Shiwalik Hills
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Overview
The Shiwaliks are the outermost and youngest range of the Himalaya, running along their southern edge from Jammu to Assam.
They are made of loose, unconsolidated sediments brought down from the higher ranges, and are usually 600–1,500 m high. Their slopes erode easily, and streams called chos carry silt into the plains.
Flat longitudinal valleys between the Shiwaliks and the Lesser Himalaya are called duns, such as Dehradun and Patli Dun.
Geography and key facts
- Outermost Himalayan range
- Unconsolidated sediments; easily eroded
- Height about 600–1,500 m
- Duns between the Shiwaliks and the Lesser Himalaya
Why it matters for UPSC
Himalayan divisions – Himadri, Himachal, Shiwalik – and duns are standard physiography questions.
Note for UPSC
The outermost Himalayan range of unconsolidated sediments; flat valleys behind it are called duns (e.g. Dehradun).
Questions test the order of ranges, the states they cover and the rivers and passes linked with them.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Shiwalik Hills yet.
Key facts
- Type
- Mountain range
- State / UT
- Uttarakhand
- Extent on map
- 26.4°–30.0°N, 79.1°–87.7°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Physical Features and Drainage of India (map lesson)
- Physiographic Divisions of India in Depth (map lesson)
- Climate, Soils and Natural Vegetation (map lesson)
- Natural Vegetation and Biogeography of India (map lesson)
- Biodiversity: Levels, Hotspots, Threats and Global Frameworks (map lesson)
- The Indian Monsoon: Mechanism, Seasons and Variability (map lesson)