Himalayan Ranges: Formation, Divisions, Ranges, Significance & UPSC Notes

The Himalayas are the tallest mountain system in the world and are located in five countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Pakistan. They were created more than 50 million years ago as a result of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Himalayas contain most of the tallest mountains in the world, such as Mount Everest, which is the highest mountain in the world. The main effect of these mountains is that they form a natural guard against the weather and climate of the Indian subcontinent. HimaHimalaya supplies great rivers such as the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the Brahmaputra, and thus holds great importance in the Indian culture and spirituality.

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The Himalaya ranges are one of the most important subjects under geography, and they are included in General Studies Paper 1 in UPSC in Civil Services Mains. It also plays a role in the UPSC prelims and particularly in physical geography questions. The areas in which questions can be asked are topics such as how the Himalayas came into being, divisions that were longitudinal and regional, and the importance of the Himalayas. The subject touches upon Environment, Disaster Management and Ecology and therefore is also applicable to Paper III and Essay paper. Join the UPSC coaching today and boost your preparation. 

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About Himalayas

The Himalayas span five countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Pakistan, but a significant part of it belongs to India. The Himalayas, being stretched in the east-west direction about a distance of 2400 km, affect the climatic conditions, hydrological conditions, and ecology of India. Their huge forms shield off and play the role of a source of eternal rivers.

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Himalayas, according to several million years ago, formed due to the collision of the Indo-Australian Tectonic Plate with the Eurasian (Asian) Tectonic Plate. The chronological sequence of events that have brought them into being and development is as outlined below:

• The existence of Pangea and Panthalassa: Pangea was a giant landmass where all the world's continents were glued to each other as one piece of a monolith. Pangea and Panthalassa existed about 250 million years ago. There was one huge water body called Panthalassa that surrounded this Pangea.
• Fragmentation of Pangea: The supercontinent Pangea started to fragment approximately 150 million years ago into various parts. To begin with, it was divided into two:
• Northern Pangea: the northern section of the Pangea was referred to as Angaraland or Laurasia.
• It was comprised of landmasses which had the construct of modern-day North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Gondwanaland: The southern part of the Pangea was called Gondwanaland.
• It comprised modern-day South America, Africa, South India, Australia and Antarctica.

• Genesis of Tethys Sea: Pangea had been disintegrated, hence a long, narrow sea was developed between Angaraland and Gondwanaland, which took over the present position of the Himalayas. This was what was called the Tethys Sea.
• Waiting for sediments: Over the period, tons of sediments were laid in the bed of the Tethys Sea through rivers originating in Angaraland and Gondwanaland.
• Breaking Up of Gondwanaland and Angaraland: Gondwanaland and Angaraland were once more subdivided into various other smaller continents. The Indo-Australian Plate (first Asia and then modern-day Australia and the Indian Sub-continent) arose out of the Gondwanaland and Eurasian Plate (which contains modern-day Europe and Northern Asia), emanating from the Angaraland.
• Indo-Australian and Eurasian Plates converged: The migration of the Indo-Australian Plate towards the Eurasian Plate was a result of the convection currents formed in the Mantle of the Earth's surface. This movement went on and on, over millions of years, until the two plates collided over Tethys Sea.
• Fold Formation: Due to the constant collision between the two plates, the portion of the Tethys sea started becoming smaller, and over time, the sediment present in the seabed of Tethys began to rise, as a result of which there was a formation of folds.
• Birth of the Himalayas: The Tethys Sea was ultimately removed, and the sediments that were upsurged on the seafloor started building up a mountain ridge that later came to be called the Himalayas.

It is noted that the collision of the two tectonic plates has not stopped to this day, and thus the Himalayas are still being lifted by approximately 5 mm annually.

Read the article Rivers & Drainage System of India Here!

Types of Himalayas

• The Himalayas, as one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world, are further divided into four distinct major types based on geographical and geological aspects.
• They are Trans-Himalayas to the north of the Great Himalayas, dry lands and high plains; the Great Himalayas (Himadri) which are the highest and most uninterrupted ranges with the most prominent peaks of Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga; Lesser Himalaya (Himachal) which is rugged and it contains renowned hill stations of Shimla and Darjeeling; and the Shivalik Hills which are the outer and the youngest range with low-altitude foothills.
• Temple originally published this picture as a natural wall of hills. The hills have a lot of plants and are essential to the climate, biodiversity, and water in India.

