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mountains and the foothills of the Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta are the main features

of this basin. The delta has been named as Sundarbans after the Sundari tree which grows
abundantly in the region.

climatE

The Ganga-Brahmaputra basin experiences the monsoon types of climate. It has hot
summers and cold winters. It gains rainfall from mid June to mid September.

Natural vEgEtatioN

In the early times, this region was densely forested
and the habitats of many wild animals. This region has
tropical deciduous forests. Teak, sal, peepal etc. are
the main trees of these forests. Thick bamboo groves
are common in the Brahmaputra basin. In the delta
region, the tidal forests called Sunderbans, are found.
Elsewhere in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim and
Uttarakhand, the coniferous trees like deodar, pine and

fir are also found. Teak Trees

WildlifE
Langoors, leopards, elephants, tigers, deer, monkeys etc. are

main animals of this basin. The Sunderbans are famous for Bengal
Tiger as well as crocodiles and alligators. While in Assam, one
horned rhinoceros is found. In addition, the deltaic and coastal
regions are rich in a variety of aquatic animals and fishes. The
most popular varieties of fish found here are the rohu, catla and
hilsa.
Wildlife
Kaziranga and Manas (Assam), Saeuska (Rajasthan) and Banbasa (Uttarakhand) are the
main wildlife sanctuaries of this region.

pEoplE
The mountain area being inhospitable are sparsely populated but the plains support very
dense population. Agriculture is the main occupation here.
Food crops like rice, wheat, maize, sorghum and nuts are cultivated over large areas. Cash
crops like sugarcane, cotton, jute and tea are grown in different areas depending upon the
climatic conditions. Fruits like bananas, vegetables, pulses and oil seeds are also grown here.
Though the size of farms is small, the primitive methods of agriculture have been replaced by
modern farming techniques, several agro based industries have developed in the Ganga plain.
The Brahmaputra plain is rich in petroleum deposits. Several small scale and cottage industries
have come up in this region.
The entire region has a good network of roads and railways. In certain portions, the river is
navigable and has inland waterways too. Today it is the most densely populated part of the

Social Studies
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12 Social Studies-7-7