-evergreen forests are white cedar, hillock, and kail.

3. Tropical Deciduous Forests

• Tropical Deciduous Forests are the most widespread forests of India and are popularly as Monsoon Forests.
• Tropical deciduous forests are found in the regions, which receive rainfall between 70 and 200 cm.
• Tropical deciduous forests are further categorized as the Moist deciduous forests and Dry deciduous forest.
• The moist deciduous forests are found in the regions, which record rainfall between 100 and 200 cm.
• The moist deciduous forests are found along the foothills of the Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, and Odisha.
• Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amla, semul, kusum, and sandalwood etc. are the main species of the moist deciduous forests.
• Dry deciduous forests are found in the regions that receive precipitation between 70 and 100 cm.
• As the dry season begins, the trees of deciduous forests shed their leaves completely.
• Tendu, palas, amaltas, bel, khair, axlewood, etc. are the major trees of dry deciduous forests.

4. Tropical Thorn Forests

• Tropical thorn forests are found in the areas, which receive rainfall less than 50 cm.
• Tropical thorn forests are found in the areas of south west Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Babool, ber, and wild date palm, khair, neem, khejri, palas, etc. are the important species of tropical thorn forests.

5. Mountain Forests

• Mountain forests in India are normally classified into two types, i.e. the northern mountain forests and the southern mountain forests.
• Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the Himalayas.
• Temperate forests found between an altitude of 1,000 and 2,000 m.
• In the higher hill ranges of northeastern India; for example, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttaranchal, evergreen broad leaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant.
• Chir, deodar, pine, etc. are the important species of temperate forests.
• Between 3,000 and 4,000 m, Silver firs, junipers, pines, birch, and rhododendrons, etc. are found.
• However, at higher altitude, the tundra vegetation is found and major species are mosses and lichens.
• At a higher altitude, the southern mountain forests largely belong to the temperate type, which are locally known as ‘Sholas’ in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai, and Palani hills. Some of the trees of economic significance include magnolia, laurel, cinchona, and wattle.

6. Littoral and Swamp Forests

• India is rich in Littoral and Swamp Forests.
• Chilika Lake (in Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (in Bharatpur, Rajasthan) are protected as water-fowl habitats under the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance (i.e. Ramsar Convention).
• Mangrove grows along the coasts in the salt marshes, tidal creeks, mud flats, and estuaries; and, it has a number of salt-tolerant species of plants.
• In India, the mangrove forests spread over 6,740 sq. km, which is 7% of the world’s mangrove forests
• Mangroves are largely found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Sunderbans of West Bengal.

7. Littoral and Swamp Forests

• India is rich in Littoral and Swamp Forests.
• Chilika Lake (in Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (in Bharatpur, Rajasthan) are protected as water-fowl habitats under the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance (i.e. Ramsar Convention).
• Mangrove grows along the coasts in the salt marshes, tidal creeks, mud flats, and estuaries; and, it has a number of salt-tolerant species of plants.
• In India, the mangrove forests spread over 6,740 sq. km, which is 7% of the world’s mangrove forests
• Mangroves are largely found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Sunderbans of West Bengal.

National Forest

• According to the India State of Forest Report 2011, the actual forest cover in India is 21.05%, of which, 12.29% are dense forests and 8.75% are open forests.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands have 86.93% forest area; on the other hand, Lakshadweep has zero per cent forest area [details of forest cover (state-wise) shown in the image given below].
• With (about) 90 percent of forest cover, Mizoram has the highest percentage of forest area in India.
• Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Gujarat have less than 10 percent area under forest cover.

Category of National Forest

• As shown in the map given below, national forest is broadly categorized as Dense Forest, Open Forest, Scrub, and Mangrove.
• Currently, there are 102 National parks and 515 wildlife sanctuaries. These collectively cover an area of 15.67 million hectares of India.
• The Government of India proposed to have a nation-wide forest conservation policy, and adopted a forest policy in 1952, and further amended in 1988.
• Out of a total of 593 districts, 188 districts have been identified as tribal districts.
• The tribal districts account for about 59.61% of the total forest cover of India, whereas the geographical area of 188 tribal districts constitutes only 33.63% of the total geographical area of India.

