Key points

• Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N) passes through 8 states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram.
• Himalayas run in three parallel ranges: Himadri (Greater), Himachal (Lesser) and Shiwaliks (Outer).
• Western Ghats are continuous and higher; Eastern Ghats are broken up by rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
• Narmada and Tapi flow west through rift valleys and form estuaries; most peninsular rivers flow east and form deltas.
• Southwest monsoon (June–September) brings most of India's rainfall; the Coromandel coast gets its rain from the northeast monsoon.