India can be divided into following physical divisions viz.
- The Northern Mountains
- The North Indian Plain
- The Peninsular Plateau
- Great Indian Desert
- The coastal Regions
- Islands
The Great Indian Desert
- Extends from the western margins of the Aravali Hills
- Luni is the only prominent river
The Coastal regions
- Excluding the islands, the mainland of India has 6,100 kms length of coastline
- Extends from Kutch in Gujarat in the west to the Gangetic delta in the east
- The coast of India is divided into western coast and eastern coastal plains.
- The coastal regions of India are known for agriculture, trade, industrial centres, tourist centres, fishing and salt making
- They also provide important hinterlands for the ports
Western Coastal Plains
- Lies between Western Ghats & Arabian sea from Gujrat in north to Kanyakumari in south
- Narrower & wetter than Eastern plains
- Divided into Malabar coast, Kannada Coast, Konkan coast, Kanyakumari Coast, Kachchh and Kathiawad peninsulas
- Kathiawar Coast → Kutch to Daman (Tapti, Narmada, Sabarmati & Mahi river deposit huge load of sediments in the Gulf of Cambay & form estuaries)
- Konkan Coast → Between Daman & Goa
- Kannada Coast → Goa to Cannanore
- Kanyakumari Coast → Cannanore to Cape Camorin
- Malabar Coast → Kannada + Kanyakumari Coast
- Important Ports → Mumbai, Marmagoa, Cochin, Mangalore, Nhava-Sheva and Kandla
- Marked with Lagoons → Ashtamudi & Vembanad called Kayals → Kerala
Eastern coastal Plains
- Lies between Eastern Ghats & Bay of Bengal from Gangetic delta in north to Kanyakumari in south
- Known as Land of Deltas viz. of Mahanadi, Krishna, Kaveri & Godavari
- Broader but drier than Western plains
- Consists of following sub coasts
- Utkal coast → Deltaic plains of Ganga to Mahanadi delta (Famous Chilka lake is located in this plain)
- Andhra Coast → Utkal plains to Pulicat lake (Contains deltas of Godavari & Krishna Rivers, & famous Kolleru lake)
- Northern Circars → Utkal Coast + Andhra Coast (Between Mahanadi & Krishna)
- Coromandal Coast → Between Krishna & Kanyakumari (Consist of Kaveri Delta)
- Freshwater Kolleru Lake → Between Godavari & Krishna
- Marked with Famous Lagoons → Chilka lake (Orissa) & Pulicat (Tamilnadu)
- Chilka Lake is the largest salt water lake in India
- It lies in the state of Odisha, to the south of the Mahanadi Delta
Indian Islands
- Total 247 islands in India → 204 islands in Bay of Bengal and 43 in the Arabian Sea
- Few coral islands in the Gulf of Mannar also
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal consist of hard volcanic rocks
- The middle Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the largest islands of India
- Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea are formed by corals
- The southern – most point of India is in Nicobar Island, known as Indira Point
- Formerly Indira point was called Pigmalion Point, it is submerged now, after 2004 Tsunami
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
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- Volcanic islands representing submarine volcanism
- Represent the surfaces of submerged folds viz. extension of Himalaya, precisely Arakan yoma fold mountains of Myanmar
- Formed of Granite rocks & have high hills &l peaks for ex. Saddle peak
- Equatorial climate with tropical rain-forests
Lakshadweep Islands
a union of coral islands, entirely different from A & N islands
comprises of large number of dead corals, fringing, barrier and atoll coral reefs
Have calcium rich soils filled with organic limestone
Have scattered vegetation of palm species
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Prominent Indian Islands
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| A & N Islands | Continuation of Arakan Yoma mountain range of Myanmar |
| Nicobar | Just 147 km from Sumatra island (Indonesia) |
| Saddle Peak | Highest Peak of Andaman |
| Pamban Island | Between India & Srilanka |
| Salasette | Group of 7 islands, known as Mumbai today |
| Diu | Fishing Island |
| New Moore Island | Disputed site b/w India & Bangladesh |
| Wheeler Island | Missile launching island in BOB → Near Odisha coast |
| Sriharikota | Split Island → Rocket launching site in BOB in Andhra Pradesh |
| Wellington | Naval Station → Kerala |
Significance of Indian Ocean for India
- Strategic significance → India overlooks some of the most important sea lanes viz. Suez Canal, Malacca Strait
- Economic significance → Long coastline, 2.02 million sq km EEZ (Exclusive economic zone)
- Tourism Significance → Marine biodiversity and rich ecosystem with coral reefs, mangroves
- Large Fishing potential, Wave energy & Tidal energy potential, Zone of Hydrocarbons
- Generation of south west Monsoon
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