Longitudinal Division of the Himalayas

The Himalayas can be subdivided on the basis of latitudinal extent into three divisions as follows:

1. Trans-Himalayas.
2. The Himalaya Mountain Ranges.
3. The Purvanchal or Eastern Hills.

The Trans-Himalayas

• It refers to the name that is given to the Himalayan Ranges that are located north of the Great Himalayan Range.
• They run in an east-west direction and measure about 1,000km.
• They have an average altitude of about 3000 meters above sea level.
• These are the most notable ranges which make up the Trans-Himalayas: The Theakoram Range, the Ladakh Range, and the Zaskar Range.

Karakoram Range

Situated in the Trans-Himalayan region, this range is known for its height and glaciers.

Characteristics:

• The Karakoram Range is a part of India, which is the northernmost Trans-Himalayan range.
• It is the border of India with Afghanistan and China.
• This range has an average range of 110-130 km.
• It has some of the most elevated mountains and most incredible glaciers in the world.
• K2 (or Mount Godwin-Austen) is in this range.
• It is the second-highest mountain in the world, and it is about 8611m.
• Some of the notable glaciers that are located in this range include Siachen Glacier and Remo Glacier.

Ladakh Range

Located to the south of the Karakoram Range, parallel to the Zaskar range.

Characteristics:

• It is regarded as the southeastern outgrowth of the Karakoram Range.
• It runs further southeast towards the borders of Indo-Tibet, starting at the mouth of the Shyok River situated in north Kashmir.
• The Deosai Mountains are sometimes regarded as forming an extension of the Ladakh range; they are located in the Pakistan-Occupied part of the state of Kashmir, towards the southwest of the Indus River.
• The mountain range of Ladakh is also a westward continuation of the Kailash Range in western Tibet.

Zaskar Range

Located south of the Ladakh Range, it is known for rugged terrain.

Characteristics:

• It extends parallel or almost in the same direction through the Great Himalayan Range.
• This area stretches along the southeast direction of the Suru River to the upper Karnali River.
• The tallest peak of this range is Kamet Peak (25,446 feet)

Read The Article Tropical Deciduous Forests In India Here!

The Himalayan Ranges

The Himalayan Ranges go by many other names, i.e. Himadri, Himavan, etc.

• Composition: The Himalayan Range is the youngest mountain range on Earth and is composed mainly of uplifted sediment and metamorphic rocks.
• Boundaries: Its northern borders are the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, the Tibetan Plateau and the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
• The southern limit of the Himalayas is quite evident as the foothills mark it, but the northern limit is quite vague and trickles out to the border of the Tibetan Plateau.
• Width: The width of the central Himalayas spans more than 2,400 km, from the Lady Indus Gorge at the west to the Brahmaputra Gorge at the east.
• Width: The Himalayan Mountain Ranges are wider on the western side than on the eastern side.
• Prominence: The general height of the Himalayan Range is about 6,100 meters.
• As one witnesses a steady change in elevation in the western Himalayas, there is a relatively high rate in the Eastern Himalayas.
• Subdivisions: Subdivisions of the Himalayan Ranges can be divided into the Greater Himalayas, Inner or Middle Himalayas, and the Shiwalik.

The Greater Himalayas (Himadri)

• They are also referred to as the Himadri, the Inner Himalayas or the Central Himalayas.
• The rocks of these mountains are Archaean, including granite, gneiss, and ancient schist.
• The inclination of the Greater Himalayas varies in various directions, and it is discussed as follows:
• They go towards the southeast over the areas of northern Pakistan, northern India and Nepal
• After this, they bend towards the east, passing through the Sikkim and Bhutan regions.
• Lastly, they swing in the northeast along the area of north Arunachal Pradesh.
• They include some of the tallest mountains in the world.
• Among the notable higher ranges comprising the Himalayas, the Greater Himalayas also contain some of the higher peaks to note a few (west to east) are -> Nanga Parbat, Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, and Namcha Barwa.
• This range is steeply north-facing and gently south-facing.

