Facts about Coastal Plains of India

Facts about Coastal Plains of India.jpg

  • 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.