The main crops grown are rice and wheat, which are grown in rotation.
The plains are one of the world’s most intensely farmed areas. The area is also rich in ground water sources. The plains are flat making it conducive for irrigation through canals. The Indo-Gangetic belt is the world’s most extensive expanse of uninterrupted alluvium formed by the deposition of silt by the numerous rivers. These mountains are recognised by biogeographers as the boundary between two of the Earth’s great biogeographic realms: the temperate Palearctic realm that covers most of Eurasia, and the tropical and subtropical Indomalayan realm which includes the South Asia, Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Rivers originating in these mountains flow through the fertile Indo–Gangetic plains. They also facilitate the monsoon winds which in turn influence the climate in India. The mountains in these ranges include some of the world’s tallest mountains which act as a colourful barrier to cold polar winds. These were formed by the ongoing tectonic plates collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. This is causing the Eurasian Plate to deform, and the Indian Plate to compress at a rate of 4 cm/yr (1.6 in/yr).Īn arc of mountains consisting of the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Patkai ranges define the northern frontiers of the South Asia. India is thus referred to as the “fastest continent”. 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 in/yr). The collision with the Eurasian Plate along the modern border between India and Nepal formed the orogenic belt that created the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas.
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 Gondwanaland. 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. About 90 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous Period, the Indian Plate began moving north at about 15 cm/year (6 in/yr). The Indo-Australian plate is subdivided into the Indian and Australian plates. India is situated entirely 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). Considering the importance of the subject we have created a comprehensive study material on Indian Geography with five major sections like General Geography & Physical Features, Climate, Soil & Vegetation, Drainage System, Economic Geography, Human Geography.
The geography syllabus also overlaps with other subjects of Science which cover various dimensions of Geographical concepts.