GEOGRAPHY

APPROACHES

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

A Greek scholars Eratosthenes is considered to have been the first to use
the term geography.
According to Hartshorne, geography is concerned with providing “
accurate ,orderly and rational description and interpretation of variable
character of earth surface.
Three essential characteristics of geographical work, acc to Haggett
1. Emphasis on location, cartography(making maps) is an imp tools
2. Emphasis on society- land relations, environmental effects on
humans , changes of environment brought about by human
intervention
3. Regional analysis, involving identification of regions, analysis of
their internal morphology
Regional Geography- a region at different scales –a continent, a
country, a local area –is studied in all its geographical aspects.
Systematic Geography- in the other aspect, any particular theme or
element of the system is chosen, say climate and analyzed
systematically6 over the earth surface – or a large part of it -with the
idea of identifying the general law of its prevalence over the globe.
The two approaches are complementary.
BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY: concerned with natural features
such as land, water and climate, these features are and in
relationship with one another as well as with human activities.
Subdivided into

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 I. Geomorphology- concerned with landforms, their distribution
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
nd origin :studies the relationship between landforms and
human activities
II. Climatology : making of weather and climate, changes in
climate nd how climate is affected by human activity
III. Hydrology :earth’s water- ocean, rivers, glaciers
IV. Oceanography: study of ocean ,study of shape, depth and
distribution of ocean, life forms, ecology and currents, besides
the legal status of ocean
V. Soil geography: deals with kinds of soils, their evolution and
distribution
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: concerned with the earth features
created by human action in the course of contriving to build and
improve habitats to live in comfort and security.
Subfields of human geomorphology
I. Cultural geography: deals with the location and diffusion
of beliefs, customs and other cultural traits.
II. Social geography : close to cultural geography , examines
relationship among groups of people
III. Economic geography: deals with the location and
distribution of economic activities
IV. Population geography: concerned with pattern of
population and the reasons for a change in those patterns.
V. urban geography: concerned with cities and other urban
areas examining the imp of location; study the distribution
of various groups within a city
VI. political geography: concerned with relations between
independent states, frontiers, boundaries, problems of
political instability, pattern of voting and regional
planning

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 VII. historical geography : concerned with the geography

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

forces that have caused the changes
VIII. Anthrogeography: distribution of human communities on
earth in relation to their geographical environment
IX. Agricultural geography : studies the development of
different kinds of farms and farming systems in particular
areas and compares them with the farms and farming
systems of other areas
Other two imp branches
MATHEMATICAL GEOGRAPHY: study of earth’s shape
and size, of time zones and of the motion of earth
CARTOGRAPHY: study of maps and charts, responsible for
geodetic and topographical surveys and the preparation of maps
on certain selected scales

Earth in the Universe

Earth, the planet on which we live, is the third planet outward from the
sun, lying with its satellite between Venus and Mars. The earth is an
oblate spheroid; taking into account an 18-metre rise at the North Pole
and a 26-metre depression at the South Pole, it may be called pear-
shaped. It is fifth in order of size among the nine planets.

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 GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

Earth Data
Age: At least 4.5 billion years
Motion: Rotation (spinning motion around an imaginary line connecting
the North and South Pole) once every 23hours, 56 minutes. 4.09seconds.
revolution (motion around the sun) – once every 365days 6hours,
9minutes, 9.54 seconds.
Size: polar diameters (distance through the Earth from North Pole to
South Pole) – 12713.54 kms. Equatorial diameter (distance through the
earth at the equator) – 12756.32kms. Polar circumference (distance
around the earth through Poles) – 40008.00kms. Equatorial
circumference (distance around the earth along the equator) –
40075.16kms
Area: Total surface area– 509,700,000square kms. Land area–
approximately 148,400,000 square kms, about 29per cent of total surface
area. Water area – approximately 361,300,000 square kms, about 71 per
cent of total surface area.
Mass: 5.882×1021 tonnes
Mean density: 5.517
Surface features: Highest Land- Mount Everest, 8848 metres above sea
level. Lowest Land- shore of Dead Sea, about 399 metres below the sea
level

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Ocean depths: Deepest part of ocean – area of the Marina Trench in

