NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography India Physical Environment Chapter 2 Structure and Physiography 2026-27

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) Which one of the water bodies separates the Andaman from the Nicobar?
(a) 11° Channel
(b) Gulf of Mannar
(c) 10° Channel
(d) Andaman Sea

Answer: (a) 10° Channel

(ii) On which of the following hill ranges is the ‘Dodabeta’ peak situated?
(a) Nilgiri hills
(b) Anaimalai hills
(c) Cardamom hills
(d) Nallamala hills

Answer: (a) Nilgiri hills 

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. 

(i) If a person is to travel to Lakshadweep, from which coastal plain does he prefer and why? 

Answer: Lakshadweep lies in the Arabian Sea, 280–480 km off the coast of Kerala. Since it is closest to the Malabar Coast, reaching Lakshadweep from there takes the least time.

(ii) Where in India will you find a cold desert? Name some important ranges of this region. 

Answer: The north-eastern Kashmir Himalayas form a cold desert between the Greater Himalayas and Karakoram ranges. Important ranges here include Ladakh, Karakoram, Zaskar and Pir Panjal.

(iii) Why is the western coastal plain is devoid of any delta? 

Answer: Western coastal rivers have a short course and steep slope. They swiftly slope into the sea, so they do not deposit enough sediments to form deltas.

3. Answer the following questions in not more than 125 words. 

(i) Make a comparison of the island groups of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. 

Answer: The Arabian Sea island group is known as Lakshadweep, while the Bay of Bengal island group includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Lakshadweep lies off the Kerala coast and is mainly made up of coral islands. These islands are small, flat, and surrounded by lagoons. 

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are larger and more numerous. They are situated in the Bay of Bengal and have hilly terrain, dense forests, and volcanic origin in some areas. The 10° Channel separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands. Compared to Lakshadweep, the Andaman and Nicobar group has greater physical diversity. 

(ii) What are the important geomorphological features found in the river valley plains? 

Answer: River valley plains have many depositional landforms formed by rivers. The main features include alluvial fans, floodplains, natural levees, meanders, oxbow lakes, and deltas. Alluvial fans are formed when rivers coming from mountains deposit coarse materials on gentle slopes. Floodplains are flat areas made by repeated deposition of sand, silt, and clay during floods. Meanders are curved bends formed by river erosion and deposition. 

When a meander gets cut off, it forms an oxbow lake. Near the river mouth, sediments are deposited to form deltas. These plains have fertile alluvial soil and support agriculture and a dense population. 

(iii) If you move from Badrinath to the Sunderbans delta along the course of the river Ganga, what major geomorphological features will you come across?

Answer: While moving from Btravellingth to the Sunderbans delta along the Ganga system, we come across several morphological features. In the Himalayan region, the river forms V-shaped valleys, deep gorges, rapids, waterfalls, and plunge pools due to strong erosion. 

As the river enters the plains, its speed reduces and deposition becomes more important. Here, we find alluvial plains, meanders, floodplains, natural levees, and oxbow lakes. In the lower course, the river divides into many distributaries and deposits large amounts of silt. Finally, near the Bay of Bengal, it forms the vast Sunderbans delta. 

Project/Activity

(i) Make a list of major Himalayan peaks from the west to the east with the help of an atlas.

Answer: Students Should do it by themselves.

(ii) Identify the major landforms of your state and analyse the major economic activity practised by the people in each landform.

Answer: Students should do it by themselves.

How to Revise Chapter 2 Structure and Physiography Effectively Using Vedantu’s NCERT Solutions?

After solving the textbook questions from Class 11 Geography India: Physical Environment Chapter 2, revise this chapter with a map of India in hand - mark the mountain ranges, plateaus, coastal plains, and both island groups, since CBSE frequently asks location-based questions from this chapter.

Pay special attention to comparison answers (like Lakshadweep vs Andaman and Nicobar) and sequence-based answers (like landforms along the Ganga), as these carry the highest weightage.

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