geography
India,
with a surface of
3.3 million square kilometres, is the seventh largest country in
the
world.[E1] [F1] [F2] [S1] [S2][I1] It stretches 3,000 km from the Himalayas in the north to the
Indian
Ocean in the south.
India is divided into seven geographic regions (the Himalayas, the Indo
Gangetic plains, the Thar desert, the Deccan Plateau, East coast, West
coast,
bordering seas and islands) and has two major offshore island
possessions:
the Lakshadweep islands and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Both these
island
groups are Union Territories administered by the Union Government of
India.
The
Himalayas mountain ranges, which
presents some of the highest peaks in the world, are situated on the
border
with China and Nepal. They act as a perfect meteorological barrier
against the
cold draughts from the north.
South of the Himalayas, spreads out the most fertile part of the
country, the
Gange Plain which is crossed by the river Ganges and its
tributaries along
which a quarter of the population lives. The other two important rivers
are the
Hindus and the Brahmaputra, which flow largely in Pakistan and
Bangladesh
respectively.
The
Deccan, is quite high all over
starting from the Vindhya Hills in the North and including the Eastern
and
Western Ghats along the two coasts.
The Indian
Climate [E1] [F1] follows a cycle of six seasons
(spring-summer-monsoon-autumn-pre-winter-winter) even if, in most areas,
they
overlap. Even though it belongs to a Monsoon climatic category, the
climate
varies from one area to another.
The
Himalayan region, which is marked by a luxuriant vegetation,
presents
varieties characterizing both the tropical and the tundra regions. If,
in this
area, the altitude influences the
distribution of vegetation, in the rest of the country, the type of
vegetation
depends on the amount of rainfall. Outside the Himalayan region, the
country
can be divided into three major vegetation regions: the tropical
evergreen and
semi-evergreen forests, the deciduous forests, and the thorn forests
and
shrubs.
The
Assam region, in the east, presents evergreen forests, occasional thick
clumps of
bamboo and tall grasses. The Gangetic plain is cultivated, while the
Deccan vegetation varies
from scrub to mixed deciduous
forests. The Malabar region is rich in forest vegetation. The Andaman
and
Nicobar Islands have evergreen, mangrove, beach and diluvial forests.
There are
some national parks and sanctuaries [E1] [E2] [F1] [F2] [I1] (
Dachigam Wildlife Sanctuary, Corbett National Park, Sunderbans Wildlife
Sanctuary....) which are managed by the State and are promoted as
tourist
attractions, which earn enough to keep the sanctuaries running. Most
of the
sanctuaries provide accommodation, some of them offer modern guest
houses.
Tourists can experience van and jeep rides and boat trips are organized
to
allow the visitors to enjoy a good view of the animals in their natural
habitats.
Cultural
Studies Focus
a.
Complete this short text about India.
India has
got a surface of
. squares km and
presents
..different regions: the
.., the Indo Gangetic
plain, the
desert, Deccan Plateau, East coast,
.coast). It has got two Islands possessions: the Lankshadweep
and
the
which are administrated as
territories.
The
Himalayas mountain ranges are famous because of their
peaks
while the
Gange plain is the most
..area as a quarter of the population
lives
along the Gange and its
.
b.
Describe Indian climate.
c.
Describe the different vegetation zones in which India is divided and
collocate
them on the chart below..
d.
Mention some of the most important national parks and sanctuaries.
e.
Cooperative learning about national parks and sanctuaries.
I think that....
the
language used in the text is .....
easy;
quite complex;
difficult.
the language
used in the web sites is....
easy
quite complex;
difficult.
I found difficult...
I liked....
