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Major Waterfalls and Lakes of India & World

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Major Waterfalls and Lakes of India & World

Waterfalls and lakes are among the most fascinating geographical features that shape the natural beauty and ecosystem of our planet. From the majestic Jog Falls in India to the towering Angel Falls in Venezuela, and from Asia’s expansive Caspian Sea to the serene Dal Lake in Kashmir, each water body and waterfall holds unique geographic, ecological, and cultural significance.

This compilation explores the important waterfalls and lakes in India and across the globe, their locations, origins, and noteworthy facts, making it an essential resource for geography enthusiasts, exam preparation, and classroom learning.

Major Waterfalls of India

Waterfalls	Height	River	Place
Kunchikal Falls	455	Varahi	Karnataka
Jog / Garsoppa / Mahatma Gandhi	253	Sharavathi	Karnataka
Shivanasamudra	90	Kaveri	Karnataka
Gautamdhara/Jonha	85	Raru	Jharkhand
Hundru	74	Subamrekha	Jharkhand
Sadni	61	Sankh	Jharkhand
Gokak	55	Ghataprabha	Karnataka
Dassam	40	Kanchi	Jharkhand
Pykara	--	Pykara	Tamil Nadu
Kakolat	24	Kakolat	Bihar
Chulia	18	Chambal	Rajasthan
Punasa	10	Chambal	Rajasthan
Dhuandhar	30	Narmada	M. Pradesh

Major Lakes of India

Lake	Place	Remarks
Wular	Jammu & Kashmir	It is an ox-bow lake on the Jhelum River. The Tulbul project is situated on it. This is the largest freshwater lake in India.
Dal	J.&K.	It is named the Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir.
Sambhar	Rajasthan	It is India's largest inland salt lake. Lunakaransar, Panchpadra, and Didwana are other salt lakes of Rajasthan.
Dhebar Lake	Rajasthan	It is Asia'ssecond-largestt artificial lake. It is also called Jaisamand Lake.
Rana Pratap - Sagar, Jawahar Sagr	Rajasthan	These are man-made lakes on the Chambal River.
Gandhi Sgar	Madhya Pradesh	This is a man-made lake on the Chambal River.
Ukal	Gujarat	This is a man-made lake on the Tapi River.
Govind sagar	Himachal P.	This lake is formed behind the Bhakhra Nangal Dam.
Nagarjun Sagar	Andhra Pradesh	Nagarjun Sagar (Andhra Pradesh) on the Krishna River, Nizam Sagar (Andhra Pradesh) on Manjara, and Tungabhadra (Karnataka) on the Tungabhadra River are important man-made lakes.
Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar	Chhattisgarh & Uttar Pradesh	It is a lake formed on the Rihand River, a tributary of the Son River.
Loktak Lake	Manipur	It is the largest freshwater lake in North East India. There is a floating National Park on it, called Keibul Lamjao. This is also known as the lifeline of Manipur.
Chilika Lake	Odisha	It is a large saltwater lagoon lake in India.
Kolleru	Andhra Pradesh	It is a large lagoon in the deltaic region of Andhra Pradesh.
Pulicat Lake	Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu	It is a lagoon lake. Sriharikota island is situated here, where we find Satish Dhawan Satellite Launch Centre (Andhra Pradesh).
Vembanad Lake	Kerala	It is the largest lake in the country. On this lake is located the Wellington island, where boat races are organized.
Ashtamudi	Kerala	It is the most visited black water lake in the state and is located in the Kollam district. It is also known as Ashtamudi Kayal.
Lonar Lake	Maharashtra	It is a crater lake, which was formed due to the fall of a meteorite.
Hussain Sagar	Telangana	It is located between Hyderabad and Secunderabad and provides transportation facilities between these two cities.
Cholamu Lake	Sikkim	It is also called Tso Lhamo Lake and is situated in the northern part of Sikkim at a height of 18000 feet, which is the highest lake of India. The Tista River originates here.
Renuka Lake	Himachal P.	It is 672 meters above sea level in the Sirmaur district. It is the largest lake in Himachal Pradesh with a circumference of about 3214 m.
Roopkund	Uttarakhand	It is a high-altitude glacial lake. It lies in the lap of the Trishul Massif and is famous for the hundreds of human Skeletons found at the edge of the lake. It is locally known as Mystery and Skeleton's Lake.
Sasthamkotta Lake	Kerala	It is also categorized as a wetland is the largest freshwater lake in Kerala. This lake has been designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention since November 2002.
Tawa Reservoir	Madhya Pradesh	It is located in the Hoshangabad district. The reservoir was formed by the construction of the Tawa Dam, which began in 1958 and was completed in 1978.
Lake Tsomgo / Tsongmo / Changu	Sikkim	It is a glacial lake in the east of Sikkim. It is located at an elevation of 3753 m (12,313 ft.). The lake remains frozen during the winter season.
Bhimtal Lake	Uttarakhand	It is located in Nainital. It has a masonry dam built in 1883, creating the storage facility. It is the largest lake in the Kumaon region, known as the lake district of India.
Chembaram - Bakkam Lake	Tamil Nadu	It is one of the two rain-fed reservoirs from where water is drawn for supply to Chennai city, the other one being the Puzhal lake. The Adyar River originates from this lake.
Sala Lake	Arunachal Pradesh	It is a high-altitude (13,900 ft approx) lake.
Badkhal Lake	Haryana	It is a natural lake near Badkhal village (Faridabad). It is fringed by the Aravalli Range.
Kaliveli Lake	Tamil Nadu	It is a coastal lake and lagoon with wetlands in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu.