Social Forestry

• For the forest conservation and increase the forest area, the concept of Social forestry has been introduced.
• Social Forestry means the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social, and rural development.
• Further, in 1976, The National Commission on Agriculture has classified social forestry into three categories i.e. Urban forestry, Rural forestry, and Farm forestry.
• Farm forestry is a term applied to the process under which the farmers grow trees for commercial and non-commercial purposes on their farm lands.

Wildlife

• India is one of the $12^{th}$ mega bio-diversity countries of the world.
• With approximately 47,000 plant species, India ranks $4^{th}$ in Asia and $10^{th}$ in the world (in terms of plant diversity).
• India has about 15,000 species of flowering plants and contributes 6 percent to world’s total flowering plants.
• India has about 90,000 species of animals.

Wildlife Act

• In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was enacted, which instructed the main legal framework for conservation and protection of the wildlife in India.
• Further, in 1991, the Act of 1972 has been comprehensively amended.
• In the amendment, punishments have been made more stringent and provisions have also been made for the protection of specified plant species and conservation of endangered species of wild animals.
• Besides, some other special schemes such as Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992) have been launched to conserve these species and their habitats.

Biosphere Reserve

• A Biosphere Reserve is a unique and representative ecosystem of terrestrial and coastal areas, which are internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program.
• There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India, out of which 9 Biosphere Reserves have been recognized by the UNESCO on World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
• Established in September 1986, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the first biosphere reserves of India.
• There are about 2,000 species of birds in India that account to 13 percent of the world’s total.
• There are about 2,546 species of fish in India that account to 12 percent of the world’s total.
• India has about 5 to 8 percent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Biosphere Reserve

• A Biosphere Reserve is a unique and representative ecosystem of terrestrial and coastal areas, which are internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program.
• There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India, out of which 9 Biosphere Reserves have been recognized by the UNESCO on World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
• Established in September 1986, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the first biosphere reserves of India.
• There are about 2,000 species of birds in India that account to 13 percent of the world’s total.
• There are about 2,546 species of fish in India that account to 12 percent of the world’s total.
• India has about 5 to 8 percent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
• India is the only country in the whole world where both tigers and lions are found.
• Gir forest in Gujarat is the natural habitat of lion in India.
• Tigers are found in the Sundarbans of West Bengal, and the forests of Madhya Pradesh and Himalayan region.
• About 1,300 plant species have been listed as endangered species in India; however, 20 species are already extinct.
• The threat on wildlife has increased because of excessive commercial activities, pollution, expansion of human settlement, and of course illegal trade of both animals and plants.
• To protect wildlife, the Government of India has established 18 biosphere reserves; (list with details is given below − the data is prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India) − S.No. Name of the Biosphere Reserve & total geographical area ($Km^{2}$) Date of Designation Location 1 Nilgiri (5520) 01.08.1986 Part of Wynad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley and Siruvani hills in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. 2 Nanda Devi (5860.69) 18.01.1988 Part of Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Almora districts in Uttarakhand. 3 Nokrek (820) 01.09.1988 Part of East, West and South Garo Hill districts in Meghalaya. 4 Manas (2837) 14.03.1989 Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamprup and Darang districts in Assam 5 Sunderban (9630) 29.03.1989 Part of delta of Ganges & Brahamaputra river system in West Bengal. 6 Gulf of Mannar (10500) 18.02.1989 Indian part of Gulf of Mannar extending from Rameswaram island in the North to Kanyakumari in the South of Tamil Nadu. 7 Great Nicobar (885) 06.01.1989 Southernmost island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 8 Similipal (4374) 21.06.1994 Part of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. 9 Dibru-Saikhova (765) 28.07.1997 Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts in Assam. 10 Dehang-Dibang (5111.5) 02.09.1998 Part of Upper Siang, West Siang and Dibang Valley districts in Arunachal Pradesh. 11 Pachmarhi (4981.72) 03.03.1999 Part of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh. 12 Khangchendzonga (2931.12) 07.02.2000 Part of North and West districts in Sikkim. 13 Agasthyamalai (3500.36) 12.11.2001 Part of Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvanthapuram, Kollam and Pathanmthitta districts in Kerala. 14 Achanakmar - Amarkantak (3,835. 51) 30.03.2005 Part of Anuppur and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh. 15 Kachchh (12,454) 29.01.2008 Part of Kachchh, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Patan districts in Gujarat. 16 Cold Desert (7,770) 28.08.2009 Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal & Sarchu; and Kibber Wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. 17 Seshachalam (4755.997) 20.09.2010 Seshachalam hill ranges in Eastern Ghats encompassing part of Chittoor and Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh. 18 Panna (2998.98) 25.08.2011 Part of Panna and Chhattarpur districts in Madhya Pradesh.
• The above highlighted reserves have been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO.
• Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand, Sunderbans in the West Bengal, the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiris between the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, etc. have been included in the world network of Biosphere reserves.
• The plant species grown naturally without any human aid and remains undisturbed is known as virgin vegetation.
• The virgin vegetation, which are purely originated and grown in India is known as endemic or indigenous species but those which have come from outside India are termed as exotic plants.
• Flora simply refers to plant species and Fauna refers to animal species.

Soil

• Soil is very important and a valuable resource for every human being.
• Soil is the mixture of rock debris and organic materials, which develop on the earth’s surface.
• The major factors that determine soils’ characteristics are parent material, climate, relief, vegetation, time, and some other life-forms.
• Major constituents of the soil are mineral particles, humus, water, and air.
• A soil horizon is a layer generally parallel to the soil crust, whose physical characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath.

Soil Profile

• Soil Horizon is classified into three categories − Horizon A, Horizon B, and Horizon C; collectively known as Soil Profile (i.e. the arrangement of soil layers).
• Horizon A’ is the topmost zone, where organic materials stored with the minerals, nutrients, and water, necessary for the growth of the plants.
• ‘Horizon B’ is the transition zone between the ‘horizon A’ and ‘horizon C’, and hence, it contains matter derived from ‘horizon A’ as well as from ‘horizon C’.
• ‘Horizon C’ is composed of loose parent material and hence, it is the layer of first stage of the soil formation process and eventually forms the above discussed two layers.

Classification of Soil

• Soils were classified on the basis of their inherent characteristics and external features including texture, color, slope of land, and moisture content in the soil.
• Soil Survey of India, established in 1956, made comprehensive study of soils
• On the basis of genesis, color, composition, and location, the soils of India have been classified as −

  Alluvial soils

  Black soils

  Red and Yellow soils

  Laterite soils

  Arid soils

  Forest soils

  Saline soils

  Peaty soils.

Alluvial Soils

• Alluvial soils are widespread in the northern plains and the river valleys and cover about 40% of total area of India.
• Alluvial soils are depositional soils, as transported and deposited by the rivers streams.
• Alluvial soils are normally rich in potash, but poor in phosphorous.
• In the Upper and Middle Ganga plain, two different types of alluvial soils are found i.e. Khadar (it is the new alluvium and is deposited by floods annually) and Bhangar (it is a system of older alluvium, deposited away from the flood plains).
• The alluvial soils normally vary in nature from sandy, loamy, to clayey and its color varies from light grey to ash grey.

Black Soils

• Also popular as Regur Soil or the Black Cotton Soil, Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau; for example, black soil is found in parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• Black soil is usually clayey, deep, and impermeable; therefore, it can retain the moisture for a very long time (very useful for the crops especially cotton).
• Black soil is rich in lime, iron, magnesia, alumina, and also potash.
• The color of the black soil varies from deep black to grey.

