Indian Geography

Natural Region,Mountain,River, Rainfall,Soil,Forests

Situation

India lies between Latitude 8° and 37° North and Longitude 68° and 97° East.

The tropic of cancer Passes right through the centre,cutting the country roughly into two parts,along Gujrat,Madhya Pradesh,Jharkhand,West Bengal ,Tripura and Mizoram.

Area

The area of the Indian Union is 32,87,263 sq km.

It measure about 3,214 km from North to South and about 2,933 km from East to West.

It has a land frontier of 15,200 km and a cost line about 60,080 km.

It has 2.4 percent of earth's surface area .It is the seventh largest country in the world.

Boundaries

It is bounded in the North by China,Nepal and Bhutan,on the East by Myanmar and Bangladesh,on the South by Indian Ocean and on the North West by Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Natural Region

Himalayas and their Eastern Offshoots.

It extends from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh over a distance of about 2,400 km.

The highest peak in the world are found in these ranges

Mount Everest is the highest peak of the world(height 8,848 meters).

The Himalaya provides rain for the plains by stopping moisture bearing winds.

Indo Gangetic Plain

This plain lies between Himalayas and Deccan Plateau from West Bengal to Punjab extending about 2,400 km.

The Plain has two great river -valley system-Ganges and its tributaries and Indus and its tributaries.

In these region rainfall is heavy and agriculture is the main occupation of the people.

Soil is very fertile and the climate is healthy.

The Deccan Plateau

It lies to the South of Indo-Gangetic Plain.

On its North are the Vindhyas and Satpura Hills while Eastern and western Ghats from its eastern and western boundaries respectively.

Both the Eastern and Western Ghats meet in the Nilgiri Hills.

To the South of the Nilgiri Hills is the well known Palghat Pass.

There begin the Cardemom Hills of Kerala which extend as far as Kanyakumari.

It has an average height of 600 meters above sea level.

Coastal Plains

Caostal Plains stretch along the western and eastern coasts of India.

They are called the Western and Eastern Coastal Plain.

Western Coastal Plain :

This coastal Plain lies between Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats.

Its Northern Plain is called Konkan and the Southern part Malabar.

This plain is quite narrow and not more than 64 km broad.

The plain is very fertile and gets heavy rainfall of about 200 cm annually

Eastern Coastal Plain :

This plain lies between the Bay of Bengal and Eastern Ghats and is also called Coromandel

This plain is wider than Western Coastal Plain.

It contains deltas of Mahanadi,Godavari,Krishna and Cauvery.

Rain fall

Region of heavy Rainfall :

Here minimum rainfall is 200 cm.This includes Meghalaya,Assam,Arunachal Pradesh,Sikkim,northern parts of West Bengal,Western Coastal Plain,Western Ghats and the West Himalayan slopes.

Region of Moderate Rainfall :

Here rainfall is between 100 and 200 cm.It includes west Bengal,Bihar,Jharkhand,Eastern UP,Uttarakhand,sub-mountain region Punjab,Orissa,Madhya Pradesh,Chattisgarh,East Coast of Tamil Nadu,Eastern slopes of Western ghats.

Region of Low rainfall :

Here rainfall is between 50 cm and 100 cm.It includes Deccan,Gujrat,Eastern Rajasthan,Western UP,Haryana and Northern Punjab.

Region of Scanty Rainfall :

Here rainfall is below 50 cm.It includes Kutch,Western Rajasthan, southern Haryana,South West Punjab,Central Deccan and Ladakh

Soil of India : Types of Soil

Alluvial Soil :

The Allovial Soils are generally confined to river basins and coastal plains.

They contribute significantly to the development of agriculture in India.

The Alluvial soils vary from sandy loam to clayey in texture.

They are generally rich in potash but poor in Phosphorus.

These are found in UP,Punjab,Haryana,Rajasthan etc.

Black(Regur) Soil :

The black soil are concentrated over the Deccan Lava tract which includes parts of Maharastra,Madhya Pradesh,Gujrat,Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Tamil Nadu.

Chemically the black soils consists of lime,iron,magnesia and alumina and potash.But these lack phosphorus,nitrogen and organic matter.

These are very usefull for growing cotton.

