Page 124 - ICSE GEOGRAPHY

India—Climate,
9 Natural Vegetation
and Wildlife
n the previous chapter, we learnt about the
Ishape and size of India and its latitudinal
extent. On account of India’s diverse
physiographic divisions, the climate in these
regions also diff er. In this chapter, we shall
study about the climate, vegetation and
wildlife of India.
Climate of India
Th e varied relief features of India make its
climate varied. Th e climatic conditions of
southern India are diff erent from northern
India with respect to temperature, rainfall as
well as the commencement and duration of
diff erent seasons.
As one moves away from the coastal areas
in India, the range of the temperature
increases. Th erefore, the people who live
along the Konkan and Malabar Coasts do not
experience extreme temperatures, whereas,
people living in the north-western parts of
India experience sharp seasonal contrasts.
Th e amount of rain that falls in India also
varies across different parts of the country. No
one place receives the same amount of rainfall
as the other. For example, as mentioned briefl y
in Chapter 5, a place named Mawsynram near
Cherrapunji in Meghalaya receives about
1,080 centimetres of rainfall annually. On the
other hand, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, receives
only 20 centimetres of annual rainfall. Th e
diff erence in the amount of rain received is
due to the varied physiography of India.
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Overall, India experiences a Tropical
Monsoon Type climate because it is located
in the tropical belt amidst monsoon winds.
Th ough India lies to the north of the Equator,
the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean at the
borders play a signifi cant role in giving the
country a distinctive and varied climatic
character.
Major Seasons of India
Th e Indian Meteorological Department
(IMD) has recognised the following four
seasons in India—cold weather season,
hot weather season, rainy season and the
retreating monsoon.
Cold Weather Season
Th e winter season lasts from December to
February. In the northern parts of India, the
average temperature ranges between 10°C
and 15°C. Th is season is caused because the
sun’s rays do not fall directly on the northern
Indian states, rather, they are slanting. Hence,
the temperatures remain quite low.
Hot Weather Season
Th e summer season begins in March and
progressively increases and continues till
May. Th e average temperature of this season
ranges between 35°C to 45°C. In this season,
the sun’s rays more or less fall directly on the
northern region. Since the rays are direct,