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Tipu Sultan's Fort at Palakkad View From Outside The Northern Wall

Kerala, located on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats mountain range. The state experiences a humid equatorial climate and is divided into three distinct regions - eastern highlands, central midlands, and western lowlands. Kerala has a coastline of 590 km and is located near the center of the Indian tectonic plate, resulting in low seismic activity. The state contains 41 west-flowing rivers and three east-flowing rivers, which have been impacted by issues such as sand mining and pollution.

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45 views

Tipu Sultan's Fort at Palakkad View From Outside The Northern Wall

Kerala, located on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats mountain range. The state experiences a humid equatorial climate and is divided into three distinct regions - eastern highlands, central midlands, and western lowlands. Kerala has a coastline of 590 km and is located near the center of the Indian tectonic plate, resulting in low seismic activity. The state contains 41 west-flowing rivers and three east-flowing rivers, which have been impacted by issues such as sand mining and pollution.

Uploaded by

scribd388
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tipu Sultan's fort at Palakkad; view

from outside the northern wall.


The state is wedged between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Lying between north latitudes 818' and 1248' and east longitudes 7452'
and 7722',
[91]
Kerala experiences the humid equatorial tropic climate. The state has a coast of 590 km (370 mi)
[92]
and the width of the state varies
between 11 and 121 km (2275 miles).
[93]
Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged
and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains.
[94]
The state is located at the extreme southern
tip of the Indian subcontinent and lies near the centre of the Indian tectonic plate; hence, it is subject to comparatively low seismic and volcanic
activity.
[95]
Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala's terrain.
[96][97]
A catastrophic flood in Kerala in 1341 CE
drastically modified its terrain and consequently affected its history; it also created a natural harbor for spice transport.
[98]
The eastern region of Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the
Western Ghats' rain shadow.
[94]
Forty-one of Kerala's west-flowing rivers,
[99]
and three of its east-flowing
ones originate in this region.
[100][101]
The Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near
Palakkad; hence also known Palghat, where the Palakkad Gap breaks through to provide access to the rest
of India.
[102]
The Western Ghats rise on average to 1,500 m (4920 ft) above sea level,
[103]
while the highest
peaks reach around 2,500 m (8200 ft).
[104]
Anamudi, the highest peak in south India, is at an elevation of
2,695 metres (8,842 ft).
[105]
The elevations of the eastern portions of the Nilgiri Hills and Palni Hills range
from 250 and 1,000 m (820 and 3300 ft).
[106][107]
Kerala's western coastal belt is relatively flat to the eastern region,
[108]
and is criss-crossed by a network of
interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries,
[109]
and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters.
[110]
The state's largest lake Vembanad, dominates the
Backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is more than 200 km
2
(77 sq mi) in area.
[111]
Around 8% of India's waterways are found in
Kerala.
[112]
Kerala's forty-four rivers include the Periyar; 244 km, Bharathapuzha; 209 km, Pamba; 176 km, Chaliyar; 169 km, Kadalundipuzha;
130 km, Chalakudipuzha; 130 km, Valapattanam; 129 km and the Achankovil River; 128 km. The average length of the rivers is 64 km. Many of the
rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rain.
[113]
As Kerala's rivers are small and lacking in delta, they are more prone to environmental effects. The
rivers face problems such as sand mining and pollution.
[114]
The state experiences several natural hazards like landslides, floods, lightning and droughts;
the state was also affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
[115]

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