Northern Mountains
The Himalayan Mountains form India’s northern mountain range and are renowned as the world’s tallest mountain ranges.
Trans Himalayas
- The Trans Himalayas are situated immediately north of the Great Himalayan Range, often referred to as the Tibetan Himalaya due to their extensive presence in Tibet.
- The Zaskar Range hosts significant peaks like Nanga Parbat (8126 m), located within the Trans Himalayas.
- North of the Zaskar Range lies the Ladakh Range, running parallel to it and featuring peaks exceeding 6000 meters in elevation.
- The Kailas Range, a branch of the Ladakh Range in western Tibet, includes Mount Kailash (6714 m), the highest point in the area and the source of the Indus River.
- The Great Karakoram Range, also known as the Krishnagiri Range, extends around 800 kilometers east of the Pamir, forming India’s northernmost Trans-Himalayan Range.
Greater Himalayas
- The Greater Himalayas, also known as the Inner Himalaya, Central Himalaya, and Himadri, constitute the same mountain range characterized by an average elevation of 6100 meters above sea level and a breadth of around 25 kilometers.
- It is mostly of core crystallines such as granites and gneisses with metamorphosed sediments on top, this range features folds that are asymmetrical, creating a steep south slope and a gentle north slope, giving rise to hog back topography.
- Convexing towards the south, the Greater Himalayas terminate abruptly at the syntaxial bends, one located in the northwestern Nanga Parbat and the other in the northeastern Namcha Barwa.
- This mountain range is home to some of the world’s highest peaks, many of which remain perpetually snow-covered.
Middle Himalayas
- Positioned between the Shiwaliks to the south and the Greater Himalayas to the north, the Middle Himalayas run nearly parallel to both ranges.
- Also referred to as the Himachal Pradesh or the Lower Himalaya, these mountains stretch approximately 2400 kilometers long and are 60-80 kilometers broad.
- The elevation of the Lower Himalayas ranges between 3500 and 4500 meters above sea level, with many peaks surpassing 5050 meters and remaining snow-covered throughout the year.
- The southern slopes of the Lower Himalayas are steep and barren, while the northern slopes are gentle and forested, characterized by the Mussoorie and Nag Tibba hills in Uttarakhand.
Outer Himalayas – Shivalik Range
- The Outer Himalayas, also known as the Shivalik range, lie between the Great Plains and the Lesser Himalayas, with elevations ranging from 600 to 1500 meters.
- Stretching approximately 2400 kilometers from the Potwar Plateau to the Brahmaputra Valley, these hills feature gentle northern slopes and steep southern slopes.
- The Shivalik range varies in breadth, ranging from 50 kilometers in Himachal Pradesh to less than 15 kilometers in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Covered in lush forests from North-East India to Nepal, the forest cover decreases as one moves west from Nepal, especially in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, where the southern slopes are almost devoid of forest cover.
- Chos, which are seasonal streams, criss-cross these mountains, with hills forming part of anticlines or synclines, and valleys part of synclines.
Punjab Himalayas
- The Punjab Himalayas are mainly shared by Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, often referred to as the Kashmir and Himachal Himalayas.
- Major ranges in the Punjab Himalayas include the Karakoram, Ladakh, Pir Panjal, Zaskar, and Dhaola Dhar, with the overall elevation decreasing towards the west.
- Notable formations in the Kashmir Himalayas are the Karewas, which are lake deposits found on flat-topped terraces in the Kashmir valley and on the sides of the Pir Panjal mountain. These deposits consist of clays, silts, and sands and show signs of glaciation.
- The presence of tilted Karewas beds on the Pir Panjal’s flanks suggests recent uplifting of the Himalayas, with Karewas being known for the production of Zafran, a local type of saffron.
North-Eastern Mountains
- The Brahmaputra River marks the eastern boundary of the Himalayas, with the Eastern highlands, or Purvanchal, curving steeply southward beyond the Dihang canyon.
- Part of the Himalayan mountain chain, the North-Eastern Hills & Mountains have a north to south alignment and are known by various local names, including Patkai Bum in the north, Naga hills in the south, and Manipur hills in the north.
- These low hills are inhabited by diverse tribes practicing Jhum agriculture, and the region is geologically unstable, characterized by multiple faults.
- The north–south hill ranges are formed by small parallel valleys sloping westward, with Mount Dapha in Arunachal Pradesh being the tallest mountain in the area at 15,020 feet (4,578 meters).
- Prominent rivers in the region include Lohit, Burhi Dihing, Diyung, Kusiyara, Gumti, Kaladan, Manipur, Tixu, Nantaleik, and Naurya.
Northern & North-Eastern Mountains| Class 11 Geography Notes
Class 11 Geography Northern & North-Eastern Mountains notes are helpful resources for students because they explain mountain ranges in easy terms. In this article, we also discuss mountains like the Himalayas and other ranges in the north and northeast of India. By reading these notes, students can understand more about the geography of these regions and how mountains play an important role in them.
The Northern & North-Eastern Mountains notes cover all the necessary topics that are extremely important for the examination 2024. It can save you time and will positively affect your results.