NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2 Physical Features of India

NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Geography – Chapter 2 Physical Features of India help students understand the different landforms that make up our country. This chapter explains the major physical divisions of India, such as the Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the Coastal Plains, and the Islands. 

By using these NCERT Solutions, students can easily learn the characteristics of each region, how they were formed, and why they are important for the people and the economy. With these NCERT Solutions, students can prepare effectively for exams and build a strong understanding of India’s geography.

1.0Download NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2 Physical Features of India : Free PDF

Download NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2 – Physical Features of India in free PDF. Get detailed answers to understand India’s geography and prepare confidently for exams.

2.0Important Concepts of Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2 Physical Features of India

NCERT Solutions Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 introduces students to the diverse physical landscape of India, highlighting the major landforms and their importance in shaping the country’s environment, climate, and human activities. The key concepts include:

• The Himalayan Mountains – The youngest and highest mountain range in the world, forming India’s northern boundary and influencing climate and river systems.
• The Northern Plains – Fertile alluvial plains formed by the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems, supporting dense population and agriculture.
• The Peninsular Plateau – Ancient, stable landmass with rocky terrain, rich mineral resources, and plateaus such as the Deccan Plateau.
• The Indian Desert (Thar Desert) – Located in the north-west, characterized by sandy terrain and arid climate.
• The Coastal Plains – Eastern and western coastal plains lying between the peninsular plateau and the seas, supporting agriculture and fishing.
• The Islands – Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea, with unique ecosystems.
• Importance of Physical Features – Impact on climate, vegetation, human settlement, economic activities, and cultural diversity.

3.0NCERT Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2: Detailed Solutions

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below:
   (i) A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as
   (1) Coast
   (2) Island
   (3) Peninsula
   (4) None of the above
   Ans. (3) Peninsula
   
   (ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundaries with Myanmar are collectively called:
   (1) Himachal
   (2) Uttaranchal
   (3) Purvanchal
   (4) None of the above
   Ans. (3) Purvanchal
   
   (iii) The western coastal strip south of Goa is referred to as
   (1) Coromandel
   (2) Konkan
   (3) Kannad
   (4) Northern Circar
   Ans. (2) Konkan
   
   (iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
   (1) Anai Mudi
   (2) Kanchenjunga
   (3) Mahendragiri
   (4) Khasi
   Ans. (3) Mahendragiri
2. Answer the following questions briefly
   (i) What is the 'bhabar'?
   Ans. Bhabar is a pebble studded formation situated at the junction of mountain and plain.
   (ii) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
   Ans. The Great or the Inner Himalayas or the Himadri, the Middle Himalayas or the Himachal, and the Outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks.
   (iii) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya ranges?
   Ans. The Malwa plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhya Ranges.
   (iv) Name the island group of India having coral origin.
   Ans. Lakshadweep Islands is the island group of India having coral origin.
3. Distinguish between
   (i) Bangar and Khadar.
   Ans. Banger
   (a) Formed of older alluvium
   (b) Lies above flood plains of rivers.
   (c) Presents a terrace like feature.
   (d) Less fertile
   Khadar
   (a) Renewed every year.
   (b) Is newer, younger deposit of flood
   (c) Contains calcerous deposits locally known as Kankar.
   (d) More fertile
   (ii) Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.
   Ans. Western Ghats
   (a) They stand like a continuous wall and can be crossed through passes only. Thal Ghat provides passage to rails and roads.
   (b) This range is a source of many large rivers.
   (c) It obstructs the monsoon winds coming the from the Arabian Sea which causes heavy rainfall in the Western Coastal Plain.
   Eastern Ghats
   (a) They are discontinuous and irregular. They have been dissected by rivers which have made their passages to reach the Bay of Bengal.
   (b) No big river originates from this range.
   (c) They are almost parallel to monsoons originating in the Bay of Bengal and do not cause much rainfall.
   
4. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular Plateau.
   Ans. The major physiographic divisions of India are :
   (i) The Great Mountains of the North.
   (ii) The North Indian Plain.
   (iii) The Peninsular Plateau
   (iv) The Coastal Plains
   (v) The Islands.
   Himalayan Region
   (a) This region comprises greatest and highest mountain ranges of the world.
   (b) The ranges have I-shaped and Ushaped valleys.
   (c) It is the origin of perennial rivers.
   (d) Young fold mountains made from the uplift of the strata formed by the sedimentary rocks.
   (e) Parallelly arranged mountain ranges are Parallelly arranged mountain ranges are Parallelly arranged mountain ranges are Parallelly arranged mountain ranges are
   Peninsular Plateau
   (a) Rugged and dissected terrain plateau is a remnant portion of the supercontinent the Gondwanaland.
   (b) It has horsts, rift valleys and troughs.
   (c) It has rainfed, seasonal rivers.
   (d) Created from igneous and metamorphic rocks after splitting of Gondwanaland.
   (e) Rivers dissect. Faults and vertical movement of the Earth mark the plateau.
5. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.
   Ans. The Northern Plains have been formed from the alluvium that the mountain rivers deposited here. This turned the soil on the surfaced land fertile for growing a rich harvest of variety of crops. This led to the development of the Indus River Valley Civilisation. The rich soil was further aided by favourable climate and constant water supply from the rivers. Between the mouths of the Indus and the GangaBrahmaputra, the North Indian Plain covers a distance of 3200 km . It is 300 to 150 km wide at some places. The North Indian Plains have the Indus river system in the west and the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system in the east.
   The first includes Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Satluj. The Indus flows into the Arabian Sea. The second includes Ganga, its tributaries and the Brahmaputra which combine as Meghna as they drain into the Bay of Bengal. They form the world's largest and fastest growing delta. The difference in relief has led the North Indian Plains to be divided into four zones:
   (i) Bhabhar
   (ii) Tarai
   (iii) Bangar
   (iv) Khadar
6. Write short notes on the following.
   (i) The Indian Desert
   Ans. Lying towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills, the Indian desert is formed of sandy plain covered with sand dunes. Receiving less than 10 mm rainfall in a year, the region has arid climate, low vegetation and streams that appear only in the rainy season. But they soon disappear into the sands, lacking enough water to reach the sea. Large areas of the deserts have crescent shaped sand dunes, i.e. barchans, while longitudinal dunes are abundant near Indo- Pakistan boundary.
   (ii) Central Highlands.
   Ans. The northern part of the Peninsular Plateau consists of plateaus, denuded mountain ranges and low hills made of igneous rocks. In the north-west are the Aravali range, running in south-west, north-east direction forming a
   discontinuous ridge. Thar Desert lies to the west of Aravali ranges. The southern boundary is demarcated by the Vindhya Range with Kaimur Hills in the eastern extent. The Malwa plateau lies between Aravalis and Vindhyas. Between the valleys of Narmada and the Son, escarpments are formed by the Vindhyan Kaimur range.Malwa plateua and Chota Nagpur Plateau together are called Central Highlands.
   (iii) Island groups of India.
   Ans. The Lakshadweep consists of many small islands located opposite the Kerala coast in the Arabian Sea. The islands of this group are formed of coral deposits called 'atolls' in Malayalam which refer to their ring or 'horse-shoe' shape. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the other hand, are larger in size. They are more in number and more widely scattered. There are about 200 islands in the Andaman group and 19 islands in the Nicobar group.

MAP SKILLS

On an outline map of India show the following.
(i) Mountain and hill ranges- the Karakoram, the Zaskar, the Patkai Bum, the Jaintia, the Vindhya range, the Aravali, and the Cardamom hills.
(ii) Peaks- K2, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat and the Anai Mudi.
(iii) Plateaus-Chhota Nagpur and Malwa
(iv) The Indian Desert, Weste

