Geography of Himachal Pradesh
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[edit] Location
Himachal Pradesh ("Snowy Mountain State") is located in the extreme north-west of India, almost at the extremity of the large, densely populated part of Asia influenced by the southwest monsoon. It has a long border with Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh on the northwestern side and in the northern districts of Spiti and Kinnaur, there is a border with China (Tibet). All these borders, except in the extreme southwest where there is a major road to Jammu town, are formed by extremely high passes that are snowbound except between mid-July and mid-October.
To the east is the state of Uttarakhand (formerly part of Uttar Pradesh), the border with which is, apart from the southern section which is virtually part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, even less accessible than those to the north. There is a road to that states provisional capital Dehra Dun from Nahan in the extreme south of the state.
To the south Himachal Pradesh is bordered by the states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh from east to west. Most of the area near the borders is easily accessible and flat - Chandigarh is only about 25 kilometres (15.5 miles) by road from the Himachal border.
[edit] Political geography
[edit] Physical geography
- Average Rainfall- 1469 mm
- Major Rivers- Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Parbati
- Major Lakes- Renuka, Rewalsar, Khajjiar, Dal, Brighu, Prashar, Mani Mahesh, Chander Tal, Suraj Tal, Kareri, Sreolsar, Gobind Sagar, Nako
- Reservoirs- Maharana Pratap Sagar, Pandoh, Gobind Sagar
[edit] Geology
[edit] Natural resources
Himachal Pradesh, spread over 55,673 km². is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on north, Punjab on west and south-west, Haryana on south, Uttarakhand on south-east and by Tibet on the east. It is a mountainous region, known for the natural beauty of its forests, rivers, valleys, hills and dales and is rich in natural resources.
The state is located in altitudes ranging from 450 meters to 6500 meters above sea level. It is veiled from the plains by the Shivalik range of mountains. (Shivalik literally means the tresses of Lord Shiva). There is a general increase in elevation from west to east and from south to north. The physiographic divisions from south to north are
- The outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks
- The lesser Himalayas or the central zone
- The great Himalayas and Zaskar or the northern zone.
The Shivaliks consist of lower hills (about 600mtrs above sea level ). These hills are composed of highly unconsolidated deposits which causes a high rate of erosion and deforestation.
The lesser Himalayas are marked by a gradual elevation towards the Dhauladhar and the Pir Panjal ranges. The rise is more abrupt in the Shimla hills, to the south of which is the high peak of church- Chandni (3647mtrs). North of river Sutlej, the rise is gradual.
The Kangra valley is a longitudinal trough at the foot of the Dhauladhar range. Dhauladhar which means the 'White Peak' has a mean elevation of about 4550 meters. It has an abrupt rise of 3600mtrs above the Kangra valley. The largest of the lesser Himalayan ranges, the Pir Panjal, branches off from the greater Himalayan range near the bank of the river Sutlej. Numerous glaciers exist and several passes lie across Pir Panjal. The Rohtang Pass (4800mtrs) is one of them.
The great Himalayan range (5000 - 6000 meters) runs along the eastern boundary and is cut across by the Sutlej. Some of the famous passes in this range are Kangla (5248mtrs), Bara Lacha(4512mtrs), Parang (5548mtrs) and Pin Parbati (4802mtrs).
The Zaskar range is the eastern most range and separates Kinnaur and Spiti from Tibet. It has peaks rising over 6500mtrs, Shilla (7026mtrs) and Riwo Phargyul (6791mtrs) are the highest among its peaks. There are many glaciers or Shigri (local name) over the Zaskar and the great Himalayan ranges.
Himachal has rich flora. Forests cover about 38% of the area. Several varieties of vegetation from the Himalayan meadows and high altitude birch and down to the tropical shrub and bamboo forests of the low foot hills are found here. It has a variety of wild life too.
Himachal has 49 cities and towns. The smallest town is Naina Devi and the largest is Shimla with a population of about 6,17,404. Urban population is only 7.5% of the total population. Most of the people live in rural habitations varying in size from isolated hamlets to conglomerated settlements.
[edit] Climate
There is great diversification in the climatic conditions of Himachal due to variation in elevation (450-6500mtrs). It varies from hot and sub-humid tropical (450-900mtrs) in the southern Low tracts, warm and temperate (900-1800mtrs), cool and temperate (1900-2400mtrs) and cold alpine and glacial (2400-4800mtrs) in the northern and eastern high mountain ranges.