Red & Yellow Soils

• Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in the areas of low rainfall, especially, in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan Plateau.
• Red soil develops a reddish color because of a wide diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. On the other hand, it develops yellow color when it occurs in a hydrated form.
• The fine-grained red and yellow soils are usually fertile, whereas coarse-grained soils found in dry upland areas have poor fertility.
• The red and yellow soils normally have poor content of nitrogen, phosphorous and humus.

Laterite Soils

• The laterite soils develop in areas of high temperature and high rainfall.
• The laterite soils are commonly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Odisha and Assam.
• Laterite soils are the result of intense leaching due to tropical rains; because of rain, lime and silica are leached away, and soils become rich in iron oxide and aluminum.
• Laterite soils however are poor in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphate, and calcium, but rich in iron oxide and potash.
• Laterite soils are normally infertile; however, it is widely to make bricks (used in building construction).
• Normally sandy in structure and saline in nature, arid soils vary from red to brown in color.

Arid Soils

• `Lower horizons of the arid soils are occupied by ‘kankar’ layers because of the increasing calcium content downwards.
• Arid soils have poor content of humus and organic matter.
• Arid soils are typically developed in western Rajasthan.

Saline Soils

• Saline soils contain a larger proportion of sodium, potassium, and magnesium, and thus, they are infertile, and do not support vegetation.
• Because of the dry climate and poor drainage system, saline soil contains more salt.
• Saline soils are normally found in arid and semi-arid regions, as well as in waterlogged and swampy areas.
• Deficient in nitrogen and calcium, saline soils are found in western Gujarat, deltas of the eastern coast, and in Sunderban areas of West Bengal.

Forests Soils

• Forest soils are usually formed in the forest areas where sufficient rainfall is available.
• Like other organism, soils are living systems, as they too develop and decay, get degraded, and respond to proper treatment if administered in time.

Peaty Soils

• In the areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity, large quantity of dead organic matter accumulates and enrich humus and organic content that forms the peaty soils.
• Peaty soils are normally heavy and black in color and widely found in the northern part of Bihar, southern part of Uttaranchal, and the coastal areas of West Bengal, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
• Decline in soil fertility because of any reason (either natural or human induced) is known as soil degradation (example shown in the image given below).

Land Resources

• Land use record is maintained by the Land Revenue Department.
• The Survey of India is accountable for measuring geographical area of administrative units in India.
• There is difference between the actual forest area and the forest area defined by the Government.

Categories of Land

• Land under settlements (i.e. rural and urban), infrastructure (i.e. roads, canals, industries, shops, etc.) are kept under the category of Non-Agricultural Land.
• Barren hilly terrains, desert lands, ravines, etc. normally are not suitable for cultivation, hence, they are known as Barren and Wastelands.
• The land owned by the village panchayat comes under ‘Common Property Resources’.
• Any land, which is left fallow (uncultivated) for more than five years is categorized as Culturable Wasteland.
• The land, which is left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year is known as Current Fallow.
• The physical extent of the land on which crops are sown and harvested is known as Net Sown Area.
• Land use pattern changes with time and the nature of economic activities carried out in that region.
• As a result of increase in population, change in income levels, available technology, and associated factors, pressure on land increases and marginal lands come under use.
• When secondary and tertiary sectors grow much faster than primary sector, then agricultural land changes into non-agricultural land.
• Likewise, India has undergone major changes within the economy over the past four or five decades, and it has influenced the land-use changes in the country.
• Because of the changing structure of the Indian economy, the rate of increase of non-agricultural land is very fast.

Agriculture

There are three distinct cropping seasons in the northern and interior parts of India, namely kharif, rabi, and zaid.

