Pragnya IAS · Map 02 · Relief & drainage
Himalayan peaks and passes map
Connect mountain systems to river origins, border passes, climate barriers and biodiversity.
STUDY NOTE 1
Read the arc
The Himalayas extend broadly from the Indus region in the west to the Brahmaputra bend in the east. The Greater Himalaya, Lesser Himalaya and Shiwalik belts should not be confused with the Trans-Himalayan ranges.
STUDY NOTE 2
Passes are connections
Nathu La is in Sikkim; Shipki La is in Himachal Pradesh. Passes connect neighbouring valleys and influence trade, transport and strategic access. A peak marker is not the boundary of a mountain range.
STUDY NOTE 3
Relief controls more than altitude
High relief affects rainfall, snow storage, river discharge and slope instability. Himalayan rivers transport large sediment loads to the northern plains; young geology and intense rainfall can amplify landslide exposure.
Map reading task
Find Nathu La and Kangchenjunga. Compare their east–west position with Nanda Devi; explain why peaks and passes use different map symbols.
Map key · Reference locations
What does this the himalayas: peaks, passes & barriers lesson explain?
The Himalayas extend broadly from the Indus region in the west to the Brahmaputra bend in the east. The Greater Himalaya, Lesser Himalaya and Shiwalik belts should not be confused with the Trans-Himalayan ranges.
UPSC map practice & Geography Optional connection
For UPSC Prelims, pair the location with its state, neighbouring relief and relevant geographic process. For GS I and Geography Optional Indian geography revision, use a simple labelled sketch to explain the relationship rather than replacing the answer with place names. These are Pragnya-authored exercises, not official UPSC previous-year questions.
References & map credits
Pragnya IAS explanations and practice are independently authored. The uploaded geography compilation informed topic selection only; its pages, illustrations, advertisements and personal watermarks are not republished. Licensed base data retain their original attribution. These lessons are educational references, not navigation, legal boundary or live hazard maps.