Editing Geography of India (section)

===The Peninsular Plateau===

[[Image:Western-Ghats-Matheran.jpg|thumb|right|[[Western Ghats]] near Matheran]][[File:Dry deciduous Jungles at Ramatheertham 03.jpg|thumb|Dry deciduous and thorny forests of plateau regions in India]]{{Further|Peninsular India}}
This is a large region of the [[Indian subcontinent]] located  between the [[Western Ghats]] and the [[Eastern Ghats]], and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the [[Narmada River]].Having once constituted a segment of the ancient continent of [[Gondwanaland]], this land is the oldest and most stable in India.

* Mountain ranges (clockwise from top-left)
** '''[[Aravali Range]]''' is the oldest mountain range in India, running across Rajasthan from northeast to southwest direction, extending approximately {{convert|800|km|mi||abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Dale Hoiberg|author2=Indu Ramchandani|title=Students' Britannica India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kpd9lLY_0-IC&pg=PA92|year=2000|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-0-85229-760-5|pages=92–93}}</ref> The northern end of the range continues as isolated hills and rocky ridges into [[Haryana]], ending near [[Delhi]]. The highest peak in this range is [[Guru Shikhar]] at [[Mount Abu]], rising to {{convert|1722|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, lying near the border with Gujarat.<ref>{{cite book|title=Deccan Heritage |last=Gupta|first=Harsh K |author2=Aloka Parasher-Sen |author3=Dorairajan Balasubramanian  |year=2000 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=81-7371-285-9 |page=28}}</ref> The Aravali Range is the eroded stub of an ancient [[fold mountain]] system.<ref>{{cite book |title=Tropical geomorphology: a morphogenetic study of Rajasthan |last=Sharma |first=Hari Shanker|year=1987 |publisher=Concept |isbn=81-7022-041-6 |page=295}}</ref> The range rose in a [[Precambrian]] event called the Aravali–Delhi [[orogen]]. The range joins two of the ancient segments that make up the Indian [[craton]], the [[Marwar]] segment to the northwest of the range, and the Bundelkhand segment to the southeast.
** '''[[Vindhya]] range''', lies north of Satpura range and east of Aravali range, runs across most of central India, extending {{convert|1050|km|mi||abbr=on}}.<ref name="manorama2">{{cite journal|title = Manorama Yearbook 2006 (India – The Country)| journal = Manorama Year Book | publisher = Malayala Manorama | year = 2006 | page = 516 | issn = 0542-5778}}</ref> The average elevation of these hills is from {{convert|300|to|600|m|abbr=on}} and rarely goes above {{convert|700|m}}.<ref name="manorama2" /> They are believed to have been formed by the wastes created by the weathering of the ancient Aravali mountains.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Indian geographical journal|year=1971 |publisher=Indian Geographical Society |volume=46 |page=52}}</ref> Geographically, it separates [[North India|Northern]] India from [[South India|Southern]] India. The western end of the range lies in eastern Gujarat, near its border with Madhya Pradesh, and runs east and north, almost meeting the Ganges at [[Mirzapur]].
**'''[[Satpura Range]]''', lies south of Vindhya range and east of Aravali range, begins in eastern Gujarat near the Arabian Sea coast and runs east across [[Maharashtra]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Chhattisgarh]]. It extends {{convert|900|km|mi||abbr=on}} with many peaks rising above {{convert|1000|m|ft||abbr=on}}.<ref name="manorama2" /> It is triangular in shape, with its apex at [[Ratnapuri, India|Ratnapuri]] and the two sides being parallel to the [[Tapti River|Tapti]] and [[Narmada River|Narmada]] rivers.<ref name="manorama3">{{cite book| title = Manorama Yearbook 2006 (India – The Country)| page = 517}}</ref> It runs parallel to the Vindhya Range, which lies to the north, and these two east–west ranges divide the Indo–Gangetic plain from the Deccan Plateau located north of River Narmada.