EXERCISE-01

Multiple choice questions

1. The Northern most range of the Himalayas is Known as
   (1) Lesser Himalayas
   (2) Himadri
   (3) Shivalik
   (4) None of the above
2. The Kangra and Kullu Valley are located in
   (1) Uttarakhand
   (2) Himachal Pradesh
   (3) Jammu and Kashmir
   (4) Uttar Pradesh
3. Majuli is a riverine island located in the river
   (1) Ganga
   (2) Yamuna
   (3) Brahmaputra
   (4) Kaveri
4. The soil containing calcareous deposits is locally Known as
   (1) Kankar
   (2) Bhangar
   (3) Bhabar
   (4) None of these
5. A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as
   (1) Coast
   (2) Island
   (3) Peninsula
   (4) None of the above
6. Which of the following divisions of India has the oldest landmass?
   (1) The Himalayas
   (2) The Northern Plains
   (3) The Peninsular Plateau
   (4) The Indian Desert
7. The norther part of the western coast is called the
   (1) Kannad
   (2) Malabar
   (3) Konkan
   (4) Coromandel
8. Which of the following physiographic divisions of India was formed out of accumulations in the Tethys geosyncline?
   (1) The Himalayas
   (2) The Northern Plains
   (3) The Peninsular Plateau
   (4) The Indian Desert
9. Which part of the Himalayas is perennially snowbound?
   (1) Great Himalayas or Himadri
   (2) Lesser Himalayas or Himachal
   (3) Shivaliks
   (4) Purvanchal
10. Which of the following is the highest peak in India?
    (1) Mt. Everest
    (2) Kanchenjunga
    (3) Nanga Parbat
    (4) Nandadevi
11. Which of the following is the average height of Great Himalayas?
    (1) 4000 m
    (2) 8000 m
    (3) 6000 m
    (4) 2000 m
12. The northern plains are formed of SPF050
    (1) Black soil
    (2) Red soil
    (3) Alluvial soil
    (4) Desert soil
13. The wet and swampy belt of the Northern Region is known as:
    (1) Bhabar
    (2) Terai
    (3) Doab
    (4) Bhangar
14. Which two hills are located in the southeast of Eastern Ghats?
    (1) Mizo Hills and Naga Hills
    (2) Javadi Hills and Shevroy Hills
    (3) Patkoi Hills and Manipuri Hills
    (4) Mizo Hills and Patkoi Hills
15. The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is-
    (1) Anai Mudi
    (2) Doda Betta
    (3) Mahendragiri
    (4) Gurushikhar
16. The only large river in the Indian Desert
    (1) Chambal
    (2) Sabarmati
    (3) Chenab
    (4) Luni SPF054
17. Barchans are found in
    (1) Northern Plains
    (2) Mountains
    (3) Islands
    (4) Deserts
18. Large rivers such as the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna have formed extensive delta on this coast
    (1) Western coastal plains
    (2) Eastern coastal plains
    (3) Both of them
    (4) None of them
19. This island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep SPF057
    (1) Minicoy
    (2) Kavaratti
    (3) Pitli
    (4) Amindive
20. The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as;
    (1) Coromondal
    (2) Kannad
    (3) Konkan
    (4) Malabar

True or false

1. Lake Chilika lies in the state of Odisha.
2. A narrow gap in a mountain range providing access to the other side is called valley.
3. The altitudinal variations of Himalayas are greater in the eastern half than those in the western half.
4. Lesser Himalayas are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers from the main Himalayan ranges located farther north.
5. All the streams disappear in this terai belt. South of this belt, the streams and rivers re-emerge and create a wet, swampy, and marshy region known as bhabar.

Fill in the blanks

• Lesser Himalayas known as .
• The constitutes one of the ancient landmasses on the earth's surface. It was supposed to be one of the most stable land blocks.
• In the lesser Himalayas, while the range forms the longest and the most important range, the Dhaula Dhar and the Mahabharat ranges are also prominent ones.
• The comprises the Patkai hills, the Naga hills, Manipur hills and the Mizo hills.
• The newer, younger deposits of the flood plains are called .

Match the columns

ANSWER KEY

Multiple choice questions

True or false

• True
• False
• True
• False
• False

Fill in the blanks

• Himachal
• Peninsular Plateau
• Pir Panjal
• Purvachal,
• khadar

Match the column

(A) (iii) ; (B) (iv) ; (C) (v) ; (D) (i) ; (E) (vi) ; (F) (ii)

EXERCISE-02

Short Answer Type Questions

1. "The land of India is characterised by a great diversity in its relief or physical features". Justify the statement.
2. Write four points to explain the extent, length, width, and height of the Himalayas.
3. Why are Himalayas called the young fold mountains?
4. How the Himalayas have been divided based on regions from west to east?
5. What is Purvanchal?
6. Define 'Bhabar'?
7. Mention some features of the Ganga Basin.
8. Which are the three main ranges of the Himalayas?
9. Mention any four features of the Peninsular plateau.
10. What are Corals? Explain.

Long Answer Type Questions

11. Write a short note on
    (1) The Central Highlands
    (2) The Deccan Plateau
12. Distinguish between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats.
13. Write a note on the Indian desert describing its location and relief. SPF082
14. Give an account of the Island groups of India.
15. According to relief features the northern plains can be divided into four regions. Explain.

4.0Key Features and Benefits of Class 9 Social Science Geography Chapter 2 Physical Features of India

NCERT Syllabus Compliance: There is adherence to the NCERT textbook model allowing for syllabus and exam relevance.

Stepwise Solutions: Each query is addressed in an orderly fashion to help students learn how to answer systematically.

Provides multiple query types: Solutions are provided for short answers, long answers, and even map questions.

Enhances Conceptual Understanding: Helps students grasp the formation, classification, and significance of various landforms.

Exam-focused Practice: Identifying core focus points, typically important key points or questions for exams to help students better achieve their examinations.