Red Soil :

The siol develops a raddish colour due to presence of oxide of iron in ancient crystallin and metamorphic rocks.

Red soils cover almost the whole of Tamil Nadu,Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh,South Eastern Maharastra eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh,parts of Orissa and Chhottnagpur and Bundelkhand-all of them lying on the periphery of the plateau.

Red soils is comperatively porous and lacks nutrients,especially organic matter.As a result this soil has limited fertility and is suitable for millets and rice.

Laterite Soils :

The formation of laterite soils takes place under typical monsoonal condition.

The main development of these soils has taken place in the highland areas of the plateau.

The laterite soils are commonly dound in Karnataka,Kerala,Tamil Nadu,and hilly areas of Orissa and Assam.

Agricultural Production of India

Agricultural production of India

Given below are the names of various crops, vegetables, and fruits that are cultivated in India:

Food grains

Wheat

Rice

Jowar

Ragi and Bajra (millets)

Sorghum

Spices

Cardamom

Nutmeg and mace

Garlic

Turmeric

Ginger

Dry chillies and peppers

Coriander

Anise

Seeds and pulses

Safflower seeds

Castor oil seeds

Pulses

Sesame seeds

Cotton seed and lint

Lentil

Fennel

Vegetables

Lemons

Chickpeas

Okra

Cauliflowers

Green peas

Pumpkins

Potatoes

Gourds

Tomatoes

Cabbages

Onions

Dry beans

Limes

Pigeon peas

Brinjal

Fruits

Coconuts

Banana

Mangoes

Guavas

Squashes

Sugarcane

Tropical fresh fruit

Nuts

Cashew nuts

Groundnut

Beverages

Tea

Coffee

Rice:
The principal food grain of India is rice. In terms of rice production, the country holds the second position all over the world. Rice is grown in approximately 34% of the overall cropped territory of the country. Rice production comprises 42% of the overall food crop production in the country.

For rice production, it is essential that the production fields receive a mean precipitation of 125 cm every year. It is also necessary that the average temperature of the place stays at 23° C.

In India, rice is grown in the eastern and western shoreline areas, Northeast India, and the drainage basin of river Ganga. The important rice growing states in India are as follows:

Punjab

West Bengal

Uttar Pradesh

Other than these states, rice is cultivated in the following states of India:

Karnataka

Tamil Nadu

Haryana

Orissa

Chhattisgarh

Bihar

Maharashtra

Assam

.Wheat:
The second most important food grain cultivated in India is wheat. The Rabi season is the ideal time to grow wheat. The Green Revolution in India paved the way for a substantial development in wheat production in the nation. Since the revolution, the production of the second most important food crop has risen considerably. The elements that contributed to increased wheat production are better seeds, right usage of water supply, and manures.

In India, wheat is grown in regions which receive a mean precipitation of 75 cm. The region should also have productive soil. The state of Uttar Pradesh ranks first in terms of wheat production. About 35% of the overall wheat production is done by the state. Other than Uttar Pradesh, states like Haryana and Punjab also produce a significant amount of wheat.

Jowar:
Jowar is a major food grain in India as well. The ideal climate for cultivation of Jowar should be warm and arid and the average annual rainfall should be 45 cm.
The state of Maharashtra is the leading producer of Jowar in the country. The state houses about 50% of the overall area for Jowar production in India.
Maharashtra cultivates about 52% of the overall Jowar production in the country. Other important producers of Jowar include states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Pulses:
Pulses are cultivated in the arid areas of the country. These harvests supply nitrogen to the earth. The population of India prefers a diet which contains pulses since they carry a significant degree of proteins.
The top producer of pulses in India is the state of Madhya Pradesh. The state contributes 24% of the overall pulses production of the nation. Other major pulse producing states include Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Jute
India is a prominent jute producing nation across the world. Some of the important jute producing states in the country are Bihar, West Bengal, and Orissa. A negligible amount of jute is produced in Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

Coffee:
The states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the major coffee producers in India. They house a number of coffee estates and farms in Southern India. Indian coffee is famous for its flavor and aroma. As a result, it has a significant demand in the global coffee market. India is a major exporter of coffee because of this. The Nilgiri Mountain Ranges produce coffee on a substantial scale.

