| Definition of Plateau |
- Plateau is an area of raised land that is flat on top.
- Plateaus are often isolated with no surrounding plateaus.
- National Geographic describes plateaus as flat and elevated landforms that rise sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side.
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| Features of the Peninsular Plateau |
- Roughly triangular in shape with its base coinciding with the southern edge of the great plain of North India. The apex is at Kanniyakumari.
- Covers a total area of about 16 lakh sq km (India as a whole is 32 lakh sq km).
- Average height: 600-900 m above sea level (varies by region).
- Most rivers flow west to east, indicating a general slope.
- Exception: Narmada-Tapti rivers flow east to west in a rift caused by a divergent boundary.
- One of the oldest landforms on earth, composed of Archaean gneisses and schists.
- Stable block with little structural change since its formation.
- A land area for millions of years, submerged in the sea only in a few places.
- An aggregation of several smaller plateaus, hill ranges, river basins, and valleys.
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| Minor Plateaus in the Peninsular Plateau |
| Marwar Plateau or Mewar Plateau |
- Plateau of eastern Rajasthan, west of Aravalis.
- Elevation: 250-500 m, sloping eastward.
- Composed of sandstone, shales, and limestones of the Vindhayan period.
- Banas River, along with tributaries Berach and Khari, originate from the Aravali Range.
- Erosion from rivers gives the plateau a rolling plain appearance.
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| Central Highland |
- Also known as the Madhya Bharat Pathar or Madhya Bharat Plateau.
- Located east of the Marwar Plateau.
- Comprises the Chambal river basin, flowing in a rift valley.
- Kali Sindh, Banas, Parwan, and Parbati rivers are its tributaries.
- Rolling plateau with rounded hills of sandstone and thick forests.
- Ravines or badlands north of the Chambal river.
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| Bundelkhand Upland |
- Bordered by Yamuna river to the north, Madhya Bharat Pathar to the west, Vindhyan Scarplands to the east and south-east, and Malwa Plateau to the south.
- Old dissected upland of ‘Bundelkhand gneiss’ with granite and gneiss.
- Spreads over five districts of Uttar Pradesh and four districts of Madhya Pradesh.
- Elevation: 300-600 m, sloping from the Vindhyan Scarp to the Yamuna.
- Erosion makes the area undulating, unfit for cultivation.
- Characterized by senile topography.
- Rivers: Betwa, Dhasan, and Ken.
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| Malwa Plateau |
- Triangular plateau based on Vindhyan Hills, bounded by Aravali Range, Madhya Bharat Pathar, and Bundelkhand.
- Drained by rivers flowing towards the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
- Covered with black soils from extensive lava flows.
- General slope towards the north, from 600 m in the south to below 500 m in the north.
- Dissected by rivers, with Chambal ravines in the north.
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| Baghelkhand |
- North of the Maikal Range, made of limestones and sandstones in the west, granite in the east.
- Bounded by Son river in the north, acting as a water divide between the Son and Mahanadi drainage systems.
- Elevation varies from 150 m to 1,200 m.
- Bharner and Kaimur hills located near the trough-axis.
- General horizontality of the strata shows stability.
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| Rohtas Plateau |
- Located in southwestern Bihar, also called Kaimur Plateau.
- Area: 2,100 sq km, undulating tableland with a height of 450 m at Rohtasgarh.
- Series of fluvial plateaux: Panna, Bhander, Rewa, and Rohtas.
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| Bhander Plateau |
- Located in Madhya Pradesh.
- Area: 10,000 sq km, part of the Vindhya Range.
- Links Deccan Plateau with Indo-Gangetic Plains and Chota Nagpur Plateau.
- Series of plateaux running along Kaimur Range.
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| Chotanagpur Plateau |
- Northeastern projection of the Indian Peninsula, mostly in Jharkhand, northern Chhattisgarh, and Purulia district.
- Drained by numerous rivers, forming a radial drainage pattern.
- Rivers like Damodar, Subarnrekaha, North Koel, South Koel, and Barkar flow here.
- Damodar flows through a rift valley, containing Gondwana coal fields.
- Hazaribagh Plateau and Ranchi Plateau within the region, dissected by erosion.
- Rajmahal Hills, forming the northeastern edge, are made of basalt and run north-south.
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| Meghalaya Plateau |
- Extension of the Peninsular Plateau beyond Rajmahal hills.
- Garo-Rajmahal Gap separates it from the main block.
- Formed by down-faulting, filled by Ganga and Brahmaputra sediments.
- Western boundary coincides with the Bangladesh border.
- Garo Hills (900 m), Khasi-Jaintia Hills (1,500 m), and Mikir Hills (700 m) are the prominent features.
- Highest point: Shillong (1,961 m).
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| Deccan Plateau |
- Area: 5 lakh sq km.
- Bounded by the Satpura, Vindhya, Mahadev, Maikal, Western Ghats, and Eastern Ghats.
- General slope west to east, indicated by river flow.
- Subdivided into smaller plateaus by rivers.
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| Maharashtra Plateau |
- Northern part of the Deccan Plateau, underlain by basaltic rocks.
- Rolling plain due to weathering.
- Godavari, Bhima, and Krishna rivers have broad and shallow valleys.
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| Karnataka Plateau |
- Also known as the Mysore plateau, lies south of Maharashtra Plateau.
- Rolling plateau with an average elevation of 600-900 m.
- Dissected by numerous rivers from the Western Ghats.
- Divided into Malnad (hill country) and Maidan (rolling plain).
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| Telangana Plateau |
- Consists of Archaean gneisses, Dharwar rocks, and Gondwana coal fields.
- Average elevation: 500-600 m.
- Drained by Godavari, Krishna, and Penner rivers.
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| Bastar Plateau |
- Located in southern Chhattisgarh, rich in minerals.
- Bisected by the Indravati River.
- Tribal region with Naxalism influence.
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| Chhattisgarh Plain |
- Saucer-shaped depression drained by the upper Mahanadi.
- Elevation: 250 m in the east to 330 m in the west.
- Once ruled by Haithaivanshi Rajputs, the plain derives its name from thirty-six forts (Chhattisgarh).
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| Dandakaranya Plateau |
- Historical region, mentioned in Ramayana, located in the Bastar region.
- Physiographic region covering parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Includes Abujhmad Hills, home to indigenous tribes.
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