Geography of India (Part -IV) (UPSC)

Gujarat has the following characteristics:

1. Its northern part is arid and semi-arid.
2. Its central part produces cotton.
3. Cultivation of cash crops is predominant over food crops.

Arunachal Pradesh is a land of diverse cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and rich historical significance. Interesting Facts about Arunachal Pradesh are:

• Largest State in the Northeast: Arunachal Pradesh is the largest northeastern state, covering an area of 83,743 square kilometers.
• Lowest Population Density: With just 13 persons per square kilometer, Arunachal Pradesh has the thinnest population density in India.
• Rich Biodiversity: Over 82% of the state is covered with evergreen forests, home to numerous national parks, including Namdapha National Park and Mouling National Park.
• First Sunrise in India: Dong village in Arunachal Pradesh is the first place in India to receive sunlight, earning it the title "Land of Dawn-lit Mountains."
• Home to 26 Major Tribes: The state has a vibrant tribal culture, with over 100 sub-tribes, each having its own distinct traditions and customs.
• Tawang Monastery: It is India's largest monastery and the second-largest in the world, serving as a significant center of Buddhist heritage.
• Highest Peak: Kangto, standing at 7,090 meters (23,261 feet), is the tallest peak in Arunachal Pradesh.

The total geographical area under the category of wetlands is highest in Gujarat compared to other states. India has 60% of its inland wetlands out of the total wetland area.
About Wetlands

• Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life.
• They occur where the water table is at or near the land's surface or where the land is covered by water.
• Once treated as transitional habitats or seral stages in succession from open water to land, wetlands are now considered distinct ecosystems with specific ecological characteristics, functions, and values.
• Ramsar Convention on Wetlands defines wetlands as: "areas of marsh, fen, peat-land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters"

When traveling in the Himalayas, one can observe deep gorges, U-turn river courses, parallel mountain ranges, and steep gradients causing landslides. Young fold mountains are 10 to 25 million years old, formed by tectonic activity due to the collision of tectonic plates. These mountains are higher and have steeper slopes and deeper valleys than old fold mountains.

Both statements are correct. The amount of rainfall decreases from east to west due to the progressive decrease in humidity of the winds. The southern part of India, being near the sea, receives rainfall earlier and for a longer duration than the northern part.

• The average annual rainfall in India is about 125 cm, but it has great spatial variations.
• Areas of High Rainfall: The highest rainfall occurs along the west coast, on the Western Ghats, as well as in the sub-Himalayan areas in the northeast and the hills of Meghalaya. Here the rainfall exceeds 200 cm. In some parts of Khasi and Jaintia hills, the rainfall exceeds 1,000 cm. In the Brahmaputra valley and the adjoining hills, the rainfall is less then 200 cm.
• Areas of Medium Rainfall: Rainfall between 100–200 cm is received in the southern parts of Gujarat, east Tamil Nadu, northeastern Peninsula covering Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, eastern Madhya Pradesh, northern Ganga plain along the sub-Himalayas and the Cachar Valley and Manipur.
• Areas of Low Rainfall: Western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, eastern Rajasthan, Gujarat and Deccan Plateau receive rainfall between 50–100 cm.
• Areas of Inadequate Rainfall: Parts of the Peninsula, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Ladakh and most of western Rajasthan receive rainfall below 50 cm.

The degree to which rainfall amounts vary across an area or through time is an important characteristic of the climate of an area. This subject area in meteorology/climatology is called “rainfall variability”.

Through Corbett National Park, the Ramganga River flows (not the Ganga), which is a tributary of the Ganges. Through Silent Valley National Park, the Bhavani River flows, which is a tributary of the Kaveri. Kaziranga and Manas are both national parks.
India is home to a diversity of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, each serving as a hub for biodiversity conservation. These government-protected areas are established to safeguard native wildlife, conserve plant and animal species, and help restore ecological balance. Currently, there are 107 National Parks in India and 544 Wildlife Sanctuaries across the country, with Madhya Pradesh and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands leading in numbers, each hosting nine National Parks.
National Parks in India play a vital role in protecting wildlife and their natural habitats. These areas have strict rules that ban hunting, poaching, industrial activities, and farming to keep the environment undisturbed. With secure boundaries, no outside activities are allowed near or within these areas. The main purpose of National Parks in India is to conserve India’s diverse wildlife.

Narmada is the largest west-flowing river of peninsular India. It flows westwards through a rift valley between the Vindhyan Range on the north and the Satpura Range on the south. Near Jabalpur, it cascades 15 meters into a gorge to form the Dhuandhar Falls.
• The Narmada basin extends over an area of 98,796 sq. km., and includes a portion of Chhattisgarh state.
• Narmada flows through the Hoshangabad plains, the Dhar upland, the Maikala range, the Mahishmati plains, and the gorges at Mandhata and Murakta.
• The basin is bounded on the north by Vindhyas, on the east by the Maikala range, on the south by the Satpuras, and on the west by the Arabian Sea.
• The Tropic of Cancer crosses the Narmada basin in the upper plains area, and a major part of the basin lies just below this line.
• It is one of the rivers that flow in a rift valley and acts as a divider between north India and south India.
• These rift valleys are the result of the faulting that took place when the northern flank of the Peninsula suffered subsidence.

Indian coal has high ash content and low calorific value. It has low sulfur and phosphorus content but high ash fusion temperature.
Characteristics of Indian coal

• Low in calorific value: Indian coal has historically been evaluated as being high in ash content and low in calorific value compared to imported coal. The average GCV of domestic thermal coal ranges from 3,500–4,000 kcal/kg compared to imported thermal coals of 6,000 kcal/kg of GCV.
• High ash content: The average ash content of Indian coals is more than 40% compared to imported coal which has less than 10% ash content. Hence, high-ash coal when burnt results in higher particulate matter, nitrogen and sulphur dioxide.
• Government Policies: Since 1954, the government has controlled coal prices to discourage the use of high-grade coking coal for power generation. To balance coal production, power needs, and pollution, the government recommends using imported coal with lower ash and moisture content. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in 2012 recommended blending 10–15% imported coal with Indian coal for power boilers designed for low-quality domestic coal.

Laterite soil is rusty red in color due to iron oxide. Cashews and tapiocas can be grown in lateritic soil.
• Laterite soils are mostly the end products of weathering.
• They are formed under conditions of high temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate wet and dry periods.
• Heavy rainfall promotes leaching (nutrients get washed away by water) of soil whereby lime and silica are leached away and a soil rich in oxides of iron and aluminium compounds is left behind.
• ‘Laterite’ means brick in Latin. They harden greatly on losing moisture.
• Laterite soils are red in colour due to little clay and more gravel of red sand-stones.

Dharwar rocks are non-fossiliferous but metalliferous. They contain gold, iron ore, manganese, mica, and other minerals.