Class 9 Social Science - HARYANA
Physical Features of India
The chapter 'Physical Features of India' explores the diverse geological landscape of our country, including the mighty Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the Coastal Plains, and the Islands. For Haryana Board (BSEH) Class 9 students, this chapter is crucial for understanding how tectonic movements shaped India's physical diversity. Board exams frequently feature map-pointing questions, differences between physiographic divisions (such as the Himadri and Shivaliks, or Eastern and Western Ghats), and short-answer questions explaining the formation of these landforms. Mastering this chapter ensures high scores in both objective and descriptive sections.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Plate Tectonics Theory
The Earth's crust has been broken into seven major and some minor plates whose movement creates folding, faulting, and volcanic activity, which formed India's physical features.
The Himalayan Mountains
A young fold mountain range running along the northern border of India, forming three parallel ranges: Greater Himalayas (Himadri), Lesser Himalayas (Himachal), and the outer Himalayas (Shivaliks).
The Northern Plain
Formed by the interplay of three major river systems—the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra—this fertile plain is known for its rich alluvial soil and high population density.
The Peninsular Plateau
A tableland composed of the old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks, broadly divided into the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
Coastal Plains and Islands
Narrow strips of plain land flanking the Peninsular plateau, accompanied by two major island groups: the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
This chapter typically carries around 6 to 8 marks in the BSEH Class 9 Social Science board examination. It usually features 1-mark objective questions (MCQs or fill-in-the-blanks), a 3-mark or 5-mark differentiator question, and a compulsory map-pointing question to locate mountain ranges, peaks, plateaus, or coastal plains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bhangar is older alluvium located above flood level containing kankar nodules, while Khadar is newer alluvium found in floodplains that is renewed annually and is more fertile.
Bhangar is older alluvium located above the flood levels of rivers and contains calcareous deposits known as kankar. Khadar is the newer and younger alluvium of the floodplains, renewed almost every year, and is therefore very fertile.
The Himalayas were formed by the collision of the Indo-Australian plate with the Eurasian plate, which folded the sedimentary rocks of the Tethys Sea.
The Himalayas were formed when the Indo-Australian plate drifted north and collided with the much larger Eurasian plate. This collision compressed the sedimentary rocks of the ancient Tethys Sea, folding them into the highest mountain ranges in the world.
Doab refers to the land area lying between two rivers, formed by 'do' (two) and 'ab' (water).
A Doab is the fertile tract of land lying between two converging rivers. The word is made of 'do' meaning two and 'ab' meaning water.
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