Cropping Season Major Crops Cultivated Northern States Southern States Kharif (June-September) Rice, Cotton, Bajra, Maize, Jowar, Toor Rice, Maize, Ragi, Jowar, Groundnut Rabi (October – March) Wheat, Gram, Rapeseeds, and Mustard, Barley Rice, Maize, Ragi, Groundnut, Jowar Zaid (April–June) Vegetables, Fruits, Fodder

Rice, Vegetables, Fodder

• Dryland farming is largely restricted to the regions having annual rainfall less than 75 cm. Major crops are ragi, bajra, moong, gram, and guar (fodder crops).
• The regions, which have rainfall in excess of soil moisture requirement of plants during the rainy season is known as wetland farming. Major crops are rice, jute, and sugarcane.
• The cereals occupy about 54% of total cropped area in India.
• India produces about 11% cereals of the world and ranks 3rd in production after China and U.S.A.
• Indian cereals are classified as fine grains (e.g. rice, wheat, etc.) and coarse grains (e.g. jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, etc.).

Types of Farming

• On the basis of main source of moisture for crops, the farming can be classified as irrigated and rainfed.
• On the basis of adequacy of soil moisture during cropping season, rainfed farming is further classified as dryland and wetland farming.

Major Crops

• In southern states and West Bengal, the climatic conditions facilitate the cultivation of two or three crops of rice in an agricultural year.
• In West Bengal farmers grow three crops of rice called ‘aus’, ‘aman,’ and ‘boro’.
• India contributes more than 20% to world’s rice production and ranks 2nd after China.
• About one-fourth of the total cropped area of India is under rice cultivation.
• West Bengal, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh are the leading rice producing states.
• India produces about 12% of total wheat production of the world.
• About 85% of total area under this crop is concentrated in north and central regions of the country, i.e., the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Malwa Plateau, and the Himalayan regions especially up to 2,700 m altitude.
• About 14% of the total cropped area in the country is under wheat cultivation.
• Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are wheat producing states.
• The coarse cereals together occupy about 16.50% of total cropped area in the country.
• Maharashtra alone contributes to more than half of the total jowar production of the country.
• Bajra occupies about 5.2% of total cropped area in the country.
• Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana are the leading Bajra producer states.
• Maize is a food as well as fodder crop grown under the semi-arid climatic conditions and over inferior soils.
• Maize occupies about 3.6% of the total cropped area of India.
• Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are the leading maize producers in the country.
• Pulses are the legume crops, which increase the natural fertility of soils through nitrogen fixation.
• With one-fifth of the total production of pulses in the world, India is a leading producer.
• Pulses occupy about 11% of the total cropped area in the country.
• The cultivation of pulses in the country is largely concentrated in the drylands of Deccan and central plateaus and northwestern parts.
• Gram and Toor are the main pulses cultivated in India.
• Gram covers only about 2.8% of the total cropped area in the country.
• Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan are the main producers of gram.
• Toor (Arhar) is also known as red gram or pigeon pea.
• Toor occupies only about 2% of total cropped area of India.
• Maharashtra alone contributes to about one-third of the total production of toor.
• Groundnut, rapeseed and mustard, soyabean, and sunflower are the main oilseed crops grown in India.
• Oilseeds occupy about 14% of total cropped area in the country.
• Drylands of Malwa plateau, Marathwada, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Rayalseema region of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka plateau are the major oilseeds growing regions of India.
• India produces about 18.8% of the total groundnut production in the world.
• Groundnut covers about 3.6% of total cropped area in the country.
• Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra are the leading groundnut producer states in India.
• Rapeseed and mustard comprise several oilseeds such as rai, sarson, toria, and taramira.
• Rapeseed and mustard oilseeds together occupy only 2.5% of total cropped area in the country.
• Rajasthan alone contributes to about one-third production (of oilseeds) while Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh other leading producers.
• Sunflower cultivation is concentrated in the regions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and adjoining areas of Maharashtra.
• India grows both the short staple (Indian) cotton as well as the long staple (American) cotton called narma in north-western parts of the country.
• India accounts to about 8.3% of world’s total production of cotton.
• Cotton occupies about 4.7% of total cropped area in the country.
• The major cotton growing areas in India are parts of Punjab, Haryana, and northern Rajasthan in the north-west; Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west; and plateaus of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu in the south.
• Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana are the leading cotton producing states.
• India produces about three-fifth of the total jute production of the world.
• West Bengal contributes about three-fourth of the total production of jute in the country.
• India is the second largest producer of sugarcane after Brazil.
• Sugarcane occupies 2.4% of total cropped area in the country and contributes about 23% to the world’s production of sugarcane.
• Uttar Pradesh produces about two-fifth of sugarcane of the country; other leading producers are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Tea is a plantation crop and used as a major beverage in India.
• Black tea leaves are fermented whereas green tea leaves are not fermented.
• Tea leaves have rich content of caffeine and tannin.
• Tea is grown over the undulating topography of hilly areas and well drained soils in humid and sub-humid tropics and sub-tropics.
• In India, tea plantation started in 1840s in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, which still is a major tea growing area in the country.
• With 28% of the world’s total production, India is a leading producer of tea.
• India ranks third among tea exporting countries in the world after Sri Lanka and China.
• Assam accounts for about 53.2% of the total cropped area and contributes more than half of total production of tea in the country; West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu are the other leading tea producers.
• There are three varieties of coffee − arabica, robusta, and liberica.
• India generally grows superior quality of coffee i.e. arabica, which is in great demand in the International market
• India produces only about 3.2% coffee of world’s total production and ranks 7th after Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Mexico.
• Coffee in India is cultivated in the highlands of the Western Ghats in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• Karnataka alone contributes more than two-third to the total production of coffee in India.
• New seed varieties of wheat (from Mexico) and rice (from Philippines) known as high yielding varieties (HYVs) were introduced during mid-1960s in India (Green Revolution).

