Land and Resources India may be divided into four main regions. The Himalayas, the highest mountain system in the world, lie along India's northern and eastern margins. South of them is the northern river-plains region, a belt of lowlands watered by the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra rivers. Further south is the Deccan, a plateau occupying most of peninsular India, with low mountain ranges and deep valleys. The final region consists of the Eastern and Western Ghats, mountain ranges that lie on the east and west, respectively, of the Deccan Plateau. Most of India has a tropical climate. Seasonal variations, resulting from the southwestern and northeastern monsoons, influence temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The seasons are classified as rainy and dry.
In addition to extensive cultivable land and valuable stands of timber, India has many mineral deposits. The plant life varies from sparse in the arid areas bordering Pakistan to luxuriant in the southeastern part of the plains region. Arctic plants grow at high elevations, and the lower elevations support subtropical plant life and are densely forested. India has a wide variety of animal life, from many types of large cats such as tigers, to elephants and rhinoceroses, and several species of apes, antelope, and deer.