Question

Explain the divisions of Northern Mountains and its importance to India.

Answer 1

Northern mountains are the youngest and the loftiest mountain chains in the world. It stretches for a distance of 2500 km from the Indus gorge in the West to the Brahmaputra gorge in the East.

The major divisions of the Northern mountains are:

• The Trans Himalayas
• Himalayas
• Eastern or Purvanchal hills

1. The Trans Himalayas:- It lies in Jammu and Kashmir and the Tibetian plateau. It is also known as Western Himalayas. As its areal extent is more in Tibet, it is also known as Tibetan Himalayas. The rocks of this region are of Tethys sediments and contain fossils bearing marine sediments. The prominent ranges of this division are Zaskar, Ladakh, Kailash, and the Karakoram.

2. The Himalayas:- It is formed by the uplifted compression of the Tethys sea due to tectonic forces. It has three parallel ranges.

(a) The Greater Himalayas (Himadri)
(b) The Lesser Himalayas (Himachal)
(c) The Outer Himalayas (Siwaliks)

3. The Eastern Himalayas or Purvanchal Hills:- They are the Eastern offshoots of the Himalayas. Most of these hills are located along the border of India and Myanmar. Some of the important hills are Patkai Bum, Naga hills, Manipur hills, Mizo Hills, Garo Hills, Khasi Hills, and Jaintia hills. Collectively known as Purvanchal hills.

Northern Mountains importance to India -

• Natural barrier - Forms as the natural barrier to the Sub-continent.
• Source for rivers - Source for many perennial rivers such as Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra.
• Tourism - Paradise of tourists due to its natural beauty. Many hill stations and Pilgrim centers like Amamath, Kedamath, Badrinath, and Vaishnavidevi temple are located.
• Renowned for rich bio-diversity.
• Natural climatic barrier - The natural climatic barrier prevents the cold winds from Central Asia. Blocks the Southwest monsoon winds and causes heavy rainfall to North India.
• Hydroelectricity - The rivers and their tributaries in the Northern Mountains contain many natural waterfalls. These are the places where dams for the development of hydroelectricity can be installed across the river.
• Minerals - There are rich mineral and fuel deposits in many parts of the Northern Mountains, such as petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, silver, tungsten, limestone, etc.
• Forest Wealth - The Northern Mountains' lower slopes are thickly forested. Trees range from alpine to tropical forms. For different industries, these forests provide fuel, wood, timber, and raw materials. Some areas have fertile pastures and are commonly used for livestock grazing.