Question

Name the major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.

Answer 1

Hint: Based on their origin, there are three kinds of mountains— fold mountains, block mountains and volcanic mountains. The Himalayas are the largest mountain range in the world running from the river Indus in the north-west to the river Brahmaputra in the east and separating Asia from the plains of the Indian subcontinent. It is a geologically young and structurally folded mountain. Fold mountains are formed due to the convergence of tectonic plates in the earth’s crust. At the boundaries where the tectonic plates collide, rocks and debris are formed as a result of compression and it is folded into rocky hills, mountains, and ranges.

Complete answer:The Himalayas consists of three parallel ranges from the north to south:
-the northernmost range being the Himadri or the inner Himalaya which is the most continuous range and contains the highest and most prominent peaks with an average height of 6,000 Mts.
-the range lying south of the Himadri is called the Himachal or the lesser Himalayas. They are mainly composed of highly compressed rocks which makes its terrain the most rugged. The altitude in this range lies between 3,700 and 4,500 Mts with an average width of 50 km.
-the southernmost range of the Himalayas is the Shiwaliks or the outer Himalayas. The altitude lies between 900 to 1100 Mts and the width extends from 10 to 50 km. They are composed of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers from the higher Himalayan ranges in the north.

Note: Apart from the division from north to south, the Himalayas are also categorised based on regions from west to east. These include— the Punjab Himalayas lying between the rivers Indus and Sutlej; the Kumaon Himalayas lying between the rivers Sutlej and Kali; the Nepal Himalayas lying between the rivers Kali and Tista; and the Assam Himalayas lying between the rivers Tista and Dihang.