Geography of India

A large landmass that is smaller than a continent.

• subcontinent

• monsoon

• plateau

A flat area of land that is elevated, or raised, above the land around it.

• plateau

• monsoon

• subcontinent

A strong wind that brings heavy rain to southern Asia in the summer.

• monsoon

• plateau

• subcontinent

A river that starts in the Himalayas, but flows into a valley where it eventually joins the Ganges River. The land where it meets the Ganges is very fertile.

• Brahmaptura

• Deccan

• Indus

A triangle shaped area that is mostly dry, though there are a few rivers and monsoon rains provide some water. There are three types of soil. The black is good for planting, but not the yellow and red.

• Deccan Plateau

• Thar Desert

• Hindu Kush Mountains

Mountain chains near the coast of India. Both are green with vegetation. The western ones receive heavy rain, and the eastern ones have several rivers, but they are unsafe for travel.

• Ghats

• Himalayas

• Hindu Kush

A river that starts in the Himalayas, then flows across most of northern India. The plains it flows through have some of the richest farmland in the world. During the rainy season the river's flooding can destroy crops along the river's banks.

• Brahmaptura

• Ganges

• Indus

Highest mountain range in the world. Its highest peaks are permanently covered in snow and ice. Earthquakes & landslides are common there. Water from its glaciers feeds northern India's major rivers.

• Himalayas

• Hindu Kush

• Deccan

One of the highest mountain ranges in the world (though not quite as high as the Himalayas). Its highest peaks are permanently covered in ice and snow.

• Ghats

• Hindu Kush

• Deccan

River that receives water from the ice and snow of both the Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountains and flows through present-day Pakistan. It is sometimes compared to the Nile River and the river valley it forms contains some of the best farmland in the world.

• Brahmaputra

• Indus

• Ganges