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

Pacific Ocean southwest of Guam, 11033 metres below surface. Average
ocean depth – 3730 metres.
Temperature: Highest – more than 99 %of the atmosphere is less than
80 kms above the earth’s surface, but particles of the atmosphere are
1600 kms above the surface. Regions of atmosphere – troposphere (up
to 10or 16 kms above surface ); stratosphere( from about 48 to about
80kms); thermosphere( from 80kms into outer space)
Chemical make-up of atmosphere – about 78 % nitrogen, 21 % oxygen,
1 % argon, and small amounts of other gases.
Chemical make-up of earth’s crust( in per cent of the crust’s weight) :
oxygen 46.6; silicon 27.7; aluminum 8.1; iron 5.0; calcium 3.6; sodium
2.8; magnesium 2.0; and other elements totaling 1.6

Interior of the Earth

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Layer Chemical Physical property
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
composition
Crust or Lithosphere
I.
Outer or upper SIAL( silica and Solid
part alumina) –
sedimentary and
granitic rocks Silica
II. Inner or outer Silica Partly molten
part
Mantle or Mesosphere
I. Inner or Partly SIMA( silica Some properties of a
silicate layer and magnesium) – solid and some like
basic rocks those of plastic
material
II. Transitional Wholly SIMA( ultra-
zone of basic rocks )
mixed metal
and silicates
Core or Barysphere
I. Outer metallic NIFE – nickel Liquid or in plastic
core (NI)and iron(Fe) state
II. Inner metallic Barysphere (heavy
core metallic rocks )

Structure of the atmosphere

Principal layers

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Earth's atmosphere can be divided into five main layers. These layers are mainly

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

determined by whether temperature increases or decrease with altitude. From
highest to lowest, these layers are:

Exosphere
The outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere extends from the exobase
upward. Here the particles are so far apart that they can travel hundreds of
km without colliding with one another. Since the particles rarely collide, the
atmosphere no longer behaves like a fluid. These free-moving particles
follow ballistic trajectories and may migrate into and out of the
magnetosphere or the solar wind. The exosphere is mainly composed of
hydrogen and helium.
Thermosphere
Temperature increases with height in the thermosphere from the mesopause
up to the thermopause then is constant with height. The temperature of this
layer can rise to 1,500 °C (2,730 °F), though the gas molecules are so far
apart that temperature in the usual sense is not well defined. The
International Space Station orbits in this layer, between 320 and 380 km
(200 and 240 mi). The top of the thermosphere is the bottom of the
exosphere, called the exobase. Its height varies with solar activity and ranges
from about 350–800 km (220–500 mi; 1,100,000–2,600,000 ft).
Mesosphere
The mesosphere extends from the stratopause to 80–85 km (50–53 mi;
260,000–280,000 ft). It is the layer where most meteors burn up upon
entering the atmosphere. Temperature decreases with height in the
mesosphere. The mesopause, the temperature minimum that marks the top of
the mesosphere, is the coldest place on Earth and has an average temperature
around −100 °C (−148.0 °F; 173.1 K).
Stratosphere
The stratosphere extends from the tropopause to about 51 km (32 mi;
170,000 ft). Temperature increases with height, which restricts turbulence
and mixing. The stratopause, which is the boundary between the stratosphere
and mesosphere, typically is at 50 to 55 km (31 to 34 mi; 160,000 to
180,000 ft). The pressure here is 1/1000th sea level.
Troposphere
The troposphere begins at the surface and extends to between 7 km
(23,000 ft) at the poles and 17 km (56,000 ft) at the equator, with some
variation due to weather. The troposphere is mostly heated by transfer of
energy from the surface, so on average the lowest part of the troposphere is
warmest and temperature decreases with altitude. This promotes vertical

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GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
mixing (hence the origin of its name in the Greek word "τροπή", trope,
meaning turn or overturn). The troposphere contains roughly 80% of the
mass of the atmosphere. The tropopause is the boundary between the
troposphere and stratosphere.
Other layers

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 GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

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Within the five principal layers determined by temperature are several layers
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
determined by other properties.

 The ozone layer is contained within the stratosphere. In this layer ozone
concentrations are about 2 to 8 parts per million, which is much higher than
in the lower atmosphere but still very small compared to the main
components of the atmosphere. It is mainly located in the lower portion of
the stratosphere from about 15–35 km (9.3–22 mi; 49,000–110,000 ft),
though the thickness varies seasonally and geographically. About 90% of the
ozone in our atmosphere is contained in the stratosphere.