Major Waterfalls of the World

S.	Waterfall	Country	Height
1	Angel	Venezuela	3,212 feet (979 metres)
2	Yosemite	California	2,425 feet (740 metres)
3	Tugela Falls	South Africa	3,110 feet (947 metres)
4	Kukenaam falls	Venezuela	2,000 feet (600 metres)
5	Victoria	Zambia-Zimbabwe	355 feet (108 metres)
6	Sutherland	New Zealand	1,904 feet (580 m)
7	Ribbon	California	1,612 feet (491 metres)
8	Kamarang Great Falls	Guyana	145 metres
9	Niagara	North America	190 feet (57 metres)
S.	Della	Canada	1,445 feet (440 m)
10	Gavarnie	France	1,400 feet (425 metres)
11	Jog	India	830 feet (253 metres)
[Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica]

Major Lakes of the World

S.	Name of Lake	Location	Area (in km2)
1	Caspian Sea	Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran	3,71,000
2	Superior	America and Canada	82,100
3	Victoria	Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania	69,484
4	Aral Sea	Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan	68,000
5	Huron	USA and Canada	59,600
6	Michigan	USA	57,800
7	Tanganyika	Tanganyika, Zambia, and Zaire	32,900
8	Baikal	Russia	31,722
9	Malawi	Malawi and Mozambique	29,604
10	Great Slave	Canada	28,568
11	Erie	USA and Canada	25,670
12	Winnipeg	Canada	24,387
13	Ontario	USA and Canada	19,010
14	Balkhash	Kazakhstan	18,260
15	Chad	Nigeria, Niger and Chad, Cameroon	17,800
16	Ladoga	Russia	17,600
17	Onega	Russia	9,720
18	Eyre	Australia	9,300
19	Titicaca	Peru - Bolivia	8,300
20	Nicaragua	Nicaragua	8,157
21	Athabasca	Canada	7,936
22	Reindeer	Canada	6,650
23	Rudolph	Kenya	6,405
24	Ysyk (Issyk) Kul	Kyrgyzstan	6,280
[Source: Encyclopedia Britannica]

Final Thoughts

Waterfalls and lakes aren't just names on a map — they're powerful reminders of nature's beauty and diversity. From the thunderous drop of Angel Falls to the calm beauty of Loktak Lake, each one tells its own unique story.

In India, many waterfalls are connected to key rivers and reflect the regional geography, while lakes support both wildlife and human life. Some are ancient and natural, others are man-made marvels, but all are essential to our ecosystem.

Understanding these places helps us see how water shapes the land and sustains life. It’s not just helpful for exams and general knowledge, but also builds a deeper appreciation of the natural world. So next time you study a lake or waterfall, don’t just memorise — visualise the sound, the energy, the life, and let the geography come alive in your mind.

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