* Plateaus (clockwise from top-left)
**'''[[Malwa Plateau]]''' is spread across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The average elevation of the Malwa plateau is 500 metres, and the landscape generally slopes towards the north. Most of the region is drained by the [[Chambal River]] and its tributaries; the western part is drained by the upper reaches of the [[Mahi River]].
** '''[[Chhota Nagpur Plateau]]''' is situated in eastern India, covering much of Jharkhand and adjacent parts of Odisha, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. Its total area is approximately {{convert|65000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and is made up of three smaller plateaus—the Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Kodarma plateaus. The Ranchi plateau is the largest, with an average elevation of {{convert|700|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Much of the plateau is forested, covered by the [[Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forest|Chhota Nagpur dry deciduous forest]]s. Vast reserves of metal ores and [[coal]] have been found in the Chota Nagpur plateau. '''Southern Garanulite terrain''': Covers South India especially [[Tamil Nadu]] excluding western and eastern ghats.
** '''[[Deccan Plateau]]''', also called Deccan Trapps, is a large triangular plateau, bounded by the Vindhyas to the north and flanked by the Eastern and Western Ghats. The Deccan covers a total area of {{convert|1.9|e6km2|sqmi|abbr=unit}}. It is mostly flat, with elevations ranging from {{convert|300|to|600|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The average elevation of the plateau is {{convert|2000|ft|m}} above sea level. The surface slopes from {{convert|3000|ft|m}} in the west to {{convert|1500|ft|m}} in the east.<ref name="HSW">{{cite web|title=The Deccan Plateau|url=http://geography.howstuffworks.com/asia/the-deccan-plateau.htm|publisher=How Stuff Works|access-date=14 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108230839/http://geography.howstuffworks.com/asia/the-deccan-plateau.htm|archive-date=8 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> It slopes gently from west to east and gives rise to several peninsular rivers such as the [[Godavari River|Godavari]], the [[Krishna River|Krishna]], the [[Kaveri]] and the [[Mahanadi River|Mahanadi]] which drain into the Bay of Bengal. This region is mostly semi-arid as it lies on the leeward side of both Ghats. Much of the Deccan is covered by thorn scrub forest scattered with small regions of [[deciduous]] broadleaf forest. Climate in the Deccan ranges from hot summers to mild winters.
** '''Kutch Kathiawar plateau''' is located in [[Gujarat]] state. The [[Kathiawar]] peninsula in western Gujarat is bounded by the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambat. The natural vegetation in most of the peninsula is [[xeric scrub]], part of the [[Northwestern thorn scrub forests]] ecoregion.

==== Ghats ====
[[File:Kollimalai Kundrugal.JPG|thumb|right|Kolli Hills of the [[Eastern Ghats]], [[Tamil Nadu]]]]
[[File:Konkan - Western Ghats - Scenes from India's Konkan Railway 104.JPG|right|thumb|Western Ghats]][[File:Pond at Punyagiri temple.jpg|thumb|right|Dry Evergreen Forests along the [[Eastern Ghats]], [[Andhra Pradesh]]]]The word ''ghati'' ({{Langx|hi|घाटी}}) means valley.<ref name="ghatimean1">[https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/hindi-english/%E0%A4%98%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%80 Ghati meaning], Hindi-English Collins dictionary.</ref> In [[Marathi language|Marathi]], Hindi, [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] and [[Kannada]], ''ghat'' is a term used to identify a difficult passage over a mountain.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Navneet Marathi English Dictionary |publisher=Navneet Publications (India) Limited |location=Mumbai 400028 |url=http://www.navneet.com/mainpage/contactus.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124025354/http://navneet.com/mainpage/contactus.asp |archive-date=2009-01-24 |url-status=dead}}</ref> One such passage is the [[Bhor Ghat]] that connects the towns [[Khopoli]] and [[Khandala]], on [[National Highway 4 (India, old numbering)|NH 4]] about {{convert|80|km}} north of [[Mumbai]]. [[Charmadi]] Ghat of Karnataka is also notable. In many cases, the term is used to refer to a mountain range itself, as in the ''[[Western Ghats]]'' and ''[[Eastern Ghats]]''. 'Ghattam' in Malayalam also refers to mountain ranges when used with the name of the ranges being addressed (e.g., paschima ghattam for Western Ghats), while the passage road would be called a 'churam'. [[Eastern Ghats]] on the east coast of India and [[Western Ghats]] on the west coast of India are the largest ghats in pensular India.<ref name="RWH" />

