Question

Explain two factors that effect the climate of India giving a suitable example for each.

Answer 1

Two factors which affect the climate of India are:

• The Himalayas: The Himalayas act as a climatic barrier. It protects South Asia from the cold winds which blow over Central Asia. The Himalayas trap the moisture-laden South West Monsoon winds resulting in rainfall over the Indo Gangetic Plains. Without The Himalayas, most of the fertile Indo Gangetic Plains would have been hot and dry during the summers and cold and dry during the winters. Thus these plains in the absence of the Himalayas would have been deserts or semi-deserts.
• Latitude: The Tropic of Cancer passes through India at 23°26′N to the North of the equator.
  The northern part of India lies in the temperate zone while the southern part lies in the tropical zone. Temperatures remain high throughout the tropical regions.