Rubber:
Rubber is a tree crop which is grown in agricultural estates. It is made from latex which is emitted from the stems of the plants. The ideal weather for rubber growing is a warm and moist weather and the soil should be sufficiently watered. The following states are the important cultivators of rubber in India:

Karnataka

Kerala

Tamil Nadu

Kerala ranks as the topmost producer of rubber in the country.

Major Mineral production of India

Principal minerals found in the country along with their estimated reserves are given below:

Bauxite

The total in situation reserves is 3.076 million tonnes. About 84 per cent of this reserve is of metallurgical grade. The conditional resources of bauxite are about 5, 99,780 tonnes.

In addition, prospective resources are placed at 90 million tonnes. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are the principal states where bauxite deposits are located. Major reserves are concentrated in the East Coast Bauxite deposits of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Chromite

Total in situ reserves of chromite are estimated at 114 million tonnes. Total geological resources were estimated at 187 million tonnes, consisting of around 114 million tonnes in situ reserves and about 73 million tonnes as conditional resources.

The largest share (about 96 per cent) in the total geological resources is accounted by the Cuttack district in Orissa. Deposits of economic significance occur in Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Manipur. However, refractory grade reserves of chromite are very meagre.

Copper

The total in situ reserves of copper ore in the country are 712.5 million tonnes, equivalent to 9.4 million tonnes of metal content.

The all-India conditional resources of copper are 722 million tonnes (3.15 million tonnes of copper metal) and prospective resources are 0.6 million tonnes of copper ore.

Major and important copper ore deposits are located in Singhbhum district (Jharkhand), Balaghat district (Madhya Pradesh) and Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts (Rajasthan).

In addition, there are small copper ore deposits in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Gold

There are three important gold fields in the country, namely, Kolar Gold Fields, Kolar district, Hutti Gold Field in Raichur district (both in Karnataka) and Ramgiri Gold Field in Anantpur district (Andhra Pradesh). Total in situ reserves of gold ore are estimated at 22.4 million tonnes, with 116.50 tonnes of metal.

Iron Ore

The total in situ reserves of iron ore in the country are about 1,23,17,275 thousand tonnes of haematite and 53,95,214 thousand tonnes of magnetite.

The resources of very high-grade ore are limited and are restricted mainly in the Bailadila sector of Chhattisgarh and to a lesser extent in Bellary-Hospet area of Karnataka and Barajamda sector in Jharkhand and Orissa.

Haematite resources are located in Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Magnetite resources are located in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Lead-Zinc

Lead-Zinc resources are located in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu and Sikkim. Total in situ reserves (all grades) of lead and zinc ores are 231 million tonnes comprising metal content of 5.1 million tonnes of lead and 17.02 million tonnes of zinc metal.

Manganese

The total in situ resources of manganese ore are 406 million tonnes out of which 104 million tonnes are proved, 135 million tonnes are in probable and 167 million tonnes are in possible categories. Main reserves fall in Karnataka, followed by Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa. Minor occurrences of manganese are in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Nickel

The total estimated conditional resources of nickel ore are 188.7 million tonnes located in Orissa (174.48 million tonnes) and Jharkhand (9 million tonnes).

Tungsten

The total in situ reserves of tungsten ore have been estimated at 43.15 million tonnes or 1, 32,478 tonnes of W03 content. The main reserves are at Degana, Rajasthan. It also occurs in Maharashtra, Haryana, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

Barytes

The in situ reserves of barytes are 85 million tonnes. The Mangampet deposit occurring in Cuddapah district (Andhra Pradesh) is the single largest deposit in the world. Minor occurrences of barytes are located in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka

Diamond

Diamond deposits occur in three types of geological settings such as kimberlite pipes, conglomerate beds and alluvial gravels.

The main diamond bearing areas in India are the Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh, Munimadugu-Banganapalle conglomerate in Kurnool district, Wajrakarur Kimberlite pipe in Anantapur district and the gravels of Krishna river basin in Andhra Pradesh.

Reserves have been estimated only in the Panna belt and Krishna Gravels in Andhra Pradesh.

The total in situ reserves are about 26, 43,824 carats. There are conditional resources of 19, 36,512 carat. The new kimberlite fields are discovered recently in Raichur-Gulbarga districts of Karnataka.

