Geography and the Early settlement of India History Alive Chapter 13

subcontinent India is a subcontinent of Asia. India is attached to the continent of Asia, but surrounded on three sides of water.

physical features of India An aspect of the land, such as mountains, plateaus, and rivers

Brahmaputra River The river starts high up in the Himalayas. Winds through snowcapped mountains and narrow canyons. The water is cold and clear and rushes over sharp rocks.

Summer Heavy monsoon rains add water to the Brahmaputra River. A monsoon is a large wind that often brings lots of rain.

Brahmaputra River The heavy rains cause the river to overflow leaving rich minerals. The minerals are used to grow crops.

Deccan Plateau Triangle shaped area between two mountain ranges in southern India. A plateau is an elevated or raised, area of land that is flatter than a mountain.

Deccan Plateau

Deccan Plateau

Deccan Plateau Different kinds of land Large granite rocks formed by volcanoes. Hillier parts have thin forests and low, scrubby bushes. The plateau is fairly dry, but the monsoon rains provide most of the water.

Eastern and Western Ghats Long mountain chains near the coasts of India. When seen from above they form a large V.

Western Ghats Higher than the Easter Ghats. Sleep slopes, narrow valleys, thick hardwood forests, and extremely heavy rains. Wet climate encourages tropical plants.

Eastern Ghats Not as wet as the Western Ghats. Several rivers flow through these green mountains which are sprinkled with hardwood trees. Rivers rarely flood, but are not safe for travel. The rivers move very fast and plunge suddenly over cliffs.

Ganges River Flows across most of northern India. Rivers carry sediment from the Himalayas to the northern plains. Sediment is used as a fertilizer. During the rainy season, the river can flood and destroy crops.

Ganges River

Ganges River

Himalaya Mountains Located on India’s northern border. Highest mountain range in the world. “home of snows” The water from the range’s glaciers (ice fields) feed northern India’s major rivers. Earthquakes and landslides are common in the area

Himalaya Mountains

Himalaya Mountains

Hindu Kush Mountains Barrier between India and present-day Afghanistan. The mountain range is one of the highest in the world. Snow and ice permanently cover the slope.

Khyber Pass Twenty eight mile long gap between the mountains. It connects central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. Traders used the pass to enter the Indus River valley.

Khyber Pass

Indus River Began in the Himalaya Mountains. Gets water from the melting snow of the Hindu Kush Mountains. Best farmland in the world. Compared to Egypt’s Nile River.

Indus River

Indus River

Thar Desert Mostly sand and stone. Rolling sand dunes for hundreds of miles. Littered with rocks. Most of the time the heat is unbearable. There were rivers, but not now. Rain is rare.

Thar Desert

Early Settlements in India First people settled by the rivers.

The End