NCERT Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society India and Beyond Part 1 Chapter 01 Geographical Diversity of India PDF Download

Chapter 1: Geographical Diversity of India

To us, by its very geography, the country [India] appears to be quite distinct from other countries, and that itself gives it a certain national character.

- Sri Aurobindo

[Figure 1.1: Jog Falls in Karnataka. Notice the plateau and the waterfalls. The power of the waterfall is converted into electricity (hydroelectricity; 'hydro' means water) through special turbines.]

The Big Questions

1. What are some key geographical features of India?
2. How does India's geographical diversity affect our lives?

In 1984, Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut to go into space, spoke with the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. When she asked him, "How does India look from space?", he replied, "Sare jahan se achchha" - better than the whole world. (This is the title of a well-known poem of the early 20th century.)

Let's Explore

Look at the map of India at the end of this book. What are you able to observe? Recall your lesson on different types of landforms - mountains, plains and plateaus. Which landforms can you identify on the map? What do the different colours on the map mean? (Hint: The legend on the map shows the heights of each area.)

As you go through this chapter, remember to refer periodically to the physical map.

India is the seventh-largest country in the world, and a part of Asia. Along with its neighbours - Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar - it forms the region known as the Indian Subcontinent (subcontinent, since it is part of the continent of Asia). Often, for the purpose of discussion, we refer to five regions - the great mountain zone, the plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, the southern peninsula, and the islands. In this chapter, we will 'fly' over these zones, providing you with a bird's-eye view of these features and offering glimpses of what things look like in close-up at some of these places. It would be difficult to go into all the details at this stage since, as you will soon see, India is large and diverse.

Teacher's Note

When you study India's geography, notice how the natural boundaries mentioned here - the Himalayas in the north, the Thar Desert and Arabian Sea in the west, the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Bay of Bengal in the east - shaped everything from climate to culture to history. These are not just random facts to memorize; they explain why India developed the way it did.

The Himalayan Mountain range stands as a natural barrier in the north, while the Thar Desert and the Arabian Sea mark its western limits. To the south, the Indian Ocean and to the east, the Bay of Bengal form a natural boundary. These geographical features create a separation between India and the rest of the continent and have played a crucial role in shaping India's climate, culture, and history.

Let's Explore

• Do you recall your lesson on latitudes and longitudes? Look at the map. Can you read, approximately, the latitude and longitude where India lies?
• Identify the above features on India's physical map.

Let us now journey together from the Himalayas to the islands in the Indian Ocean, and onward to the east of India. The diverse colours on the map already give us a sense of the geographical diversity. Familiarise yourself with the legend on the map. The different colours indicate the altitudes.

1 - The Himalayas

Look at the length of the Himalayan Range on the map. It is like a massive wall. From the legend, can you guess the altitude at different points of the Himalayas?

[Figure 1.2: These are satellite images of the Himalayan range. Note that the length of the range is about 2500 km.]

Teacher's Note

The Himalayas span about 2500 km in length and form a continuous barrier across northern India. When you look at the map's colour legend, notice how the darkest colours represent the highest altitudes in the range. This visual helps you understand why the Himalayas are so significant - they are not just tall mountains, but an enormous wall that has shaped India's climate and history for thousands of years.

Key Points

• India is the seventh-largest country in the world and part of the Asian continent, often studied as part of the Indian Subcontinent along with its neighbouring countries.
• India's geographical features include five main regions: the mountain zone, the Ganga-Indus plains, the desert region, the southern peninsula, and the islands.
• Natural boundaries like the Himalayan Mountains, deserts, and oceans have separated India from other regions and influenced its climate, culture, and history.
• The Himalayan Mountain range extends about 2500 km and acts as a massive natural wall in the north, with varying altitudes shown on physical maps using different colours.

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