Indian Geography - 3

Gulf of Khambhat has the potentiality of harnessing tidal power. The best places for the tidal energy development are Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">As per the report on the State of Forests released on February 13, 2008, 20.60% is coverage of forest area in the total geographical area of the country.

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">India's Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats meet at the <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Nilgiri hills. The Western Ghats Mountains are in the west. The Eastern Ghats Mountains meet the Western Ghats Mountains at Nilgiri Hills. The Nilgiri Hills are part of a larger mountain chain known as the Western Ghats. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Melghat Tiger Reserve is situated in Maharashtra. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Melghat<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">was declared a Tiger Reserve and was among the first nine Tiger Reserves notified in 1973-74 under the Project Tiger. It is located in northern part of Amravati District of Maharashtra State in India. 

The regions which have 10-20 cm rainfall in October and November and less than 5 cm in rest of the months belong to the Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh. The rainy season lasts from June to September; annual rainfall averages between 750–1,500 mm across the region. Once the dry northeast monsoon begins in September, most precipitation in India falls on Tamil Nadu, leaving other states comparatively dry. 

The coal field Talcher does not belong to the state of Maharashtra. Talcher is known for its coal reserves. It has numbers of underground and open-cast mines. Dera colliery is the oldest mine here. The coalfields are managed by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) in the state of Odisha. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Vindhya Ranges <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">divides India as North India and South India. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">The Vindhya Range runs across most of central India, extending 1,050 km. The average elevation of these hills is 3,000 m. They are believed to have been formed by the wastes created by the weathering of the ancient Aravali Mountains. Geographically, it separates northern India from southern India. The western end of the range lies in eastern Gujarat, near its border with Madhya Pradesh, and runs east and north, almost meeting the Ganges at Mirzapur. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Simplipal Tiger Reserve is situated in Orissa. Simlipal Tiger Reserve is one of the best reserves of India located in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Orissa. It was originally the hunting ground of the kings of Mayurbhanj and was designed a tiger reserve in 1956. Spreading over an area of 2,750 sq km, the reserve occupies wonderful terrains composed of hills, twelve rivers, numerous waterfalls, dense Sal forests and a complete eco-system offering a fertile ground to highly endangered wildlife including tigers and leopards.  

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Assam. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Manas Wildlife Sanctuary<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Namdapha is in Arunachal Pradesh, Periyar is in districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, Bandipur in Chamarajanagar district Karnataka and Lamjao in Bishnupur district in Manipur. All these are the national parks present in their respective states. 

Plutonium is produced in Kalapakkam in India. Madras Atomic Power Station is located at Kalpakkam. It is a comprehensive nuclear power production, fuel reprocessing and treatment facility that includes plutonium fuel fabrication for fast breeder reactors (FBRs). 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Pykara is not a thermal plant. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Pykara<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">is the name of a village and river located 19 km from Ooty in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The Pykara River is considered very sacred by the Todas. It rises at Mukurthi peak, flows northwards, and then turns to the west after reaching the edge of the plateau. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">National Academy of Agricultural Research Management is located in Hyderabad. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#f6f6f6;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">he National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) was established by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at Hyderabad, in 1976, to address issues related to agricultural research and education management.  

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Nashik <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">is a town on Godavari River. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">It originates near Trimbak in Nashik<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> District of Maharashtra state and flows east across the Deccan Plateau into the Bay of Bengal near Yanam and Antarvedi in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Other than Kerala, Tamil Nadu has already achieved the replacement level of fertility. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">The provisional Census 2011 figures suggest that four south Indian States i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are already having achieved the replacement level fertility of 2.1 children per women required to initiate the process of population stabilization. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">The Andaman Islands are separated from the Nicobar Islands by <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Bay of Nicobar and Ten Degree Channel. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">The Ten Degree Channel is a channel that separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The two sets of islands together form the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Channel is approximately 150 km wide, running essentially along an east-west orientation. It is so named as it lies on the 10-degree line of latitude, north of the equator. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">The coastal area between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal is broader than the coastal area between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal the coastal strip is broader. The southern part of the plateau is formed by the Nilgiri Hills where the Eastern and Western Ghats meet.
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Originating in the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar, the Indus river runs a course through the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit, Baltistan and flows through Pakistan in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Laterite is produced by leaching and oxidation.<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold=""> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Laterites are formed from the leaching of parent sedimentary rocks<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">, metamorphic rocks and igneous rocks and mineralized proto-ores which leaves the more insoluble ions, predominantly iron and aluminium. 

For Bhotia and Gaddi tribes, the economic activity is mainly pastoral herding. The pastoral people are ethnically distinct from others around them, but they function within multiethnic statewide and national systems.  

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">The <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Ukai Project, the Kukadi Project and the Salal Project are implemented in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir respectively. All the three are the dams constructed in their respective states. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Patna <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#fffbfb;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">lies to the northern most latitude. The latitude of Patna is <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#f5f3f4;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">25° 37' N and the longitude is 85° 13' E. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Greater Himalayas, Zanskar Range, Ladakh Range and Karakoram are the correct order from South to North. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#f9f9f9;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">The Himalayas does not stand alone in the northern reaches of South Asia. To its north are the parallel and lesser ranges of Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailas. From northern Kashmir, the Karakoram stretches out over the disputed borders of India with Pakistan and China. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Tobacco, Bajra, potato and groundnut are mainly found in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat respectively. All these seasonal products are found primarily in their respective states. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:#f9f9f9;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Steel, Newsprint, heavy water and shipbuilding are mainly found in Salem, Nepanagar, Thal and Mazgon respectively. Salem steel is the leading distributor of steel and Nepanagar is famous for its newsprints. <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;font-style:normal="">Heavy Water<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa=""> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";background:white;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">Plant in Thal is the first of second generation plants in India and is made completely with indigenous efforts. 

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold="">Rain Forest Research Institute<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times" new="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa="">, Tropical forestry Research Institute, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding and Institute for Forest productivity is located in Jabalpur, Jorhat, Coimbatore and Ranchii respectively. All these forest institutes have been designed for the maintenance, protection and development of Indian forest.