India+Geography


 * History || Geography || Culture || Economics || Politics || Class Activities || Resources ||

__Topography__ India is the seventh largest country in the world with a total land area of 3.3 million square kilometers. Set apart from the rest of Asia by the giant wall of the Himalayan Mountains, the Indian subcontinent is characterized by great diversity in its physical features. To the north, India has the highest snowbound mountain range in the world, the Himalayas. On the south-west coast are the humid tropical forests. To the east are the fertile valleys, swamps, and the Garo Hills of Meghalaya (which is the wettest spot in the universe). To the west are the barren marshes, and the Thar desert with its shifting sand dunes. ||
 * __Population__ With a total population of 1.21 billion people, India is currently the world's second largest country, representing a full 17% of the Earth's population. India crossed the one billion mark in the year 2000. Since India gained its independence from the UK in 1947, its population has more than tripled. It is expected that India's population will surpass the population of China, the world's most populous country, by the year 2030.

The Himalayas extend from west to east for about 2,500 km in a curve and has the world's highest mountain peaks, including Mt. Everest. These mountains form the mighty rivers of Indus and Brahmaputra, which flow into the Gangetic plains. These rivers cause constant erosion of the mountains which build the vast plains of the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra. The rivers also form the world's largest and most fertile delta called the Brahmaputra Valley.



Being the world's highest mountain chain, the Himalayas are characterized by its great height, complex structure, snowcapped peaks, large valley glaciers, deep river gorges, and rich vegetation.



The picture below shows what the Himalayan Mountains look like from space!

The above mentioned information was retrieved from [] __Climate__ India is famous for its diverse climatic features. The whole of India has a tropical monsoonal type of climate. The position of the mountain ranges and the direction of the rain-bearing winds are the two main factors that determine the climate of India. The climate seasons in India can be broadly categorized into the following: **Winter**: This season spans from December to early April. The coldest months of the year are December/January. During this period, the average temperature is approximately 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit. **Summer (Pre-Monsoon Season)**: This season spans from April to June. The average temperature registered during these months is close to 90-104 degrees Fahrenheit. **Monsoon (Rainy Season)**: This season spans from June to September. This season is primarily influenced by the moist, southwestern, summer torrential rainfall that gradually moves throughout the nation. Usually, the southern parts of the country get a higher volume of precipitation than the northern parts of the country. **Post-Monsoon Season**: This season spans from October to December. This season usually experiences bright weather. The people of India observe the following traditional seasons: The above mentioned information was retrieved from [] and [] __Resources__: The natural resources of India are iron ore, bauxite, and copper ore. Iron is found all over India, and as a result, India is one of the major producers of iron in the world. Gold, silver, and diamonds make up a small part of other natural resources available in India. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Energy in India is mainly generated from coal. It is estimated that India has around 120 billion tons of coal in reserve, enough to last for around 120 years! <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Half of the hydroelectric power (power generated from water) is generated from the snow high up in the Himalayas. Huge dams have also been built across many major rivers to produce electricity and water for irrigation. In villages around India, people use wood or dried cow-dung cakes as fuel for cooking and heating water. The demand for firewood and the increasing population is affecting the existing forests. It is estimated that 3.7 million acres of forest are cut down to provide timber, paper pulp, and firewood. Information retrieved from [] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left;">©Rachelle Dawson 2012. Last revised: May 8, 2012. All Rights Reserved. For more information, please contact: Rachelle Dawson rdawson@gmail.com
 * = **Seasons** ||= **Calendar** ||
 * = <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Vasanta ||= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">March-April ||
 * = <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Grishma ||= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">May-June ||
 * = <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Varsha ||= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">July-August ||
 * = <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Sharada ||= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">September-October ||
 * = <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Hemanta ||= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">November-December ||
 * = <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">Shishira ||= <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: center;">January-February ||