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.