*[[Western Ghats]] also known as ''Sahyadri'' (Benevolent Mountains) run along the western edge of India's [[Deccan Plateau]] and separate it from a narrow coastal plain along the [[Arabian Sea]]. The range covers an area of 140,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> in a stretch of {{convert|1600|km|mi||abbr=on}} parallel to the western coast of the [[India]]n [[peninsula]],<ref name="manorama3" /> from south of the [[Tapti River]] near the Gujarat–Maharashtra border and across [[Kerala]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Goa]], [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]]. to the southern tip of the Deccan peninsula.<ref name="Western Ghats">{{cite web |title=Western Ghats |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704212953/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342 |archive-date=4 July 2018 |access-date=5 September 2023}}</ref>  The average elevation is around {{convert|1000|m|ft||abbr=on}}.<ref name="manorama3" /> [[Anai Mudi]] in the [[Anaimalai Hills]] {{convert|2695|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Clayton |first=Pamela |date=November 2006 |title=Introduction |url=https://www.hindimetyari.com/2018/10/drishti-ias-geography-notes-free-pdf.html |url-status=dead |journal=Literacy in Kerala |publisher=[[Hindimetyari]] |isbn=0-86389-068-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123154240/https://www.hindimetyari.com/2018/10/drishti-ias-geography-notes-free-pdf.html |archive-date=23 November 2018 |access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref> It is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] and is one of the eight "hottest hot-spots" of biological diversity in the world.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Myers |first1=Norman |last2=Mittermeier |first2=Russell A. |last3=Mittermeier |first3=Cristina G. |last4=Da Fonseca |first4=Gustavo A. B. |last5=Kent |first5=Jennifer |year=2000 |title=Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities |journal=Nature |volume=403 |issue=6772 |pages=853–858 |bibcode=2000Natur.403..853M |doi=10.1038/35002501 |pmid=10706275 |s2cid=4414279}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=2 July 2012 |title=UN designates Western Ghats as world heritage site |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/UN-designates-Western-Ghats-as-world-heritage-site/articleshow/14595602.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131192257/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-02/flora-fauna/32507340_1_world-heritage-list-western-ghats-border-town |archive-date=31 January 2013 |access-date=2 July 2012 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> It is sometimes called the Great [[Escarpment]] of India.<ref>{{cite book |last=Migon |first=Piotr |title=Geomorphological Landscapes of the World |date=12 May 2010 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-90-481-3054-2 |page=257}}</ref> It is a biodiversity hotspot that contains a large proportion of the country's flora and fauna; many of which are only found here and nowhere else in the world.<ref>{{citation |title=A biodiversity hotspot |url=http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/western_ghats/ |access-date=5 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118005548/http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/western_ghats/ |archive-date=18 January 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[UNESCO]], Western Ghats are older than Himalayan mountains. It also influences Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer.<ref name="Western Ghats" />  A total of thirty-nine properties including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests were designated as world heritage sites - twenty in [[Kerala]], ten in [[Karnataka]], five in [[Tamil Nadu]] and four in [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Western Ghats |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342/multiple%3D1%26unique_number%3D1921 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118010253/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1342/multiple%3D1%26unique_number%3D1921 |archive-date=18 January 2013 |access-date=3 January 2013 |work=[[UNESCO]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Clara |date=3 July 2012 |title=39 sites in Western Ghats get world heritage status |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/39-sites-in-Western-Ghats-get-world-heritage-status/articleshow/14622091.