Agricultural Problems

• About 57% of the land is covered by crop cultivation in India; however, in the world, the corresponding share is only about 12%.
• On the other hand, the land-human ratio in the country is only 0.31 ha, which is almost half of that of the world as a whole i.e. 0.59 ha.
• However, major problems of the Indian agriculture system are −

  Dependence on erratic monsoon;

  Low productivity;

  Constraints of financial resources and indebtedness;

  Lack of proper land reforms;

  Small farm size and fragmentation of landholdings;

  Lack of commercialization; under-employment; and

  Degradation of cultivable land.

• Further, lack of development of rural infrastructure, withdrawal of subsidies and price support, and impediments in availing of the rural credits may lead to interregional and inter-personal disparities in rural areas.
• Intensive Agricultural District Program (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area Program (IAAP) were launched to overcome the agricultural problems in India.
• Planning Commission of India initiated agro-climatic planning in 1988 to induce regionally balanced agricultural development in the country.

Mineral Resources

• On the basis of chemical and physical properties, minerals are grouped as −
  --> Metallic minerals and
  --> Non-metallic minerals.
  --> Major examples of metallic minerals are iron ore, copper, gold, etc.
• Metallic minerals are further sub-divided as ferrous and non-ferrous metallic minerals.
• The minerals containing iron is known as ferrous and without iron is known as non-ferrous (copper, bauxite, etc.).
• Depending upon the origination, non-metallic minerals are either organic (such as fossil fuels also known as mineral fuels, which are derived from the buried animal and plant, e.g. such as coal and petroleum), or inorganic minerals, such as mica, limestone, graphite, etc.

Distribution of Minerals

• Minerals are unevenly distributed on the earth’s surface.
• All minerals are exhaustible in nature, i.e., will exhaust after a certain time.
• However, these minerals take long time to form, but they cannot be replenished immediately at the time of need.
• More than 97% of coal reserves occur in the valleys of Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi, and Godavari rivers.
• Petroleum reserves in India are located in the sedimentary basins of Assam, Gujarat, and Mumbai High (i.e. off-shore region in the Arabian Sea – shown in the map given below).
• Some new petroleum reserves are also found in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins (shown in the image given above).

Mineral Belts in India

• Further, there are three major mineral belts in India namely −
  -->The North-Eastern Plateau Region,
  --> The South-Western Plateau Region, and
  --> The North-Western Region.

North-Eastern Plateau Region

• The major areas of north-eastern plateau region are Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand), Odisha, West Bengal, and parts of Chhattisgarh.
• Iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite, and mica are the major minerals of the north-eastern plateau region.

