324 India. 



latitude 20 degrees N., and still more along the coast 

 of Lower Burma, and to a lesser extent also the delta 

 of the Ganges and the southern slopes of the Himalayas. 

 A moderately humid climate, if gauged by annual 

 rainfall, prevails over the plateau occupying the larger 

 part of the peninsula and the lower Ganges valley, 

 while a rainfall of less than 15 inches occurs over the 

 arid regions of the lower Indus. 



The rainfall, so unevenly distributed territorially, 

 is moreover as unevenly distributed through the year. 

 In most districts the principal rains are experienced 

 in summer, the rainy season being followed by a long 

 dry season. But on the Eastern coast the summer 

 rains are slight, and the principal rainy season is 

 delayed into October and November, while in Northern 

 India and the Himalayas also winter rains occur, 

 irregular and of short duration. 



Even where a relatively large rainfall prevails, the 

 climate is dry on account of the high temperature, 

 hence some 30,000,000 acres of the cultivated acreage 

 (which comprises 225,000,000 acres in all) depend on 

 irrigation, over half of this irrigated area lying in the 

 tropical zone. 



Roughly speaking, at least four climatic zones with 

 many sub-types, may be recognized: the truly tropic, 

 intensely hot and wet (over 75 inch rainfall), prevailing 

 on the plains and tablelands of the lower half of the 

 peninsula; the hot and dry (below 15 inch rainfall) 

 climate of the Northwestern Indus plain and plateau; 

 the moderately warm and dry to humid (30-75 inch 

 rainfall) climate of the Ganges plain and central 

 plateau; and the temperate to alpine, humid climate 



