Maps (Physical) Charts, School Education

Quick Answer: Maps (Physical) Charts are physical map charts for school geography, showing the natural relief of a region with colours for height and depth, and naming the major mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers and deserts. They are used to teach landforms and the physical geography of India and the world.

Reading Relief from Colour

A physical map uses layer colours to show height. By the usual convention, greens mark lowland plains, yellows and light browns mark plateaus and higher ground, darker browns mark mountains, and blues mark water, with deeper shades for deeper sea. Rivers are drawn in blue from source to mouth, and the major ranges, peaks and deserts are named.

On a physical map of India, students can trace the physiographic divisions taught in school geography: the Himalayan mountains in the north, the Northern Plains built by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains and the two groups of islands. A world physical map shows the great ranges, such as the Andes, Rockies, Alps and Himalayas, along with the largest rivers and deserts.

Atlases use the same colour key, so time spent reading the wall map carries straight over to atlas work.

Applications

• Teaching the physiographic divisions of India
• Tracing river systems from source to mouth and relating them to relief
• Explaining why population and farming concentrate on the plains
• Atlas and outline-map exercises on mountains, plateaus and deserts

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Hang the physical map charts beside the political map of the same region so students can compare relief with boundaries.
• Keep them out of strong sun: once the greens and browns fade unevenly, the height key can no longer be trusted.
• Roll each map around its rollers instead of folding it, because a fold across a mountain range soon cracks.

Why Choose LabEquip

Geography teachers often order physical maps with the Maps (Political) Charts and the Map Reading Charts, which teach contours and scale. The full range is under Educational Charts, and orders go through the LabEquip contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the colours on a physical map mean?

They show height and depth. Green usually marks lowlands and plains, yellow and light brown mark plateaus and uplands, dark brown marks high mountains, and shades of blue mark water, with darker blue for deeper sea. The map key gives the exact height bands.

What are the physical divisions of India?

School geography divides India into the Himalayan mountains, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains, and the island groups of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

Why do the Himalayan rivers flow all year?

Rivers such as the Ganga and Brahmaputra are fed by monsoon rain and also by melting snow and glaciers, so they carry water even in the dry season. Many peninsular rivers depend on rain alone and shrink in summer.

What is the difference between a plateau and a plain?

Both are fairly flat, but a plateau is a raised area standing well above the land around it, often with steep sides, while a plain is low-lying flat land, often built up by rivers depositing silt.

How is a wall physical map different from a topographical map?

A wall physical map shows height with colour bands over a large area such as a country or continent. A topographical map shows height with contour lines and covers a small area in much greater detail.

How can students practise with the physical map?

Ask them to trace one river from its source to the sea and name the landforms it crosses, then mark the same river and the nearby ranges on an outline map without looking.

Last Updated: September 2026