Geography of India

India covers a major part of the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives). Two immense tectonic plates confront each other, the Himalayas being the visible part of this tectonic shock.

The country, whose west and east points stretch between Pakistan and Tibet, accounts for 1300km of the Himalayas out of the total 2400 km . Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Garhwal, Ladakh and Zanskar possess all the assets that an amateur of trekking and of authentic travels would like to find on a trip to India. In the south of the Himalayas lies the vast Indo-Gangetic Plain, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. At the western end, facing Pakistan, the barren desert of Thar (Rajasthan) unrolls its sand dunes. In contrast, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra mix their waters to form one of the largest delta on the planet.

The Deccan plateau occupies the southern third of the country. Located between 300 and 600 m of altitude, semi-arid, partly covered with spiny forests, it has a very warm climate in summer and mild winter.

The Western and Eastern Ghats border the Deccan plateau to the west and east. Basaltic chains of low altitude (1200 m on average) their soil, conducive to the cultivation of tea, allowed the development of the local economy.

Large rivers run through the country. Despite this, India is experiencing significant water stress, causing major tensions with its close neighbors (Nepal, Pakistan).

Apart from tourism, India also has three archipelagos. The Laccadives Islands (north of the Maldives), the Andaman Islands in front of the west coast of Myanmar (Burma), and the Sunderbans in the Ganges delta.

Quiz! How much is the smallest breadth of the Indian union? Answer: 21 km to West Bengal. Located between Nepal to the west and Bangladesh to the east, a narrow corridor communicates with Assam and gives access to the vast state of Arunachal Pradesh.