Lesson 2 of 2 | Geography of the World and India / Lines on the earth, and the land of India
Four regions and three seas
Learning outcome
You can name the four mainland regions of India, the mountain wall in the north, and the seas on the other three sides.
Concepts and why
The national portal describes the mainland as four regions: the great mountain zone, the plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula. The Great Himalayas bound India in the north. The school geography text names three Himalayan ranges. The Himadri are the Greater Himalayas. The Himachal are the Lesser Himalayas. The Shivalik are the Outer Himalayas. The Himachal range is not the same thing as the state called Himachal Pradesh. The Bay of Bengal lies to the east. The Arabian Sea lies to the west. The Indian Ocean lies to the south.
Worked examples
A question asks which sea is east of India. The answer is the Bay of Bengal. A question asks for the outermost, lowest Himalayan range in that three-part list. The answer is the Shivalik.
Common mistakes
Swapping the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Calling the Himachal range the state of Himachal Pradesh. Leaving the desert region out of the four mainland regions.
Practice questions
- Which sea lies east of India?
- Which sea lies west of India?
- Which of the three Himalayan ranges is the outer, lower one?
Answers and explanations
- The Bay of Bengal.
- The Arabian Sea.
- The Shivalik, also called the Outer Himalayas.
Analogy
A house has a high back wall and three open sides onto water. The back wall is the Himalayas. The right-hand water, as you face south, is not the lesson to guess from a drawing. Learn the names: east is the Bay of Bengal, west is the Arabian Sea, south is the Indian Ocean.
Quick reference
Four regions: mountain zone, Ganga and Indus plains, desert, southern peninsula. Himalayas, north: Himadri, Himachal, Shivalik. East: Bay of Bengal. West: Arabian Sea. South: Indian Ocean.