 The ionosphere, the part of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar radiation,
stretches from 50 to 1,000 km (31 to 620 mi; 160,000 to 3,300,000 ft) and
typically overlaps both the exosphere and the thermosphere. It forms the
inner edge of the magnetosphere. It has practical importance because it
influences, for example, radio propagation on the Earth. It is responsible for
auroras.

 The homosphere and heterosphere are defined by whether the atmospheric

gases are well mixed. In the homosphere the chemical composition of the
atmosphere does not depend on molecular weight because the gases are
mixed by turbulence.[3] The homosphere includes the troposphere,
stratosphere, and mesosphere. Above the turbopause at about 100 km
(62 mi; 330,000 ft) (essentially corresponding to the mesopause), the
composition varies with altitude. This is because the distance that particles
can move without colliding with one another is large compared with the size
of motions that cause mixing. This allows the gases to stratify by molecular
weight, with the heavier ones such as oxygen and nitrogen present only near
the bottom of the heterosphere. The upper part of the heterosphere is
composed almost completely of hydrogen, the lightest element.

 The planetary boundary layer is the part of the troposphere that is nearest the
Earth's surface and is directly affected by it, mainly through turbulent
diffusion. During the day the planetary boundary layer usually is well-
mixed, while at night it becomes stably stratified with weak or intermittent
mixing. The depth of the planetary boundary layer ranges from as little as
about 100 m on clear, calm nights to 3000 m or more during the afternoon in
dry regions.

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Continent Facts

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

Continent Important Important Major Major Important
straits lakes mountains deserts rivers
1.Asia Strait of Caspian Himalayas , Arabian Euphrates,
( largest Malacca, Sea, Aral karakoram, Desert, Tigris, Ganga,
continent) Bering Sea, Lake Altai, Gobo Hwang
Strait Baikal Elbruz, Desert, Ho,Amur,
Zagros, Thar Sikiang
Urals, Desert
Kunlun,
Tein Shan
2.Africa Strait of Victoria , Atlas, Sahara, Nile,
(geologically Babel- Tanganyi Drakensberg Kalahari Zaire(Congo)
oldest Mandeb, ka, , , Namib Orange ,
continent) Strait of Rudolf , Kilimanjaro Niger,
Gilbrater Albert Limpopo
3.North Bering Superior, Rockies, Mojave, Mississippi,
America Strait Huron, Alaska , Sonoran Missouri, Rio
Erie, Cascade, Grande,
Ontario, Sierra Mackenzie,
Great Madre Columbia
Bear,
Great
Slave
4.South Strait of Lake Andes Atacam Amazon,
America Magellan Maracaib a, Orinoco,
o, Lake Patagoni Parana,
Titicaca a Paraguay
5.Europe Strait of Lake Alps, No Volga,
Gilbrater Ladoga Pyrenees, desert Danube,
Carpathians, Rhine, Po,
Urals, Dnieper, Don,
Balkans Vistula, Elbe,
Oder

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6.Austraila Bass Lake Great Gibson Murray,
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
Strait Eyre Dividing desert, Darling
Range Great
Sandy
desert,
Great
Victoria
desert

Physiographic of India

India is a land of
diversities. Great
mountains, rivers,
wide plateaus and
plains, lengthy
coastlines etc.,
constitute the
topography of our
country. It has a
monsoon climate
with local and
seasonal climatic
diversities. We
shall look at the
topography, rivers
and climate of our
country.
Physiographically,
India can be
classified into four
divisions.
􀁺 The Northern
mountain region

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􀁺 The Great Plains of the north

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

􀁺 The Peninsular plateau
􀁺 The Coastal plains and Islands
The Northern mountain region
This is the great wall like physiographic unit, which stretches from Kashmir in the
North West to the Indian border in the east. This region is formed by the
Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and the Himalayan range of mountains and the eastern
highlands. These mountain ranges are subdivided into three divisions namely,
Trans Himalayas, Himalayas and the Eastern Highlands. The Trans Himalayas
comprises theKarakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar ranges that originate from the Pamir
Knot. The highest peak in India, ‘Mount K2’ (Mt. Godwin Austin, 8611m) is in the
Karakoram Range. The Trans Himalayas, in which there are several gorges and
mountain passes, has an average height of above 6000m.
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
The Pamir plateau with the Pamir Knot in the central Asian country of
Tajikisthan, is known as the roof ofthe world. Mountain ranges such as the
Hindukush, Sulaiman, Tienshan,
Kunlun and Karakoram run to different directions from the Pamir Knot. The
Kailas range in Tibet is an extension of the Karakoram Range
The Himalayas, a part of the Northern mountain region, which trend in NW-SE
direction for a length of about 2400km is an arc shaped mountain range. This
mountain region with an area of about 5 lakh km2 is the highest region in the
world. The width of this mountain range is about 400km in Kashmir, and it shrinks
to 150 km in Arunachal Pradesh. There are three parallel mountain ranges in this
physical division, which is composed of many deep valleys and extensive plateaus.

