Geography of Himachal Pradesh

• Himachal Pradesh is bounded between 30°22″ to 33°12″ North latitude and 75°47″ to 79°4″ East longitude.
• The total area of the state is 55,673 sq. km.
• According to Puranas, Himachal Pradesh is the Jalandhar Khand and Kedar Khand of the Himalayas known as “Dev Bhumi” to the ancients and located in the Western Himalayas.
• Himachal Pradesh shares its borders with Jammu and Kashmir to the north and northwest, Punjab to the southwest, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the south and Uttarakhand to the southeast. Shimla is the state capital and other major towns are Dharamshala, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Chamba, Hamirpur, Dalhousie and Manali.

PHYSIOGRAPHY OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

THE LOWER HILLS OR SHIVALIKS

• This area is also known as the outer Himalayas or the sub-Himalayan Zone.
• The annual rainfall in this zone varies from 1500 mm to 1800 mm.

• The altitude of this zone is from 350 meters or 1050 feet to 1500 meters or 4500 feet above sea level.
• This area is suitable for the cultivation of maize, wheat, ginger, sugarcane, paddy, table potatoes and citrus fruits. To the ancient, Shivalik hills were known as ‘Manak Parbat’.

THE INNER HIMALAYA OR MID- MOUNTAIN

• This portion of the Himalayas also known as Lower Himalayas or the Central Zone.
• It occupies the central part of Himachal Pradesh.
• Most of this zone is composed of granite and other crystalline rocks of unfossiliferous sediments.
• The altitude of this zone varies from 1500 meters or 4500 feet to 4500 meters or 13,500 feet above sea level.
• This zone is useful for seed potatoes, temperate fruits, stone fruits and soft fruits.
• Two famous ranges of Lesser Himalaya are: the Pir Panjal (in Chamba district) and Dhauladhar (Kangra district).
• The main species in this range includes Oaks, Chir, Pine, Deodar, blue pine, fir, spruce, hemlock,. rhododendron, chestnut, walnut, sub-alpine and alpine pastures.

THE GREATER HIMALAYA OR ALPINE ZONE

• This zone comprises Kinnaur district, Pangi- tehsil of Chamba district and some areas of Lahaul-Spiti.
• The altitude of this zone varies from 4,500 meters and above mean sea level.
• The rainfall is scanty in this zone.
• Climate is temperate in Summer and semi- arctic in winter.
• Climate and soil is best suited to the cultivation of dry fruits.
• The range is also known as the Northern Zone.
• The Great Himalayan range having an elevation between 4500 meters to 6000 meters
• The Southern slopes are ladden with deodar, fir, blue pine, spruce, morn and kharsu oaks, hemlock, rhododendron, sub alpine betula and alpine meadows.

TRANS-HIMALAYAS

• This is a zone of an average elevation of over 3000 meters.
• This physiographic unit comprises of areas located to the North of the Main or Great Himalayan range.
• Here, conditions resemble to almost those found in Tibet.
• As the moisture laden South-West monsoon clouds fail to cross the Main Himalayan range hence rainfall is very scanty. This zone forms mainly Lahaul-Spiti district and Pooh tehsil of Kinnaur district.