Schematic map of the Indo-Gangetic Plain
The
Indo-Gangetic Plain also known as the Northern plains 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 Indo-gangetic plain is home to people of many religions, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists.
The Indo-Gangetic plain is bound on the north by the abruptly rising
Himalayas, which feed its numerous rivers and are the source of the fertile
alluvium deposited across the region by the two river systems. The southern edge of the plain is marked by the
Vindhya- and
Satpura Range, and the
Chota Nagpur Plateau. On the west rises the
Iranian Plateau.
The region is one of the most populous areas on
Earth, being home to nearly 900 million people (or over 1/7th of the world's population).
Divisions
right|thumb|A part of the Indo-Gangetic PlainSome
geographers subdivide the Indo-Gangetic Plain into several parts: the
Indus Valley, the
Punjab Plain, the Haryana Plains, and the middle and lower
Ganga. 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 Ganga-Brahmaputra
drainage systems. This divide is only 300 metres above
sea level, causing the perception that the Indo-Gangetic Plain appears to be continuous between the two drainage basins.
Both the Punjab and Haryana plains are
irrigated with water from the
Ravi,
Beas, and
Sutlej rivers. The irrigation projects in progress on these rivers have led to a decrease in the flow of water, which reaches the lower drainage areas in the state of
Punjab in India and the Indus Valley in Pakistan. The benefits that the increased irrigation has brought to Haryana farmers are controversial, due to the effects that irrigation has had on agricultural life in the Punjab areas of both India and Pakistan.
The middle Ganga extends from the
Yamuna River in the west to the state of
West Bengal in the east. The lower Ganga and the
Assam Valley are more verdant than the middle Ganga.
The lower Ganga is centered in West Bengal, from which it flows into Bangladesh. After joining the Yamuna, both rivers form the
Ganges Delta.
The
Brahmaputra rises in
Tibet as the
Yarlung Zangbo River and flows through
Arunachal Pradesh and
Assam, before crossing into
Bangladesh.
Extent
As a large plain, the exact extent can vary from source to source. Roughly, the Indo-Gangetic Plain stretches across:
- the Himalayan foothills in the east; and
- goes to northern portion of Gujarat
The fertile
Terai region is the
Nepalese extension of the Plain. The rivers encompassed are the
Beas, the
Chambal, the
Chenab, the
Ganges, the
Gomti, the
Indus, the
Ravi, the
Sutlej and the
Yamuna. The soil is rich in
silt, making the plain one of the most intensely farmed areas of the world. Even rural areas here are
densely populated.
Geology
Geography
The Indo-Gangetic plains, also known as the "Great Plains," are large floodplains of the Indus and the Ganga-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. The major rivers of this system are the Ganga (Ganges) and the Indus along with their tributaries; Beas, Yamuna, Gomti, Ravi, Chambal, Sutlej and Chenab.
Extent of the Indo-Gangetic plain across South Asia.The great plains are sometimes classified into four divisions:
- The Bhabar belt — is adjacent to the foothills of the Himalayas and consists of boulders and pebbles which have been carried down by the river streams. As the porosity of this belt is very high, the streams flow underground. The bhabar is generally narrow about 7-15 km wide.
- The Terai belt — lies next to the Bhabar region and is composed of newer alluvium. The underground streams reappear in this region. The region is excessively moist and thickly forested. It also receives heavy rainfall throughout the year and is populated with a variety of wildlife.
- The Bangar belt — consists of older alluvium and forms the alluvial terrace of the flood plains. In the Gangetic plains, it has a low upland covered by laterite deposits.
- The Khadar belt — lies in lowland areas after the Bangar belt. It is made up of fresh newer alluvium which is deposited by the rivers flowing down the plain.
The Indo-Gangetic belt is the world's most extensive expanse of uninterrupted alluvium formed by the deposition of silt by the numerous rivers. The plains are flat and mostly treeless, making it conducive for irrigation through canals. The area is also rich in ground water sources.
The plains are one of the world's most intensely farmed areas. The main crops grown are rice and wheat, which are grown in rotation. Others include maize, sugarcane and cotton. The Indo-Gangetic plains rank among the world's most densely populated areas.
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 major irrigation works.
Stressed water supplies
Due to a rapidly growing population (as well as other factors such as
global warming which affects monsoon and Himalayan runoff), this area is considered at high risk for water shortages in the future.
This area constitutes the land between the river Brahmaputra and Aravli mountain ranges, the famous river Ganges,Yamuna,Ghaggra,Chambal and Brahmaputra flow through the area.
History
The region is known for the
Indus Valley Civilization and was responsible for the birth of ancient
India. The flat and fertile terrain has facilitated the repeated rise and expansion of various empires, including the
Gupta empire,
Kanauj,
Magadha, the
Maurya Empire, the
Mughal Empire and the
Sultanate of Delhi - all of which had their
demographic and
political centers in the Indo-Gangetic plain. During the
Vedic and Epic eras of Indian history, this region was referred to as "
Aryavarta" (Land of the
Aryans) which was bordered on the west by the
Indus river and on the south by the
Vindhya Mountain range. During the Islamic period, the
Turkish,
Afghan and
Iranian rulers referred to this region as "
Hindustan" (
Land of the Hindus), deriving from the
Persian term for the
Indus River. This term was later used to refer to the whole of
India but even into the modern era, the dialect of
Hindi-
Urdu spoken in this region is called
Hindustani, a term which is also used for the local music and culture.
Both
British and
independent India also had their demographic and political centers here (first in
Calcutta and then
Delhi).
Languages
The language of the Indo-Gangetic plain was previously
Indo-Aryan.
There is in addition a great variety of regional languages, which in several cases form a
dialect chain with one another.
Cities
Among the largest cities of the Indo-Gangetic plain are
Ahmedabad,
Ludhiana,
Delhi,
Kanpur,
Lucknow,
Patna and
Kolkata in
India,
Dhaka in
Bangladesh,
Lahore,
Faisalabad,
Rawalpindi-
Islamabad,
Multan,
Hyderabad and
Karachi in
Pakistan. In this region, it is hard to define where one
megalopolis begins and one ends.
Administrative divisions
Because it is not fully possible to define the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, it is also difficult to give an exact list of which administrative areas are part on the plain.
The areas that are completely part or more than half part of the plains are:
Small parts of the following administrative areas are or are not part of the plain:
See also
