GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

INDIA

• India is a vast South Asian country with diverse terrain. From Himalayan peaks to Indian Ocean coastline and history. In the north, Mughal Empire landmarks include Delhi’s Red Fort complex and massive Jama Masjid mosque, plus Agra’s iconic Taj Mahal mausoleum. And many Pilgrims and Holy places.

INDEX

• Ecology
• Climate
• Natural Resources

ECOLOGY

• India is a land of villages. A large population of India belongs to rural areas. The physical structure of any rural society is an important aspect of rural sociology. The size of the population and settlement patterns of villagers vary from one village to village , depending upon its ecological and environmental factors and the availability of natural resources. Coming to ecology: Ecology is the study of interaction between organisms and their respective environ ments. It deals with the study of organisms in relation to the surroundings in which they live.

ECOLOGY

• Social Ecology: Social Ecology examines the relationship between human beings and natural environ ment in .which they live. In short, social ecology studies both natural and social conditions. And Sociologists view that the physical environment influences all institutions, social systems, economic conditions and way of living of people. Thus, geographical/physical and social factors are inter-dependent on each other and are inseparable.

CLIMATE

• The Indian climate is a cycle of six seasons. There are areas where the distinction of the seasons is felt, but in most areas the six seasons overlap. The Indian seasons in the Christian calendar are: Spring Mid-Feb to April Summer May and June Monsoon July to September Autumn Sept to Mid-November Pre-winter Mid-Nov to December Winter Mid-December to Mid-February

CLIMATE

• While it is roasting in the South, it would be mild in the north and the Himalayan peaks will be covered with snow most of the year. The plains of India are at their peaks of chillness in the winter. To the east, the more extreme combination of heat, humidity and monsoon leaves only November to February fairly comfortable. Southern India is always hot but again, it is at its best between November and February. Humidity strike almost everywhere some time between May and September. The stultifying pre-monsoon heat is to be avoided throughout the country. But when the rains come, they have their own attraction, provided the humidity between showers is bearable. It is a repeated agony-ecstasy cycle.

CLIMATE

• The winter is more or less pleasant throughout the country. In the north temperatures falls steeply; in western, southern and eastern India, the winter is cool. The summer is hot is most parts of the country. But there are a number of hill resorts to provide cool retreats for the tourists. The southwest monsoon begins on the west coast in early June and spreads to other parts. In most of India it rains from June to September. But the southeastern regions experience greater rainfall during November to January, due to the advent of the northeast monsoon.

CLIMATE

• Cool spots are mostly British -built retreats from the boiling Madras and Bombay, such as Ootacamund and Kodaikanal in the Nilgiris and the Cardamom hills dividing Tamilnadu and Kerala states, Mahabaleshwar and Pune in the Western Ghats of Maharastra, and Mount Abu on the Rajasthan-Gujarat border. Rainfall in India is variable. The northeastern region, the western slopes of the Western Ghats and parts of the Himalayas have very high rainfall of around 2000mm annually. The eastern part of the peninsula extending up to the northern plains receive around 1000 to 2000mm rainfall, while the area from the Western Deccan up to the Punjab plain gets around 100mm to 500mm rainfall. Kutch and Ladakh areas have hardly any rainfall. Chirapunji in Assam is said to receive the highest amount of rainfall in the whole world.

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Natural Resources in India India is endowed with different types of natural Resources such as fertile soil, forests, minerals and water. These resources are unevenly distributed. The various types of different Natural Resources of India is discussed below: Soil Resource: India has a large proportion of well watered fertile lands. In the alluvial soil of the Northern Great Plains of the Sutlej-Ganga plains and Brahmaputra Valley wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, jute, cotton, rapeseed, mustard, sesumum, linseed, etc. are grown in abundance. In the black soil of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat cotton and sugarcane are grown. The improper use of soil destroys its composition, texture and structure unscientiRc irrigation causes capillary action making soil alkaline and unsuitable for cultivation. The proper management of soil is important for soil conservation in India

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Mineral Resource: India is quite rich in some minerals like iron, coal, mineral oil, manganese, bauxite, chromites, copper, tungsten, gypsum, lime stone, mica and so on. A number of organizations like Geological Survey of India, Indian Bureau of Mines, etc. are engaged in the exploration and development of mineral resource in India. Livestock Resource: Hills, mountains and less fertile lands are put under pasture. ScientiRc methods are followed in rearing cattle. India maintains rich domestic animal diversity. India has good population of goat, sheep, poultry, cattle, buffalo, etc. Indian livestock plays a vital role in improving the socio-economic status of the rural masses.

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Horticulture: Diverse agro-climatic conditions in India facilitate cultivation of a large number of horticulture crops such as vegetables, fruits, Vower, medicinal and aromatic plant, mushroom, etc. and plantation corps like tea, coffee and rubber. They provide opportunities for growing spices. Fisheries: Fish production has been showing increasing trend. India is one of the leading Rsh producer.

NATURAL RESOURCES

• Forest Resource: India possesses a variety of natural vegetation since the country has a varied relief and climate. These forests are conRned to the plateaus and hilly mountainous areas. India has a great variety of fauna. There are many national parks and hundreds of wild life sanctuaries. Forests are called ‘green gold’. They are renewable resources. They provide quality environment. They eat up CO2, the poisons of urbanization, industrialization, explosion of population, etc. They regulate climate as they act as natural ‘sponge’. Arresting soil erosion, increasing soil fertility growing forest based industries, providing medicinal herbs, animal habitats, cattle fodder, domestic fuel and foreign exchange they contribute substantially to Indian economy. Unfortunately India’s forest cover is diminishing at an alarming rate. So, various measures for afforestation have been introduced. The forest (conservation) Act 1980 was made in India. No forest can be diverted for non-forest purpose.

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