Karbi Anglong plateau
Also called: Mikir hills · Topic: Structure and Physiography of India: Himalayas, Plains, Peninsula, Coasts and Islands · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Structure and Physiography"; Class 11, Ch 6 "Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences and Management"
Meaning
The Karbi Anglong plateau is a block of high land in central Assam. It is a detached part of the Peninsular block, the oldest and most rigid part of India. During the Himalayan uplift, a large fault opened between the Rajmahal hills and the north-east. Rivers later filled this gap with sediment. That cut Karbi Anglong and the Meghalaya plateau off from the main Peninsula. Most of Assam is flat Brahmaputra plain, but this plateau is one of the few parts of the state where landslides happen.
Example
The Karbi Anglong hills stand south of the Brahmaputra valley in central Assam, east of the Meghalaya plateau. They are made of the same ancient rocks as the Peninsular plateau far to the south-west.
Don't confuse with
- Purvachal hills (Naga, Manipur, Mizo hills): these are young folded hills of sedimentary rock and belong to the Himalayan system. Karbi Anglong is old, hard Peninsular rock.
- Meghalaya plateau: this is the other detached Peninsular piece. It lies to the west and is split into the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills.