Which extensive plain lies south of the Himalayas?

Correct answer: Northern Plains

The direct answer is D, the Northern Plains. The Himalayas stand in northern India, and immediately to their south lies the broad Northern Plains, formed mainly by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems and their deposits. Option A, Coastal Plains, lies along the eastern and western seashores, not directly as the extensive belt south of the Himalayas. Option B, the Indian Desert, is mainly to the west of the Northern Plains and is dry, sandy and receives little rainfall. Option C, Island Groups, are surrounded by seawater and cannot be the large mainland plain described here. Option D is correct because the Northern Plains occupy the wide level area between the Himalayan foothills and the Peninsular Plateau. A useful mental map is: north to south—Himalayas, Northern Plains, Peninsular Plateau. Memory cue: the plains are the broad belt just below the Himalayas.