The Himalayas, still growing!

Himalaya means the abode of snow. It is the youngest fold
mountain system of the world. These mountain ranges are
formed due to the intensive folding of the floor of an ancient
sea called Tethys. The fossils of different marine organisms,
found at various locations on the mountain ranges support
the fact that the region was covered by sea in the past.

The height of the mountain ranges gradually decreases as they approach the eastern
parts of the Northern mountainous regions. This region with an average height of
500m to 3000m above MSL is known as the Eastern highlands (Purvachal). The

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thickly forested Khasi-Jaintia hills in this region are the world’s rainiest (wettest)
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
spots.
Greater/Inner Lesser/Middle Outer/Lower
Himalayas Himalayas Himalayas

􀁺 The highest mountain
range of the Himalayas.
􀁺 Under perpetual snow,
these ranges have an
average
height of about 6000m.
􀁺 Mountain peaks with a
height of more than
8000m are situated in this
mountain range. (Eg:
Kanchenjunga- 8595 m,
Nangaparbat- 8126m)
􀁺 The source of Ganges
and Yamuna
􀁺 Situated to the south of 􀁺 This is the outer most
the Himadri range, situated on the
􀁺 Average height is south of the lesser
above 3000m Himalayas.
􀁺 Many health resorts 􀁺 These discontinuous
are situated on the ranges join the lesser
southern slope of the Himalayas in the extreme
mountain range, eg: east.
Shimla, Darjeeling. 􀁺 Its average height is
about 1200m
􀁺 There are several
elongated and flat valleys
running parallel to the
mountain ranges. They
are called “duns”. (Eg:
Dehradun)

Himalayan Rivers
The snow clad peaks and glaciers are excellent sources of fresh water. Several
great river systems originate from the melt waters of these glaciers. Abundant rain
fall in the valleys enriches the flow of these rivers.
Tributaries and distributaries
Tributaries are those small and big streams that join a river. Upon
reaching a plain the rivers branch out and join the sea. These branches
are called distributaries.
River Indus
Originating at a height of about 5180m from the Manasarowar in Tibet, River
Indus flows northwest through Tibet and enters Jammu and Kashmir. Flowing
through the deep valleys of Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit, River Indus crosses the
Indian border and reaches the plains through Attok in Pakistan. Having a length of
about 2880 km, it is one of the longest rivers of the world. Only a length of 709 km
of the river is in India. Flowing through the plains of Pakistan, Indus branches out

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into many distributaries and merges with the Arabian sea to the south of Karachi.

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej are the important tributaries of the Indus.
River Ganga
The river Bhagirathi, which originates from the Gaumukh caves of the Gangotri
Glacier and the river Alaknanda, which originates from the Alakpuri glacier meet
at Devaprayag and flows further as the Ganga. Flowing through the snow-clad
valleys, it enters the plains at Hardwar and becomes sluggish. After flowing
through different states the river flows southeast and enters Bangladesh at
Farrakkain West Bengal. The Ganga, with a length of more than 2500 km is the
river with the largest number of tributaries in India. Important tributaries of the
Ganga are
􀁺 Yamuna 􀁺 Son 􀁺 Ghaghara􀁺 Kosi 􀁺 Gandak.
Hooghly is an important distributary of the river Ganga. Kolkata city is
situated on the banks of the river Hooghly. The river Damodar is a tributary
of the river Hooghly.
The river Damodar is known as "Sorrow of Bengal". This is because of the severe
threat it posed to the life and property due to the frequent floods and change in
river course. The construction of dams across the river Damodar has mitigated
this havoc to a considerable extent. The Ganga is known as Padma in Bangladesh.
The river Padma joins the Brahmaputra near Chandpur in Bangladesh and is
known as Meghna and Jamuna. Later it flows as a number of distributaries and
builds an extensive delta. It then merges into the Bay of Bengal.

