Page 94 - ICSE GEOGRAPHY
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Physical Regions of Asia is called the Pamir Knot and the mountain
ranges that radiate from this point are the
Asia can also be divided into fi ve major
Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram
physical regions.
Range, the Kunlun Mountains and the Tien
• Northern Lowlands
Shan. Th e Pamir Knot is connected to the
• Central Highlands
Armenian Knot by the Elburz and the Zagros
• Southern Plateaus
Ranges that originate in the Armenian Knot.
• Great River Basins
• Island Groups Himalayas
Th e Himalayan Range, which is to the north of
Northern Lowlands
the Indian subcontinent, is the world’s highest
Th e Northern Lowlands stretch from the mountain range. It separates India from the rest
Ural Mountains in the west to the Bering of Asia and is the home of the main rivers that
Sea in the north-west and forms the greatest are responsible for providing water to a large
continuous plain in the world. It lies between part of the Indian subcontinent. It is home to
the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Central the world’s highest peaks, including Mount
Mountains in the south. Th e lowlands have Everest at 8,848 metres and Kanchenjunga at
been created by the rivers Ob, Yenisei and 8,586 metres above sea level. Th e Himalayan
Lena. Th e northern part of the lowlands is system includes over 100 mountains exceeding
known as the Siberian Plain. 7,200 metres.
Northern Lowlands of Asia
Mount Everest
To the south of the Siberian Plain, lies the
Hindu Kush Mountains
lowland surrounding the Aral Sea known
as the Turan Plain. It is an area of inland Th e Hindu Kush Mountains forms a part of
drainage. Th e oldest and the deepest lake in the alpine zone that spreads across Eurasia
the world, Lake Baikal, is located here. from east to west. Th e Hindu Kush Mountains
separate the Pamir Mountains close to the
Central Highlands point where the borders of China, Kashmir
Asia has a signifi cant number of mountain and Afghanistan meet, and fi nally merges
ranges. Most of the mountain ranges of into the minor ranges in western Afghanistan.
Asia meet at a nodal point. Th is nodal point Mount Tirich Mir is the highest peak in
nodal point: point where at least two routes, such as roads, railroads, valleys or rivers meet
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