Bhopal is located in the central part of India with an average elevation of 499 metres (1637 ft). Located on the Malwa plateau, it is higher than the north Indian plains. The important hills in Bhopal are Idgah hills and Shyamala hills in the northern region and Arera hills in the central region. The city has two beautiful lakes namely the Upper Lakejand the Lower Lake,collectively known as the Bhoj Wetland. The Upper Lake was built by King Bhoj. However, locally these two lakes are known as the Bada Talab and Chota Talab respectively. The catchment area of the Upper Lake is 361 km² and the catchment area of the Lower Lake is 9.6 km². The famous Van Vihar National Park is a national park situated besides the Upper Lake. The city experiences a humid subtropical climate.
