<P> The Central Highlands of India are a biogeographic region in India formed by the disjunct ranges of the Satpura and Vindhya Hills . It is given the term 6A within the Deccan zone in the Rodgers and Panwar (1988) classification . The zone adjoins 6D, the Central Plateau and 4B, the Gujarat Rajputana and extends across the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh . The total area is approximately 250,000 km and there are 27 Protected Areas (20 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 7 National Parks) covering 4.9% of the area . There are also six Project Tiger Reserves in the region . </P> <P> The Central Indian Highlands have two parallel chains of hills, namely, the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, running from East - North - East to West - South - West direction and separated by the Narmada river valley . The Vindhyas lie to the north of Narmada, extending from Jobat in Gujarat (22 ° 27' N; 74 ° 35' E) to Sasaram in Bihar (24 ° 57'N; 84 ° 02'E) through the Malwa Plateau and Baghelkhand (Kaimur ranges). The Satpuras stretch south of the Narmada and are composed of several contiguous ranges that include the Rajpipla Hills (sometimes considered a part of the Western Ghats), the Nimar Plateau, the Pachmarhi Hills and the Mahadeo Hills . The Maikal hills in the north - east of the region are considered to be the connecting link between these ranges . The general elevational range of the Vindhyas is between 450 to 600 m though a few points rise above 900 m . In contrast, the Satpuras are marked with higher elevation plateaus, the highest peak being Dhupgarh (1348 m). The Central Indian Highlands serve as a major watershed area for several rivers including the Narmada, Chambal, Betwa, Tons, Ken, Sone, Wainganga, Wardha, and Tapti rivers . The climate is essentially tropical and a larger part of rainfall is during the southwest monsoon (June--August). The natural vegetation of the Central Indian Highlands is dominated by the peninsular sal (Shorea robusta) forests in the east and teak (Tectona grandis) forests in the west . </P>

Hills in the north west of central highlands