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707023508/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-03/mumbai/32523277_1_radhanagari-wildlife-world-heritage-centre-western-ghats |archive-date=7 July 2012 |access-date=21 February 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> [[Marathi people#Ghati people|Ghati people]], literally means the ''people of hills or ghats (valleys)'', is an [[exonym]] used for the marathi people specially those from the villages in [[Western Ghats]], often in pejorative terms.<ref name="ghati2">[https://books.google.com/books?id=bBG_QmivOWgC&dq=ghati+people&pg=PA110 >Bombay Teachers and the Cultural Role of Cities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905035554/https://books.google.com/books?id=bBG_QmivOWgC&dq=ghati+people&pg=PA110|date=5 September 2023}}, Page 110.</ref><ref name="ghati1">[https://www.firstpost.com/living/of-ghati-bhaiyya-and-yandu-gundu-mumbai-has-huge-diversity-in-its-pejoratives-2640836.html Of 'ghati', 'bhaiyya' & 'yandu gundu': Mumbai has huge diversity in its pejoratives] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905035556/https://www.firstpost.com/living/of-ghati-bhaiyya-and-yandu-gundu-mumbai-has-huge-diversity-in-its-pejoratives-2640836.html|date=5 September 2023}}, First Post, 26 Feb 2019.</ref><ref name="ghati3">Guruprasad Datar, 2018, [https://books.google.com/books?id=zcxYDwAAQBAJ&dq=ghati+people&pg=PT90 Stereotypes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905035559/https://books.google.com/books?id=zcxYDwAAQBAJ&dq=ghati+people&pg=PT90|date=5 September 2023}},</ref>
* [[Eastern Ghats]] are a discontinuous range of mountains along [[India]]'s eastern coast, which have been eroded and quadrisected by the four major rivers of southern India, the [[Godavari River|Mahanadi, Godavari]], [[Krishna River|Krishna]], and [[Kaveri River|Kaveri]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pullaiah |first=Thammineni |title=Flora of Eastern Ghats: Hill ranges of south east India |author2=D.Muralidhara Rao |publisher=Daya Books |year=2002 |isbn=81-87498-49-8 |volume=1 |page=1 |chapter=Preface}}</ref> These mountains extend from West Bengal to [[Odisha]] through [[Andhra Pradesh]] to [[Tamil Nadu]] in the south passing some parts of [[Karnataka]] and in the [[Wayanad district|Wayanad region]] of Kerala. Parts of the [[coastal plain]]s, including the [[Coromandel Coast]] region, lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.Though not as tall as the Western Ghats, some of its peaks are over {{convert|1000|m|ft||abbr=on}} in height.<ref name="manorama3" /> The [[Nilgiri mountains|Nilgiri]] hills in Tamil Nadu lies at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats. [[Arma Konda]] ({{convert|1690|m|abbr=on}}) in Andhra Pradesh is the tallest peak in Eastern Ghats.<ref name="Pletcher2013">{{cite book |author=Kenneth Pletcher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mjr0X-8jrLAC&pg=PA28 |title=The Geography of India: Sacred and Historic Places |date=2010 |publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group |isbn=978-16-1530-142-3 |pages=28}}</ref> The Eastern Ghats are older than the Western Ghats, and have a complex geologic history related to the assembly and breakup of the ancient [[supercontinent]] of [[Rodinia]] and the assembly of the [[Gondwana]] supercontinent. The Eastern Ghats are made up of [[charnockite]]s, [[granite]] [[gneiss]], [[khondalite]]s, [[metamorphic]] [[gneiss]]es and [[quartzite]] rock formations. The structure of the Eastern Ghats includes [[Thrust fault|thrusts]] and [[strike-slip fault]]s<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sriramadas |first1=A. |date=November 1967 |title=Geology of Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh |url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2FBF03052185.pdf#page-1 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Section B |volume=66 |issue=5 |pages=200–205 |doi=10.1007/BF03052185 |s2cid=126925893}}</ref> all along its range. [[Limestone]], [[bauxite]] and [[iron ore]] are found in the Eastern Ghats hill ranges.