The Inner or Middle Himalayas (Himachal)

• They are also referred to as the Lesser Himalaya or the Lower Himalaya.
• They are average, about 3500-5000 meters high, and their width is average, 60-80 km.
• Acceptable ranges that make up this sub-division of the Himalaya include - Nag Tibba, Mahabharat Range, Dhauladhar, the Pir Panjal and the Mussoorie Range.
• The range is the passage of several significant rivers that include the Jhelum and the Chenab.
• The most popular valley in the region is the valley of Kashmir. It is located in the middle of the Pir Panjal and Zanskar ranges.
• The Jhelum River is situated in the Kashmir valley.
• They also have some renowned hill resorts such as Shimla, Chail, Ranikhet, Chakrata, Nainital, Almora and so on.
• Karewas are also well known in the Middle Himalayas and constitute Fluvioglacial deposits between the Greater Himalayas and the Middle Himalayas (Pir Panjal).

The Shiwalik or Outer Himalayas

• The Shiwalik Hills are the most southern range of the Himalayas, between the Middle Himalaya mountain range to the north and the Indo-Gangetic Plains to the south.
• They come suddenly out of the plain of the Indus and the Ganges in the south and run parallel to the main range of the Himalayas in the north.
• Valleys divide them and the rest of the Himalayan Range.
• The part of the Shiwalik which falls in the area of Nepal is referred to as the Churia Range.
• There is a wider occurrence of the Shiwaliks on the western side than on the eastern side.
• The Shiwaliks have peculiar features in the formation of Doons and Duars.
• The Shiwalik uplift blocked the water channels of various rivers, and this led to the temporary formation of lakes. These rivers were transporting the sediments, and they laid down these sediments at the bottom of these lakes. Over time, the rivers could erode through the Shiwalik. Because of this, water started draining out of these lakes, and the deposits of these were in the form of fertile alluvial soils.
• These fertile alluvial soils, called Doons in the west of India and Duars in the eastern section, are covered by the thal.
• They are significant in relation to tea cultivation.

Read The Article Coastal Plains in India Here

The Eastern Hills or the Purvanchal

• The Himalaya assumes a sudden southward bend towards the direction of Dihang Gorge due to the Syntaxial Bend, and it results in a long stretch of not very high hills. All of these hills are also referred to as Purvanchal since they are in the eastern region of India.
• They stretch between Arunachal Pradesh in the North and Mazar in the south.
• These mountains form the Indian frontier with Myanmar.
• The most outstanding ranges that constitute the Purvanchal are as follows:

Patkai Bum

• Found in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Acts as a border between India and Myanmar.
• Composed of sandstone and mudstone.

Naga Hills

• Spread over Nagaland and parts of Manipur.
• High rainfall region, heavily forested.
• Economically dependent on jhum cultivation.

Manipur Hills

• Surround the central valley of Imphal.
• Known for its biodiversity and cultural significance.

Mizo Hills or Lushai Hills

• Found in Mizoram.
• Rounded hill formations with rich vegetation.
• Home to tribal communities with unique cultures.

Regional Division of the Himalayas

Depending on the longitudinal range, the Himalayas have been divided into 4 regional divisions, which include the Punjab Himalayas, the Kumon Himalayas, the Nepal Himalayas, and the Assam Himalayas.

Punjab Himalayas

• It is positioned between the Sutlej River and the Indus River.
• Most of this territory is located in the states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Therefore, they are referred to as the Kashmir and Himachal Himalayas as well.
• Almost all the ranges like Karakoram, Pir Panjal, Ladakh, Zanskar and Dhauladhar are eminent in this category.
• It is dominated by high mountains which are covered with snow, deep gorges, and high mountain passes.

Kumaon Himalayas

• It is situated between the Satluj River in the west and the Kali River in the east.
• This is also referred to as the Garhwal Himalayas in the West.
• This region is higher compared to the Kashmir Himalayas.
• The high mountains that are located in this area are Nanda Devi, Trisul, Kedarnath, Dunagiri, Kamet, Badrinath, etc.
• Some of the significant hill stations in this region are Nainital, Ranikhet and Almora.