Farrakka Barrage
It was with the aim of developing water transport in Hooghly river that the
Government of India decided to construct a barrage across the river Ganga. The
barrage, which was completed in May 1986, has a length of 2240 m. The
barrage is bridged with rail and road. The railway that connects the Eastern
states with Kolkata passes over this barrage. Travelling by train over the roaring
greatness of the river Ganga is an unforgettable experience.
River Brahmaputra
The Chemayungdung glacier (5150m) on the Kailas range about 100 km from the
Manasarowar Lake in Tibet is the source ofthe river Brahmaputra. Having a length
of2900 km, the Brahmaputra is one of the longest rivers of the world. This river,
which is known by different names in Tibet and Bangladesh, has a length of 725
km in India. The river Tista, river Manas, river Luhit and river Subansiri are the
major tributaries. With the maximum discharge among the Himalayan Rivers,
Brahmaputra causes severe floods in Assam and Bangladesh.
THE RED RIVER OF INDIA

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The Brahmaputra is also known as the red river of India. It's red colour is
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
due to the suspension of red soils of Assam. Brahmaputra is known as
Tsangpo in Tibet and Jamuna in Bangladesh.

The disappeared River Saraswathi

Saraswathi was an ancient river, which originated from Himachal Pradesh
and flowed to the south and then to the southwest direction. The river which
is mentioned in the Rig Veda remains totally disappeared. Studies, with the
help of satellite imageries indicate that the river still flows, beneath the
ground!

Water way on mountains!

Ferries and boats of bamboo and leather are in use at a height of 3658 m
above MSL. This is a spectacular scene in Brahmaputra River in the
Tibetan region. This waterway has a length of670 km.

In the mountainous zone, deep valleys have been formed due to soil erosion for
centuries by rivers that originate from the Himalayas. These valleys break the
continuity of the Himalayas. The Himalayas are divided into different divisions.
The regions from one river bank to other have different names too.
From River Indus to River Sutlej –Punjab Himalaya
From River Sutlej to River Kali –Kumaon Himalaya
From River Kali to River Tista –Nepal Himalaya
From River Tista to River Brahmaputra-Assam Himalaya
Northern Great Plains
Extensive plains have been formed due to the continuous depositional activity of
the Himalayan Rivers. With several thousand kilometers of thickness, the Northern
Great Plains spread out to about 7 lakhs km2. This plain is one of the world's most
extensive alluvial plains.

Northern mountain zone Northern Great Plains

􀁺 Stands as a natural barrier in the 􀁺 This is the birth place of Indian

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northern part of India culture

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

􀁺 Prevents foreign invasion to a certain 􀁺 It forms the backbone of Indian
extent agriculture
􀁺 Supports an indigenous culture 􀁺 One of the world’s most densely
􀁺 Protects India from the cold winds populated regions
blowing from the northern parts of 􀁺 Many metropolitan cities and
Asia industrial Centres are situated in this
􀁺 Obstruct south western monsoon zone.
winds and provides rain throughout 􀁺 There is an extensive network of rail
India and road system in this zone
􀁺 Forms the source of several rivers
􀁺 This region has a remarkable role in
the formation of the Northern Great
Plains, which is the food bowl of India
􀁺 It is the abode of diverse animal and
plant species.
􀁺 This region with cool climate and
serene nature is a heaven for tourists

Peninsular Plateau
. The peninsular plateau is a landmass believed to have got separated from the
ancient Gondwanaland. This zone is built of stable rocks and is the most extensive
physiographic division of India. Note the characteristic features of the peninsular
plateau given below.
􀂁 This physiographic division has an area of about 15 lakh km2
􀂁 It has a diverse topography of mountains, plateaus and valleys
􀂁 The plateaus of this physiographic division has an average altitude of above
400m from mean sea level.
􀂁 Anamudi with a height of 2695m is the highest peak in this zone
􀂁 Most of the rivers that originate from this zone flow towards the east
􀂁 There are large deposits of different minerals occur in this zone
􀂁Based on the uniqueness of the different regions, the peninsular plateau has been
divided into nine subdivisions. The Aravalli hills, Malwa plateau, Vindhya ranges,
Satpura ranges, the Chotta Nagpur plateau, the Deccan plateau, the Western Ghats,

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the Eastern Ghats, the Kachchh and Kathiawar of Gujarat are these subdivisions.
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
Many small and large hills and plateaus are also included in these subdivisions.

