| Geography And Physical Features |
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Area: 1,484 km2 (573 SQ MI)
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Languages Spoken: Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English
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Population
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Physical Location:
The national capital territory of Delhi with an area of 1483sq.km is situated between the Himalayas and Aravalis range in the heart
of the Indian sub-continent. It is surrounded on 3 sides by Haryana and to the east, across the river Yamuna by Uttar Pradesh.
The major part of the territory lies on the western side of the river Yamuna, only some villages and the urban area of Shahdara
lie on the eastern side of the river. Its greatest length is around 33 miles and the greatest breadth is 30 miles.
Delhi's altitude ranges between 213 to 305 metres above the sea level.
Physically the natural capital territory of Delhi can be divided into 3 segments - the Yamuna flood plain, the Ridge and the Plain.
The Yamuna flood plains are somewhat low-lying and sandy and are subject to recurrent floods. This area is also called Khadar.
The ridge constitutes the most dominating physiographic features of this territory.
It originates from the Aravali hills of Rajasthan and entering the union territory from the south extends in a north eastern direction.
It encircles the city on the north west and west. The point near Bhatti has a height of 1045 ft.
The entire area of the national capital territory of Delhi is categorized as Bangar or the plain.
A major proportion of the area of Delhi is plain and on this are located Delhi, New Delhi and Delhi cantonment along with a
vast stretch of numerous villages. The land of the plain is mostly fertile.
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| Water Bodies and Canals |
Yamuna is the main river which passes through the territory. Apart from the flood channels of Yamuna, there are 3 canals i.e.,
portion of Agra Canal, Hindou Canal and western Yamuna Canal.
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| Climatic Conditions |
Delhi has an extreme climate which is very cold in winter and terribly hot in summer. The cold season begins in November and is at its peak around
the time of the New Year and the Ist half of the January. After the middle of March, the weather begin to turn warm and soon it becomes hot so that
from April to June one experiences extreme heat when the temperature climbs to 45 degree Celcius at times.
The monsoon arrives towards the end of June. Delhi has a rainy season in winter also.
It is important for the farmers of the village of the union territory because the rabi crops benefits by it.
Weather is generally dry except for 2-3 months of humidity.
The climate of Delhi is a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures and precipitation.
Summers start in early April and peak in May, with average temperatures near 32oC (90oF), although occasional heat waves can result in highs close to 45oC (114oF)
on some days. The monsoon starts in late June and lasts until mid-September, with about 797.3 mm (31.5 inches) of rain.
The average temperatures are around 29oC (85oF), although they can vary from around 25oC (78oF) on rainy days to 32oC (90oF) during dry spells.
The monsoons recede in late September, and the post-monsoon season continues till late October, with average temperatures sliding from 29oC (85F) to 21oC (71oC).
Winter starts in November and peaks in January, with average temperatures around 12-13oC (54-55oF). Although winters are generally mild,
Delhi's proximity to the Himalayas results in cold waves that regularly dip temperatures below freezing.
Delhi is notorious for its heavy fog during the winter season. In December, reduced visibility leads to disruption of road, air and rail traffic. They end in early February, and are followed by a short spring till the onset of the summer.
Extreme temperatures have ranged from -0.6 °C (30.9 °F) to 47 °C (116.6 °F). Delhi can be visited without much discomfort during the months
of October and November, February and March. The summer months should be avoided due to the extreme heat, the monsoons due to the risk of
disease and high humidity, while the months of December and January should be avoided due to the dense fog and often freezing temperatures.
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