Nepal Himalayas

• It is located between the Kali River to the west and the Tista River to the East.
• Most of this part is in Nepal, and thus it has been termed the Nepal Himalayas.
• This part is dominated by some of the tallest mountains in the world, and some of them include Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, etc.
• This area has the well-known Valley of Kathmandu.

Assam Himalayas

• It is an area of the Himalayas which is bordered in the west by the Tista River and in the east by the Brahmaputra River.
• Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are two states in India that are covered by it.
• Compared to the Himalayas in Nepal, the elevation of this sector is very low.
• The Himalayas take a sharp turn to the south at the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, ranges in the Assam Himalayas are organised north-southwise.
• The central mountains in this part are the following ones, namely, Namcha Barwa, Gyala Peri, Kengto, and Nyegyi Kangsang.
• The tallest mountain in this region is called Namcha Barwa.

Read the article Difference between Himalayan and Peninsular Plateau here

Sutural Bends of the Himalayas

The east-west direction of the Himalayan Ranges abruptly stops in the west and the east, and then the continuous stretch of mountain suddenly juts to the south. Such sharp curves are referred to as Syntaxial Bends of the Himalayas.

Western Syntaxial Bend

• Located near Nanga Parbat in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Marks the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian plates.
• Necessary for geological studies and earthquake activities.

Eastern Syntaxial Bend

• Located near Namcha Barwa in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Himalayas take a sharp southward bend here.
• The River Brahmaputra enters India here from Tibet.

Comparison of Western and Eastern Himalayas

Significance of the Himalayas

The Himalayas are an essential part of the Indian climate because they serve as a barrier to cold winds in the Central Asian continent and a source of rain during the monsoon. They have large rivers whose belts sustain millions. The area is home to high levels of biodiversity and has spiritual meaning to the Hindu and Buddhist belief systems of worship. The northern boundaries of India also have natural defence by the Himalayas.

• Climatic Influence: These ranges have a lot of influence on India's climate.
• They are high, long, and facing a specific direction that actually interrupts the presence of summer monsoon winds in the form of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, resulting in rain or snow precipitation.
• They also keep out the cold winter winds of the Siberian area going into India.
• Security: These ranges have ensured that India has been secure against external forces and intruders since ancient times, thereby acting as a security fortification against India.
• Eternal Source of Water: They form the source of most of the big rivers of India, which are the foundation of life in the whole of northern India.
• Forest Wealth: They are the abode of a rich forest that serves as both fuel wood and a source of an immense variety of raw materials for the forest-based industries.
• Agriculture: The Himalayan ranges do not present broad tracts where people can practice agriculture, but some of the mountainsides have been terraced to be cultivated.
• Minerals: The Himalayan region has a number of valuable minerals, including Copper, Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Cobalt, Antimony, Tungsten, Gold and Silver, as well as Limestone, Semi-Precious and Precious Stones, Gypsum and Magnetite.
• Hydroelectricity: These mountain ranges have a massive potential for Hydroelectricity because of the availability of rugged terrain and fast-flowing rivers.

A lot more than a geographical distinction, the Himalayas have multifarious meanings to the Indian subcontinent. In the recent past, they have been experiencing some major ecological issues due to the impact of problems like climate change, deforestation, pollution and uncontrolled tourism. The sustainability of the Himalayas is essential not only to the subcontinent but to the health of the whole world ecology. The future is in sustainable development.

Read the article Retreating Monsoon in India

Conclusion

The Himalayas are not only a physical thing, but they are also the lifeline of the Indian subcontinent. No other thing rivals their influence on the climate of India, assistance in the support of rivers, and maintenance of biodiversity. To UPSC Candidates, it is necessary not only to grasp this subject, which is essential to comprehend physical geography, but also because such a subject leads to the dynamic and volatile nature of Mains questions. The students can then make quite a good study of this topic because the concepts of formation, types, regional and longitudinal divisions are clear.

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