The year is divided into three seasons. Cold (October to February), hot (March to June) and rainy (July to September). By October, nights and mornings are very cold. Snowfall at elevations of about 3000mtrs is about 3mtrs and lasts from December to March. About 4500mtrs, is perpetual snow.
The main season is the spring from mid- Feb to March-April. The air is cool and fresh. Colourful flowers adorn the valleys, forest slopes and meadows. In the hill stations, the climate is pleasant and comfortable.
The rains start at the end of June. The entire landscape becomes green and fresh. Streams begin to swell and springs are replenished. The heavy rains in July and August cause damage to erosion, floods and landslides.
Dharamsala has the highest rainfall of 3400 mm. Spiti is the driest area (below 50 mm rainfall) being enclosed by high mountains on all sides.
[edit] Rivers
Himachal provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins. The major river systems of the region are the Chandrabhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These perennial rivers are fed by snow and rainfall and are protected by a fairly extensive cover of natural vegetation.
The Beas (Vedic name Arjikiya and in later Sanskrit Vipasa) rises in the Pir Panjal range near the Rohtang Pass and flows some 256 km in Himachal. The river is formed by a number of tributaries, the important being the Parbati, the Hurla, the Sainj, the Uhl, the Suheti, the Luni, the Banganga and the Chaki. The northern and eastern tributaries of the Beas are snow fed and perennial, while the southern affluent are seasonal. During August, increase in inflow sometimes results in floods. It passes through Kullu and Manali districts and enters Kangra. The 435 feet Pong Dam is constructed on the Beas River just before Talwara in Punjab. The Pong Dam wetland is the site of a famous bird sanctuary and over 220 species of bird have been recorded here.
The Chandrabhaga or Chenab (Vedic name Askni), the largest river (in terms of volume of water) is formed by the confluence of 2 streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga at Tundi, in Lahaul. It flows 122 km and has a catchments area of 7500 km². in Himachal. It passes through the Lahaul valley, enters Kashmir near Kishtwar and eventually reaches Pakistan.
The Ravi (Vedic name Purushni and in later Sanskrit Iravati) is born in Bara Banghal, Kangra district as a joint stream formed by the glacier fed Bhadal and Tantgari. The river has a length of about 158 km and has a catchment area of about 5451 km. The Chamba district lies on its right Bank.
The Sutlej (Vedic name Saturdi and in later Sanskrit Shatadru) originates in distant Tibet. It cuts through both the great Himalayan and the Zanskar ranges and crosses the Indo-Tibetan border near Shipkila. River Spiti then joins it from the north. Passing through precipitous gorges and narrow valleys it emerges from the mountains at Bhakra near the Nangal town in Punjab. The catchment area of Sutlej in Himachal is 20,000 km². The Bhakra Nangal Dam is constructed on river Sutlej. The reservoir created by the dam is called “Gobind Sagar” and covers nearly 170 km². The reservoir is an important water sports site in Himachal and a major fishing resource. The bridge on the Sutlej River at Kandraur, Bilaspur District is one of the highest in Asia.
The Yamuna originates from Yamunotri glacier near the Bandar Punch Peak in Uttar Kashi district of Uttarakhand. It is also fed by the Champasar glaciers. Its total catchment area in Himachal is 2320 km². Its main tributaries are the Tons, the Giri and the Bata. It passes through Paunta Sahib in the Sirmaur district of Himachal.
[edit] Districts
| S. No. | District | Area in km². | Population | Headquarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bilaspur | 1,167 | 2,95,387 | Bilaspur |
| 2 | Chamba | 6,528 | 3,93,386 | Chamba |
| 3 | Hamirpur | 1,118 | 3,69,128 | Hamirpur |
| 4 | Kangra | 5,739 | 11,74,072 | Dharamsala |
| 5 | Kinnaur | 6,401 | 71,270 | Reckong Peo |
| 6 | Kullu | 5,503 | 3,02,432 | Kullu |
| 7 | Lahaul and Spiti | 13,835 | 31,294 | Keylong |
| 8 | Manali | 3,950 | 7,76,372 | Mandi |
| 9 | Shimla | 5,131 | 6,17,404 | Shimla |
| 10 | Sirmaur | 2,825 | 3,79,695 | Nahan |
| 11 | Solan | 1,936 | 3,82,268 | Solan |
| 12 | Una | 1,540 | 3,78,269 | Una |
