The Ganga-Brahmaputra river system together forms the largest part of Great Plains of north India. The Ganga and Brahmaputra are two mighty rivers that flow parallel on either side of the Himalayas. They flow eastwards till the Brahmaputra turns south and joins the Ganga. Together they form the world’s largest and the most fertile delta.
Lying in the monsoon region, this area has hot summers, mild winters and heavy rains from June to August. While the forests of the tropical region have evergreen trees, forests of the monsoon region have deciduous trees that shed their leaves in summer. Common trees are the Sal, Peepal and Banyan.
Ganga-Brahmaputra region is extremely fertile and is most suitable for agriculture. Most of the forests have been cleared for agriculture. Rice is the main crop but wheat is also grown in the drier areas. In the delta region, jute is grown, mainly for export. Tea is widely grown on the hill slopes. Apart from the food crops of rice, wheat and millets, cash crops like sugarcane, oilseeds, jute, etc., are also grown.
This region supports a high density of population. Most of the people live in villages. Because of ample supply of water, a good transportation and communication network, and availability of cheap labor, a number of industries have come up in this area. Towns like Kanpur, Patna, Allahabad, Kolkata, etc., are major industrial hubs.
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This region has been the seat of an ancient civilization. Compared to the Amazon basin, this region is well developed.