Types of Soil

1.Forest Soil-Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal 2.Alluvial Soil-UP, Bihar 3.Red and Yellow Soil Odhisa, Andhra Pradesh Found in the chotanagpur plateau area, telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and periphery of deccan plateau Occupy an area of 10.6% (3.5 lakh sq. km) Rich in potash Deficient in nitrogen, lime, magnesia, humus and phosphate Red color due to high iron content Found to a depth of 500 meters Parent rocks are acid granites and gneisses

4.Black Soil MP and Maharashtra,Gujarat(Deccan lava trap or Deccan Trap) Also known as Regur Soil or Cotton Soil Also suitable for growing crops like rice, wheat , jowar, oilseeds and citrus fruits. Formed where they are found Rich in Lime, Iron, Magnesia & Potash Lack in Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Organic matter. Spread over 16.6% of the total land area of the country

5.Laterite Soil Coastal areas of Kerela, North eastern state of Meghalaya and hilly regions of Assam Laterite=brick Formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry spells. Thus formed under monsoon conditions Covers an area of 2.4 sq. km Porous soil Rich in silica Poor in lime and magnesium and nitrogen Red due to presence of iron oxide which is formed by Leaching Two types-Upland Laterites and lowland Laterites

6.Arid Soil-Parts of Rajasthan

Mountain Ranges of India There are 8 mountain ranges in India, namely1.Himalayan Range-Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga 2.Karakoram Range-K2 (Second highest mountain peak,situated in the state of J&K) 3.Aravali Range- Oldest mountain range running across north east to south west of rajasthan 4.Vindhyas- average elevation of mountains is 3000m. it separates northern india from the southern 5.Patkai Range or Purvanchal- Indias eastern border with Burma.They were created by the same tectonic processes that led to the creation of Himalayas. There are three hill ranges that come under the Patkai: the PatkaiBum, theGaroKhasiJaintia and the Lushai hills 6.Satpura Range- begins in eastern Gujarat near the Arabian sea and runs east across Maharashtra. 7.Western Ghats or Sahyadri- runs along the western edge of deccan plateau.Runs across south of Tapti River to the southern tip of the deccan peninsula. Anai Mudi in the Anaimalai Hills 2,695 m (8,842 ft) in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats 8.Eastern Ghats-discontinuous range of mountains. Eroded and vivisected by four major rivers, namely Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna and Kaveri. Jindagada Peak (1690 m), near Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh, is the tallest peak in Eastern Ghats.

India is entirely contained on the Indian Plate, a major tectonic plate that was formed when it split off from the ancient continent Gondwanaland (ancient landmass, consisting of the southern part of the supercontinent of Pangea). The Indo-Australian is subdivided into the Indian and Australian plates. About 90 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period, the Indian Plate began moving north at about [6] 15 cm/year (6 in/yr). About 50 to 55 million years ago, in the Eocene Epoch of the Cenozoic Era, the plate collided with Asia after covering a distance of 2,000 to 3,000 km (1,243 to 1,864 mi), having moved faster than any other known plate. In 2007, German geologists determined that the Indian Plate was able to move so quickly because it is only half as thick as the other plates which formerly constituted [7] Gondwanaland. The collision with the Eurasian Plate along the modern border between India and Nepal formed theorogenic belt that created the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. As of 2009, the Indian Plate is moving northeast at 5 cm/yr (2 in/yr), while the Eurasian Plate is moving north at only 2 cm/yr (0.8 [7] in/yr). India is thus referred to as the "fastest continent". This is causing the Eurasian Plate to deform, and the Indian Plate to compress at a rate of 4 mm/yr (0.15 in/yr).