Deccan Trap Region

The northwestern part of the Deccan plateau was formed due to the cooling
down of lava from volcanic eruption hat occurred millions of years ago.
Formed out of igneous rocks, this region is known as the Deccan Trap. Black
soils have developed as a result of weathering of rocks in the lava plateau, one
of the largest in the world. This black soil, also known as regur (black cotton
soil) is most suitable for cotton cultivation.

Rann of Kachchh
The brackish swampy region in the northwestern part of Gujarat is called
the Rann of Kachchh. High tides from the Arabian Sea and the rivers Luni
and Banas, inundate this region. There are two different divisions in the
Rann of Kachchh, namely the Great Rann and the Little Rann. The Great
Rann which is situated to the north of the Kachchh peninsula is a region
filled by black sedimentary deposits and salts.

Peninsular Rivers
Originating from the Peninsular Plateau, rivers Chambal, Betwa, Kenand
Sind flow towards the north and join the Yamuna and the river Son joins the
River Ganga. When compared to other peninsular rivers, these rivers are
comparatively smaller in length.

River Source Length Major The sea to

tributaries which it
merges

Mahanadi Maikala 857 km Ib, Tel Bay of

ranges(Madhya Bengal
Pradesh)

Godavari Western Ghats 1465 km Indravati, Bay of

(Nasik district of Sabari Bengal
Maharashtra)
Krishna Western Ghats (a 1400 km Bhima, Bay of

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 spring to the north Tungabhadra Bengal

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

of Mahabaleshwar
in Maharashtra)

Cauvery Western Ghats 800 km Kabani, Bay of

(Brahmagiri hills in Amaravati Bengal
Coorg district of
Karnataka)
Narmada Maikala 1312 km Hiran, Bajan Arabian Sea
ranges(Chhattisgarh
)
Tapti Multai plateau 724 km Aanar, Girna Arabian Sea
(Betul district of
Madhya Pradesh)

Himalayan Rivers Peninsular Rivers

􀁺 Extensive catchment area
􀁺 Rain fed and snow fed
􀁺 High erosive capability
􀁺 Develop gorges in the mountains and
meanders
in the plains
􀁺 Inland navigation is possible in the
plains.
Comparatively small catchment area
􀁺 Rainfed
􀁺 Low erosive capability
􀁺 Deep valleys are not produced as
they flow
through hard crystalline rocks
􀁺 Less chances for inland navigation.

Coasts and Islands

Extending from the Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat to the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta,
it has a length of about 6083 km and lies divided into the west and the east coasts.
West Coast East Coast
􀁺 Between Arabian Sea and Western 􀁺 Between Eastern Ghats and Bay of
Ghats Bengal
􀁺 Stretches from Rann of Kachchh to 􀁺 Stretches from Sundarbans to
Kanyakumari. Kanyakumari.
􀁺 Comparatively narrow 􀁺 Comparatively wider
􀁺 Divided into Gujarat coastal plain, 􀁺 Divided into Coromondel coast and
Konkan coast and Malabar coast North Sircar coastal plains
􀁺 Lagoons and estuaries are formed in 􀁺 Deltas are formed in this coastal

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the west coast stretch
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
􀁺 Highly influenced by the south west 􀁺 Influenced by north east monsoons
monsoon

Islands
There are many islands situated in the Indian Ocean, which form part of our
country. These are distributed in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and in the Gulf of
Mannar, between India and Sri Lanka. Lakshadweep means a hundred thousand
islands. But, there are only 36 coral islands present in this group of islands. Only
ten islands in the group have been inhabited. This group of islands is situated about
300 km away from the Kerala coast. Kavarati is the capital of Lakshadweep.
Known as Bay Islands, the Andaman and Nicobar islands are located in the Bay of
Bengal. There are about 200 islands, in this group the majority of which are
uninhibited. The Barren volcano is situated in the Barren Island of this island
group.

OCEAN AND OCEANOGRAPHY

The ocean floor can be divided into four major divisions.
Continental Shelf: the continental shelf is gently sloping part of continent
that lies submerged below the sea.
Average width: 70km and Average Depth: 200m
In all, the continental shelves cover about 7.5 % of total area of the ocean
North Sea and The Baltic Sea - lie on the continental shelf, known as
epicontinental or shelf seas
About 20% of the world production of petroleum and gas comes from
shelves.
Continental Slope: that descends from the edge of the continental shelf to the
deep –sea platform.