South-Western Plateau Region

• The south-western plateau region covers major parts of Karnataka, Goa, and contiguous Tamil Nadu uplands and Kerala.
• Major mineral resources of south-western plateau region are iron ore, manganese, and limestone.
• Kerala has deposits of monazite and thorium, and bauxite clay and Goa has deposits of iron ore.

North-Western Region

• The north-western region covers the areas of Aravalli in Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat.
• Major minerals of north-western regions are copper and zinc; other significant minerals include sandstone, granite, and marble, along with Gypsum and Fuller’s earth deposits.
• In addition, Gujarat and Rajasthan, both have rich sources of salt.
• The Himalayan belt is also an important mineral belt, as it has rich deposits of copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, and tungsten.

Major Minerals

Following are the major minerals found in india −

Iron

• About 95% of total reserves of iron ore is found in the States of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, and Jhar are the major iron ore regions in Odisha and the important mines are Gurumahisani, Sulaipet, Badampahar (Mayurbhaj), Kiruburu (Kendujhar), and Bonai (Sundergarh).
• Noamundi (Poorbi Singhbhum) and Gua (Pashchimi Singhbhum) are important mines in Jharkhand.
• Dalli and Rajhara in Durg district are the important mines of Chhattisgarh.
• Sandur-Hospet area of Ballari district, Baba Budan hills, and Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district, and parts of Shivamogga are the important iron ore regions in Karnataka.
• The districts of Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Ratnagiri are the iron regions in Maharashtra.
• Other iron ore regions in India are Karimnagar and Warangal district of Telangana, Kurnool, Cuddapah, and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Salem and Nilgiris districts of Tamil Nadu.

Manganese

• Odisha is the leading producer of Manganese.
• Bonai, Kendujhar, Sundergarh, Gangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Bolangir are the major manganese regions in Odisha.
• Dharwar, Ballari, Belagavi, North Canara, Shivamogga, Chitradurg, Tumkur, and Chikkmagaluru are major manganese regions in Karnataka.
• Nagpur, Bhandara, and Ratnagiri districts are the major regions of manganese in Maharashtra.
• Balaghat-Chhindwara-Nimar-Mandla, and Jhabua districts are the important manganese regions of Madhya Pradesh.

Bauxite

• Odisha is the largest producer of Bauxite in India.
• Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Bolangir, and Koraput are the leading producers of bauxite in Odisha.
• Lohardaga (Jharkhand) is rich in bauxite deposits.
• Amarkantak plateau has rich deposits of bauxite in Chhattisgarh.
• Katni-Jabalpur area and Balaghat are the major regions of bauxite in Madhya Pradesh.
• Kolaba, Thane, Ratnagiri, Satara, Pune, and Kolhapur in Maharashtra are important bauxite producers.

Copper

• Copper deposits are largely concentrated in Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, and Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts of Rajasthan.

Mica

• Hazaribagh plateau of Jharkhand and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh have deposits of high grade mica.
• Jaipur to Bhilwara and areas around Udaipur are the major mica-bearing regions of Rajasthan.
• Other mica-bearing regions are Mysore and Hasan districts of Karnataka; Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, and Kanniyakumari of Tamil Nadu; Alleppey of Kerala; Ratnagiri of Maharashtra; Purulia and Bankura of West Bengal.

Energy Resources

• Major sources of energy in India are classified as −
  --> Conventional sources (e.g. coal, petroleum, and nuclear power).
  --> Non-conventional sources (e.g. solar energy, hydro energy, geo-thermal energy, etc.)
• Fossil fuel or conventional sources of energy are found exhaustible in nature and also not environmental friendly; on the other hand, the non-conventional sources of energy such as solar energy, wind energy, geo-thermal energy, tidal energy, etc. are renewable sources of energy and they are also environmental friendly (as they do not pollute environment).

