Physiographic Divisions of Bihar
बिहार के भौतिक प्रभाग
Bihar's Physiography — Why It Matters
This is a Part II area, and it is Bihar-specific — you cannot prepare it from national geography material.
The state at a glance:
Tip: Almost every physiography question reduces to one idea — the Ganga splits Bihar into a North half (young, wet, flood-prone, Himalayan rivers) and a South half (older, drier, plateau-fringed, rain-fed rivers). Learn that contrast and most options answer themselves.
बिहार के भौतिक प्रभाग
The Four Physiographic Divisions
1. Shivalik / Himalayan Foothill Region
2. North Ganga Plain (उत्तरी गंगा मैदान)
3. South Ganga Plain (दक्षिणी गंगा मैदान)
4. Southern Plateau Region
बिहार के भौतिक प्रभाग
North Bihar vs South Bihar — The Core Contrast
| North Bihar | South Bihar | |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | Wider | Narrower |
| Alluvium | Khadar (new) | Bhangar (old) |
| Rivers | Snow-fed, perennial, from Nepal Himalaya | Rain-fed, seasonal, from the plateau |
| Silt load | Very high | Low |
| Gradient | Very gentle | Steeper |
| Hazard | Floods | Drought |
| Districts | Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Kosi belt | Patna (south), Gaya, Rohtas, Nawada |
Why the north floods and the south does not: Himalayan rivers carry enormous silt, the plain's gradient is almost flat, so channels raise their own beds and spill. South Bihar's rivers rise on hard plateau rock, carry little silt, and dry out between monsoons.
बिहार के भौतिक प्रभाग
Relief, Slope and Named Features
Trap to avoid: Someshwar hills are in the north (Shivalik system, West Champaran). Kaimur and Rajgir are in the south (plateau system). Candidates routinely swap them.
बिहार के भौतिक प्रभाग
Points to Remember