The Northern Plains
Uploaded by msnarayana on Oct 14, 2012
The Northern Plains also known as the Indo - Gangetic Plain and The North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, parts of southern Nepal and virtually all of Bangladesh. The region is named after the Indus and the Ganges, the twin river systems that drain it. The plain's population density is very high due to the fertile soil for farming.
Divisions
Some geographers subdivide the Indo-Gangetic Plain into several parts: the Indus Valley, the Punjab Plain, the Haryana Plains, and the middle and lower Ganges. These regional distinctions are based primarily on the availability of water. By another definition, the Indo-Gangetic Plain is divided into two drainage basins by the Delhi Ridge; the western part consists of the Punjab Plain and the Haryana Plain, and the eastern part consists of the Ganges–Brahmaputra drainage systems.
Extent
As a large plain, the exact extent can vary from source to source. Roughly, the Indo-Gangetic Plain stretches across: Kashmir in the north; The Punjab region of Pakistan and the Aravalli Range; Sindh in the west; The Himalayan foothills of Assam and Bangladesh in the east; and the Vindhya- and Satpura Range, and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the south. Goes to northern portion of Gujarat.
Geography
The Indo-Gangetic plains, also known as the "Great Plains," are large floodplains of the Indus and the Ganges–Brahmaputra river systems. They run parallel to the Himalaya mountains, from Jammu and Kashmir in the west to Assam in the east and draining most of northern and eastern India. The plains encompass an area of 700,000 km² (270,000 mile²) and vary in width through their length by several hundred kilometres.
Fauna
Until recent history, the open grasslands of the Indo-Gangetic Plain was inhabited by several large species of animal. The open plains were home to large numbers of herbivores which included three species of rhinoceros (Indian rhinoceros, Javan rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros). The open grasslands were in many ways similar to the landscape of modern Africa. Gazelle, buffalo, rhinos, elephants, lions, and hippo roamed the grasslands, the same way as they do in Africa today.
Agriculture
Farming on the Indo-Gangetic Plain primarily consists of rice and wheat grown in rotation. Other crops include maize, sugarcane, and cotton. The main source of rainfall is the southwest monsoon which is normally sufficient for general agriculture. The many rivers flowing out of the Himalayas provide water for...