Question

India's plain land area is about _________.
A.43%
B.63%
C.83%
D.93%

Answer 1

Hint: India is a country of great geographical extent, due to its vastness in size it is often described as a subcontinent. There are two types of plains in India - the Northern plains and the Coastal plains.

Complete Answer: India’s plain land area is about 43 percent, the mountains account for 30 percent and plateaus account for 27 percent of the total surface area of the country. The two types of plains India are the Northern plains and the Coastal plains.

The Northern Plains, also referred to as the Indo-Gangetic Plains, is formed by the interplay of three major river systems – the Brahmaputra, the Indus and the Ganga. It extends over 3,200 km from Punjab in the west to Assam in the east. The physiographic division of Northern plains is the Bhabar, the Bhangar, the Terai and the Khadar. It comprises alluvial soil, making the soil fertile for agricultural purposes.

The Coastal plains are further divided into two types - the West Coastal Plains and the Eastern Coastal Plains. The Western Coastal plains extend along the coast of the Arabian Sea from Kanyakumari to the Rann of Kachchh. These plains have two types- the Kachchh and the Kathiawar. Extensive plains of Gujarat are situated on the west coast. The southern part of these plains is known as the Malabar Coast. There are a number of long and narrow lagoon lakes which provide navigation facilities for hundreds of kilometres. The coastal plain extending from Goa to Mangalore is called the Konkan coast, which is quite dissected and has an irregular coaster line.
The Eastern coastal plains are broader than the West Coastal plains. They extend along the coast of the Bay of Bengal from Kanyakumari to the mouth of river Subarnarekha. It includes the deltas of Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri. The famous lagoon lakes of this region are Chilka and Pulicat lakes.

Thus, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: The Eastern coastal plains comprise big fertile deltas formed by the Northern Circars and the Coromandel coast. The plain that exists between the river Mahanadi and Krishna is known as Northern Circars, while the Coromandel Coast extends between Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh.