Significations et usages de Geography_of_Himachal_Pradesh

The state of Himachal Pradesh is spread over an area 55,673 km² and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the southwest, Haryana on the south, Uttarakhand on the southeast and Tibet on the east. Himachal is a mountainous region, rich in its natural resources.

Elevation ranges from 450 meters to 6,500 meters above sea level. The region extends from the Shivalik range of mountains (barely mountainous region). There is a noticeable increase in elevation from west to east and from south to north.

The general physiographic divisions from south to north are:

1. The outer Himalayas (Shivaliks)
2. The lesser Himalayas (central zone)
3. The Great Himalayas (northern zone)

The Shivalik range consists of lower hills (elevation — 600 m above sea level). The hills of the region are composed of highly unconsolidated deposits which results in a high rate of erosion and deforestation.

The lesser Himalayas are spotted by a gradual elevation towards the Dhauladhar and the Pir Panjal ranges. The rise is more rapid in the Shimla hills, to the south of which is the high peak of church — Chandni (3647 m). North of the river Sutlej, the rise is steady.

The Kangra valley is a longitudinal trough which is at the foot of the Dhauladhar range. Dhauladhar (which means the The White Peak) has a mean elevation of nearly 4,550 meters. It has a rapid rise of 3,600 m above the Kangra valley. The largest of the lesser Himalayan ranges, the Pir Panjal, branches off from the Greater Himalayan range near the bank of the Sutlej. A number of glaciers exist and several passes lie across the Pir Panjal. The Rohtang Pass (3,978 m) is one of these.

The Great Himalayan range (5,000 to 6,000 meters) runs along the eastern boundary and is slashed across by the Sutlej. Some of the famous passes in this range are Kangla (5,248 m), Bara Lacha (4,512 m), Parang (5,548 m) and Pin Parbati (4,802 m).

The Zaskar Range, the easternmost range, separates Kinnaur and Spiti from Tibet. It has peaks rising over an elevation up to 6,500 m. Some of the well-known peaks are Shilla (7,026 m) and Riwo Phargyul (6,791 m); these are among the highest peaks in this range. There are many glaciers over the Zaskar and the Great Himalayan ranges.

Himachal is also well known for its rich flora. Forests cover about 38% of the state's total area. It has a variety of wildlife, too.

In total, Himachal has 49 cities and towns. The smallest town is Naina Devi and the largest is Shimla with a total state population of 6,856,509. Urban population is only 7.5% of the total state population. Most of the state population still resides in rural areas.^[1]

  References

1. ^ General outline Himachal Pradesh Geography

Geography of Himachal Pradesh Lakes Renuka Lake Maharana Pratap Sagar Gobind Sagar more... Rivers Beas Chenab Ravi Sutlej Yamuna Districts Bilaspur Chamba Hamirpur Kangra Kinnaur Kullu Lahaul and Spiti Mandi Sirmaur Shimla Solan Una Other Climate of Himachal Pradesh Protected areas of Himachal Pradesh List of peaks in Himachal Pradesh