Indian Geography – Study Notes
(For Uttarakhand Police Constable – General Awareness & Current Affairs)
Tip: For competitive exams, focus on facts, figures, and unique trivia that differentiate one state/UT from another.
Keep a cheat‑sheet with the most frequent data (state capital, area, population density, largest city, etc.).
1. Overview
| Category | Key Concept |
|---|---|
| Physical Geography | Mountains (Himalayas), Plains (Indo‑Gangetic, Deccan), Plateaus (Vindhya, Satpura), Desert (Thar), Islands (Andaman‑Nicobar, Lakshadweep) |
| Climate | Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate, Alpine; Monsoon patterns |
| Political Geography | 28 States + 8 Union Territories; Capitals (state & UT); Largest cities |
| Geological | Indo‑Australian plate collision, Himalayan uplift, seismic zones |
2. Physical Geography
2.1 Major Mountain Ranges
| Range | Extent | Highest Peak | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Himalayas | 3 500 km (NW–SE) | Kangchenjunga 8 586 m | Highest mountain range, source of major rivers |
| Aravalli | 800 km (NW–SE) | Guru Shikhar 1 722 m | Oldest range in India |
| Vindhya | 1 300 km (NW–SE) | 1 300 m | Runs across central India |
2.2 Plateaus
| Plateau | Area (km²) | Notable Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| Deccan Plateau | 1 053 000 | Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri |
| Satpura | 225 000 | Narmada, Tapti |
2.3 Plains
| Plain | Area (km²) | Key Rivers |
|---|---|---|
| Indo‑Gangetic Plain | 1 151 000 | Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra |
| Kharif Plain | 450 000 | Mahanadi, Narmada |
2.4 Rivers (by discharge)
| River | Length (km) | Source | Mouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganga | 2 525 | Gangotri (Himalayas) | Bay of Bengal |
| Brahmaputra | 2 900 | Himalayas (Tibet) | Bay of Bengal |
| Godavari | 1 465 | Nashik | Arabian Sea |
| Kaveri | 760 |