Question

Which of the following physiographic divisions has the maximum spatial coverage in Odisha?
1. The Central Plateau Region 
2. The Coastal Plains
3. The Middle Mountainous and Highland Region
4. The Western Rolling Uplands

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 3 : The Middle Mountainous and Highland Region

Odisha is located in the eastern part of the Indian peninsula and the Bay of Bengal lies to its East while Chhattisgarh shares its border in the west and north-west. The state also shares geographic boundaries with West Bengal in the north-east, Jharkhand in the north, and Andhra Pradesh in the south. 

The Middle Mountains and Highland Regions: 

• It is the largest of the geographic regions and covers about three-fourths of the state. 
• Geologically the formation is quite old. It is a part of the Indian Peninsula which was a part of the ancient landmass of Gondwanaland. 
• The rivers of Odisha and their tributaries have cut deep and narrow valleys in this region.
• The Odisha highlands are also known as the Garhjat hills. 
• This region is well marked by a number of watersheds. A number of river valleys of varying width and flood plains dissect the Eastern Ghats in this region.
• The average height of this region is about 900  meters above the mean sea level. The highest peak is Deomali.

​Hence, the correct answer is The middle mountains and Highland Regions.

​

Odisha can be divided into five major Physiographic regions:

1. Utkal plains or the coastal plains of the east: They are the sedimentary landforms of recent origin. A major part of this region is formed by deltas of the six major rivers i.e. the Mahanadi, the Brahmani, the Budhabalanga, the Subarnarekha, the Baitarani, and the Rushikulya.
2. The central plateaus: The plateaus are part of the western slopes of the Eastern Ghats. They have mostly eroded plateaus with elevations varying from 305 to 610  meters. There are two broad plateaus: (i) the Panposh-Keonjhar-Pallahara plateau comprises the Upper Baitarani catchment basin in the northern part of the state (ii) the Nabrangpur-Jeypore plateau comprises the Sabari basin in the southern part of the state.
3. The central mountainous and highlands region:  The region mostly comprises the hills and mountains of the Eastern Ghats which rise sharply in the east and slope gradually to the eroded plateaus in the west running from the north-west to the south-west.
4. The western rolling uplands: The western rolling uplands have heights varying from 153 metres to 305 metres. These are lower in elevation than the plateaus
5. The main flood plains: These flood plains are formed due to major rivers in the highlands, uplands, and plateaus. The height varies from 75 to 153m.