Page 78 - SST Class 04

India : Life in

18
Southern Plateaus

Southern Plateaus and I

The southern plateaus influence we Indians in many ways. This
region is rich in minerals. It has black or red soil. The black soil is

good for rice and cotton cultivation while red soil is good for
millets. A large part of the southern plateaus being on the coast,
fishing is an important occupation. With a rich history and culture,
this entire region has several reasons for us to take pride in.

The southern plateaus form a large part of India and can be divided into two main
parts : Malwa Plateau and Deccan Plateau. Other than Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh

and Telangana, all other states in the southern plateau are located on the sea. That is,
they have both coastal plain and plateau.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, located in the Malwa Plateau, has varied landforms including plains,
hills and plateaus. The important hills here are the Vindhya and Satpura. Important
rivers flowing here include the Narmada, Chambal, Betwa, Ken and Son.

Two main occupations here are farming and mining. The black soil is favourable to
crops like cotton, jowar, bajra and mustard; wheat is also grown here. The important
minerals found here include diamond, coal, iron-ore and manganese, so a number of
large scale industries in paper, iron and steel, cement,
textile etc., have been set up.

Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Panna is
well-known for its diamond mines and wildlife
sanctuary. There are a number of tourist places, such
as Ujjain, Orchha, Khajuraho, Gwalior and Indore. The
Sanchi Stupa is a famous landmark. The state has rich

wildlife and thrives in tigers, bison, deer and
Sanchi Stupa
barasinghas.

78 Contemporary Social Science-4