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 Continental Rise: where the continental slopes ends, the rise Continental

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

begins.
Continental Rise has an average slope of between 0.5 to1 and its general
relief is low.
Abyssal Plain: are the areas of deep –ocean floor found at depth of 3000 to
6000metres. They occupy about 40% of the ocean floor.

Ocean Facts
 Pacific Ocean- name was coined by Ferdinand Magellan.
Shape: roughly triangular with the apex in the north at the Bering Strait
Deepest part: North Pacific
Deepest trench: the Mariana off the Guam Islands; most of the islands are of
volcanic or coral origin.
 Atlantic Ocean
Shape: resembles the latter ‘S’
Striking feature: presence of Mid- Atlantic Ridge which divides the Atlantic
into two deeper basins on either side.
The Atlantic Ocean has less troughs and trenches than the Pacific Ocean.
Of all the oceans, the Atlantic Ocean has longest coastlines.
 Indian Ocean: considered half ocean, because, unlike the Pacific
Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, it does not open out northward into Arctic
Ocean.
Most of the islands in the Indian Ocean represent detached parts of the
continental blocks.
The Lakshadweep and Maldives Islands in the Indian Ocean are coral
Islands, while the Mauritius and Reunion Island to the east of Madagascar is of
volcanic origin.

MAJOR OCEAN CURRENTS

Name Types Description

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PACIFIC OCEAN
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
NORTH warm current flows westwards in north of the
EQUATORIA equator , produced by north east
L CURRENT trades
SOUTH warm current flows westwards in south of the
EQUATORIA equator
L CURRENT south east trades
KURO SIWA warm current north east trades winds blow the
CURRENT north equatorial current off the coasts
/KUROSHIO / of the Philippines and Formosa into
JAPAN East China sea as Kuro Siwa Current
CURRENT
NORTH warm current from the south-east coast of Japan the
PACIFIC current flows right across the ocean
CURRENT from west to east
ALASKA cold current flows anti-clock wise along the coast
CURRENT of British Columbia and Alaska ,
branch of north Pacific current
CALIFORNI cold current flows southwards along the Pacific
AN coastline , caused by upwelling g of
CURRENT colder water from greater depths due
to the southward deflection of the
north Pacific current, joins north
equatorial current
PERU cold current reaching the south western coast of
/HUMBOLDT South America, the South Pacific
CURRENT currents turns northward as Peru
current
COUNTER Between the north and south equatorial current, a current
EQUATORIA flows from west to east
L CURRENT
OYA SIWA The cold Alaska current/Bering strait current creeps
OR southwards from narrow Bering strait and is joined by
OYASHIO Okhotsk Current(cold current) to meet the warm Japan current
CURRENT
ATLANTIC OCEAN
NORTH OR warm current the steady trade winds in north and
SOUTH south of the equator drive two
EQUATORIA streams of surface water westwards

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L CURRENT

GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]

GUINEA warm current flows from west to east between the
CURRENTS two main equatorial Current, known
(EQUATORI as Guinea Currents off the West
AL African Coast
COUNTER
CURRENT
BRAZIL The South equatorial Current is split into two branches Cape de
CURRENT sao Roque. One branch turns south as warm Brazil Current
GULF warm current originates in gulf of Mexico b4
CURRENT flowing past Florida , keeps the
Norwegian coast ice-free during the
winter months
CANARY cold current caused by upwelling g of colder
CURRENT water from greater depths due to the
southward deflection of the west
wind drift in North Atlantic and
transference of surface water back
across the Atlantic by north
equatorial current
LABRADOR warm current flows southwards along part of the
CURRENT east coast of Canada and meets the
warm Gulf Stream, confluence of
these two currents produces the
famous fogs around Newfoundland
BENGUELA cold current flowing northwards off the coast of
CURRENT South West Africa
FLORIDA commences as branch of the North Equatorial current , enters
CURRENT the Caribbean and returns to the Atlantic Ocean through
Florida Straits
INDIAN
OCEAN
SOUTH – in summer ,when the dominant wind is the south-west monsoon
WEST
MONSOON
DRIFT
NORTH – in winter , when the dominant wind is the north-east monsoon
EAST
MONSOON

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DRIFT
GEOGRAPHY | [Pick the date]
WEST WIND cold current ;
DRIFT one of the branches of this current turns northwards along the
west coast of Australia- known as AUSTRALIAN CURRENT
SOUTH include the Agulhas current and Mozambique current
EQUATORIA
L
CURRENTS

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