The plains of South India, i.e., coastal plains are alluvial to a large extent.
The coastal plains separate the peninsular plateau from the sea.
The coast plains of the country are divided into two as western coast and eastern coastal plains.
The western coastal plain lies between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Occurrence of estuaries is common in these areas.
It is broader in the north and narrower in the south.
It stretches from the Gulf of Kachchh in the north upto Kanyakumari in the South, with a length of about 1,500 km.
It is divided into Malabar Coast, Karnataka Coast, Konkan Coast, Gujarat Coast and Kachchh & Kathiwar Peninsular.
The coast is straight and is affected by the south-west Monsoon winds over a period of six months.
Mumbai (Maharashtra), Marmagoa (Goa), Cochin (Kerala), Mangalore (Karnataka), Karwar (Karnataka), Nhava - Sheva (Maharashtra) and Kandla (Gujarat) are the important ports on the west coast.
The eastern coastal plains extend from Kanyakumari to the Gangetic delta and between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. Occurrence of deltas is common in these areas.
This part of the plain south of the mouth is known as the Coromandel Coast and in the north it is known as Utkal Coast.
It consists of the deltas of rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. It is a broad and flat land.
There are some saltwater lakes or lagoons. Chilka lake of Orissa and Pulicat Lake of Tamil Nadu are the best examples.
Facts about Islands of India
India has in all 247 islands of which 204 lie in the Bay of Bengal and the rest in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Mannar.
The country has two groups of Islands – one is Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the other is Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea.
The Islands of the Bay of Bengal are included in the two large groups - the Andaman and the Nicobars.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are close to the Indo-Australian Plate Boundary.
The Andaman Islands themselves are divided into North, Middle, South and the Little Andamans.
Andaman Nicobar is called Bay Islands.
Great Nicobar is the largest one.
Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It is at South Andaman.
Sadile is the highest peak.
The Duncan Passage separates the little Andaman from the South Andamans.
Andamans has a northern cluster of 204 small islands.
The Nicobar group includes 19 islands and the largest among there is the Great Nicobar Island.
Ten degree channel separates Andaman from Nicobar.
The Barren Island, Indias only active volcano lies in Andaman.
New Moore Island lies in Bay of Bengal near West Bengal also belongs to India.
Coco Islands North of Andaman belongs to Myanmar.
Sriharikota is a rocket launching site in Bay of Bengal on Andhra Coast.
The southernmost tip of India, Indira point (now submerged after 2004 Tsunami) is in Great Nicobar islands.
The Lakshadweep in the Arabian sea Comprises of a group of 36 islands, about 300 km to the west of Kerala coast. Only 11 of the islands are inhabited.
Kavarathi is the capital of Lakshadweep.
Lakshadweep is known as Tropical paradise.
Minicoy islands are separated from Maldives by 80 channel.
Androth is the largest island, 4.8 sq.km and is nearest to Kerala.
