The Peninsular Plateau is an ancient land mass made up of hard crystalline rocks of igneous and metamorphic origin. The plateau is triangular in shape, broad in the north and tapering towards Kanniyakumari in the south. The plateau extends from the Aravalli Range in the west up to the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east.
The Peninsular Plateau is divided by the river Narmada into two parts —
(a) The Malwa Plateau :
Bounded by the Vindhya Range in the south, the Aravalli Range in the west and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east.
Drained by the rivers Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken, Son, and Damodar.
(b) The Deccan Plateau :
Bounded by the Satpura Range in the north, the hills of the Western Ghats in the west and the hills of the Eastern Ghats in the east.
Drained by the rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.