Dolomite

Dolomite occurrences are widespread in almost all parts of the country. The total in situ reserves of all grades of dolomite are 7,349 million tonnes.

The major share of about 90 per cent reserves is distributed in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra

.

The reserves of BF and SMS grades are large, but those of refractory grade at 425 million tonnes constitute only 5.8 per cent of the all India reserves.

Fireclay

Fireclay occurs as a bedded deposit, mostly associated with coal measures of Gondwana and Tertiary periods. Important deposits are associated with Jharia and Raniganj coalfields in Jharkhand and West Bengal, Korba coalfield in Chhattisgarh and Neyveli Lignite field in Tamil Nadu.

Notable occurrences of fireclay not associated with coal measures are known to exist in Gujarat, Jabalpur region of Madhya Pradesh and Belpahar-Sundergarh areas of Orissa. The in situ reserves of fireclay are about 707 million tonnes.

Fluorspar

Total in situ reserves of fluorspar in India are 14.15 million tonnes. Commercial deposits of Fluorspar are located in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Gypsum

The in situ reserves of gypsum are estimated at 383 million tonnes. Out of this, two millions are of surgical/plaster grade. 92 million tonnes of fertilizer/pottery grade, 76 million tonnes of cement/paint grade, 13 million tonnes of soil reclamation grade and the rest is unclassified.

The production of gypsum is confined to Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, and Gujarat. Rajasthan is the main producer of gypsum followed by Jammu and Kashmir.

Graphite

The in situ reserves of graphite are 16 million tonnes. Orissa is the major producer of graphite. Almost the entire reserves of Tamil Nadu under the proved category are in Ramanathapuram district. Deposits of commercial importance are located in Andhra Prade" Jharkhand, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Ilmenite

The in situ reserves of ilmenite are 348 million tonnes. Ilmenite occurs mainly in beach sand deposits right from Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) to the coast in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Orissa The mineral is also found in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.

Kaolin

The all India in situ reserves of kaolin, including white clay of all categories are about 2,353 million tonnes. Principal producing states are Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan and Gujarat Ball clay is mainly produced in the West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh and Bikaner district of Rajasthan.

Limestone

The total in situ reserves of limestone of all categories and grades are placed at 1, 69,941 million tonnes. The total conditional reserves have been estimated at 3,713 million tonnes.

The major share of its production comes from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat: Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh. The remaining part comes from Assam, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Ker and Meghalaya.

Mica

India is the world's leading producer of sheet mica and accounts for about 60 per cent of global mica trade. Important mica-bearing pegmatite occurs in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand Bihar and Rajasthan.

The total in situ reserves of mica in the country are placed at 59, often tonnes. The in situ reserves of mica in Andhra Pradesh are 42,626 thousand tonnes, Bihar 12,938 tonnes, Jharkhand 1,494 tonnes and in Rajasthan 2,007 tonnes.

Magnesite

The total in situ reserves of Magnesite are about 415 million tonnes of which 76 million tonnes are in the proved category. Major deposits of magnesite are found in Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan while minor deposits are in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Himachal Prade and Kerala.

Kyanite and Sillimanite

The total in situ reserves of kyanite and sillimanite in the country are 8.1 million tonnes and 58.8 million tonnes respectively. Besides, conditional resources of 95.3 million tonnes of kyanite are also estimated. For sillimanite, conditional resources are estimated to be 5.9 million tonnes.

Kyanite deposits are located in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Sillimanite resources are in Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal with minor occurrences in Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya and Rajasthan.

Phosphate Minerals

Deposits of phosphorites are located in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Besides, apatite deposits of commercial importance are reported from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. In situ reserves of phosphorites are estimated at 193.23 million tonnes of all grades and of apatite at 14.83 million tonnes.

Other Minerals

Other minerals occurring in significant quantities in India are bentonite (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir), corundum (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh), clacite (Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat), fuller's earth (Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka), garnet (Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala), pyrites (Jharkhand; Rajasthan, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh), steatite (Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh), wollastonite (Rajasthan and Gujarat), zircon (beach sand of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa) and quartz and silica minerals are widespread and occur in nearly all states.

Besides, the country has vast marble, slate and sandstone. Granite is mainly mined in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan; marble in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh; slate in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh. Haryana and Andhra Pradesh; and sandstone in Rajasthan

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