RAS question
The Shiwalik range is also known as:
Correct answer: (A) Outer Himalayas.
The Shiwalik range is the Outer Himalaya, the outer-most and southernmost range of the Himalayan system.
Explanation
The Shiwalik range is also called the Outer Himalaya because it forms the outer-most belt of the Himalayas. NCERT places it after the Himadri and Himachal divisions: the Himadri is the Great or Inner Himalaya, the Himachal is the Lesser Himalaya, and the Shiwaliks are the outer-most range. The Shiwalik or Outer Himalayas are the southernmost range, with an average height of about 900-1100 metres. The Shiwaliks extend across a 10-50 km width and are made of unconsolidated sediments brought down by rivers from the main Himalayan ranges farther north. So the name “Outer Himalayas” is a positional label, not a separate mountain system.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Trans Himalayas refer to ranges such as the Karakoram and Zaskar, so they are not the Shiwalik belt on the outer edge of the Himalayas.
- (C) Greater Himalayas are the Himadri, the northern-most and highest Himalayan range, not the outer-most Shiwalik range.
- (D) Lesser Himalayas are the Himachal range lying south of the Himadri, while the Shiwaliks form the still outer-most Himalayan range.
Concept
This tests the longitudinal divisions of the Himalayas: Himadri, Himachal and Shiwalik. It recurs in RAS because Indian physiography questions often check whether candidates can map common range names to their correct Himalayan belts.