Coal

• About 80% of the coal deposits in India is of bituminous type and is of non coking grade.
• The most important Gondwana coal fields of India are located in Damodar Valley region.
• Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro, Giridih, and Karanpura are major coalfields of Jharkhand-Bengal coal belt.
• Jharia is the largest coal field followed by Raniganj.
• Other important coal mines are Singrauli (partially in Madhya Pradesh and partially in Uttar Pradesh); Korba in Chhattisgarh; Talcher and Rampur in Odisha; Chanda–Wardha, Kamptee, and Bander in Maharashtra; Singareni in Telangana; and Pandur in Andhra Pradesh.
• Tertiary coalfields are largely located in Darangiri, Cherrapunji, Mewlong, and Langrin in Meghalaya; Makum, Jaipur, and Nazira in upper Assam; Namchik – Namphuk in Arunachal Pradesh; and Kalakot in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The brown coal or lignite are found in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Gujarat, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Petroleum

• Hydrocarbons of liquid and gaseous states varying in chemical composition, color, and specific gravity are collectively known as petroleum resource.
• Petroleum industries produce various by-products; for example, fertilizer, synthetic rubber, synthetic fiber, medicines, vaseline, lubricants, wax, soap, and cosmetics.
• Crude petroleum normally occurs in sedimentary rocks of the tertiary period.
• For the systematic oil exploration and production, the Oil and Natural Gas Commission was set up in 1956.
• Digboi, Naharkatiya, and Moran are important oil producing areas in Assam.
• Ankaleshwar, Kalol, Mehsana, Nawagam, Kosamba, and Lunej are the major petroleum producing regions in Gujarat.
• Located 160 km off Mumbai, Mumbai high, an offshore oilfield was discovered in 1973. Production of petroleum at the field was started in 1976.
• Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basin on the east coast are significant regions of petroleum production.
• Oil extracted from the wells remains in crude oil form and contains many impurities; hence, it needs to be extracted in oil refineries.
• Based on destination, there are two types of oil refineries — oil-field based (e.g. Digboi) and market based (Barauni).
• To transport and develop the market for natural gas, the Gas Authority of India Limited was set up in 1984 (it is a public sector undertaking).
• Though natural gas reserves have been located along the petroleum reserves, but some exclusive natural gas reserves are found along the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh; as well as around Tripura, Rajasthan, and off-shore wells in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Nuclear Energy

• Essential minerals used for the generation of nuclear energy are uranium and thorium.
• Geographically, uranium ores are found at many different locations along the Singbhum Copper belt.
• Other important uranium reserve regions are also found in Udaipur, Alwar, and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan; Durg district of Chhattisgarh; Bhandara district of Maharashtra; and Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
• Thorium is mainly obtained from monazite and ilmenite, which is largely found along the coast of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Palakkad and Kollam districts of Kerala have the world’s largest monazite deposits (as shown in the image given above − larger view in insat image).
• Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1948 and the Atomic Energy Institute at Trombay was founded in 1954.
• However, the Atomic Energy Institute at Trombay was renamed as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1967.
• The important nuclear power projects are located at Tarapur (Maharashtra); Rawatbhata near Kota (Rajasthan); Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu); Narora (Uttar Pradesh); Kaiga (Karnataka); and Kakarapara (Gujarat).

Solar Energy

• Solar energy is 7% more effective than coal or oil based plants and 10% more effective than nuclear plants.
• The western part of India has greater potential for the development of solar energy.

Other Sources of Energy

• The Ministry of Non-conventional Sources of Energy is responsible for the development of wind energy in India as the major source of renewable energy.
• Ocean currents are the store-house of infinite energy. Hence, India has great potential for the development of tidal energy.
• Natural hot springs and geysers are being used since medieval period, but in the present world, these could be potential sources of renewable energy.
• Manikaran, a hot spring in Himachal Pradesh is a major renewable source of energy in India.
• Bio-energy is the energy derived usually from the biological products, such as agricultural residues and other bio-waste.
• Bio-energy can be converted into electrical energy, heat energy, and gas for cooking.
• Okhla in Delhi presents a good example by producing bio energy from municipal waste.