Geography of South India

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

NASA satellite photo of South India, 31 January 2003.

The Geography of South India comprises the diverse topological and climatic patterns of

Satpura
ranges.

The Satpura ranges define the northern spur of the

Deccan plateau, one of the main geographic features of South India. The Western Ghats, along the western coast, mark another boundary of the plateau. The narrow strip of verdant land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is the Konkan
region; the term encompasses the area south of the Narmada as far as Coastal Karnataka.

The Western Ghats continue south, forming the

Tirupati and Anaimalai
hills form part of this range.

The Deccan plateau, covering the major portion of the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, is the vast elevated region bound by the C-shape defined by all these mountain ranges. No major elevations border the plateau to the east, and it slopes gently from the Western Ghats to the eastern coast.

Geological development

India is entirely contained on the

Period, the Indian Plate began moving north at about 15 cm/yr (6 in/yr).[1]

The vast

paleontologists speculate that this eruption may have accelerated the extinction of the dinosaurs. Layer after layer was formed by the volcanic activity that lasted many thousands of years, and when the volcanoes became extinct, they left a region of highlands with typically vast stretches of flat areas on top like a table. Hence it is also known as Table Top. The volcanic hotspot that produced the Deccan traps is hypothesized to lie under the present day island of Réunion
in the Indian Ocean.

Climate

The region has a very [tropical climate] with the monsoons playing a major part. The

northeast monsoon
from about November to February. Much of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka has a distinct dry season from about October – May when there is not much rainfall. This region also experiences cooler nights from October to March while the days are pleasantly warm. In the northern parts of the region temperatures can fall below 10 degrees Celsius on occasions at night during this time. Days are very hot from March to June when temperatures can go over 40 degrees.

States and Union Territories

South India includes five states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana – where the official and majority languages are Dravidian languages. State boundaries generally follow linguistic lines.

The northern portion of the Western Ghats and Deccan plateau are in the states of Goa and Maharashtra, although these states are often classed in Western India. The official and majority languages in Goa and Maharashtra are Indo-European languages.

South India also has two Union territories, Puducherry and Lakshadweep.

Regions

South India has a number of overlapping traditional geographic regions. Some of these regions are:

The low-lying

Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) on the Indian Ocean
.

Water bodies

The rivers of Southern India

Rivers of South India are dependent on the monsoons and shrink during the dry season. The line created by the

Tungabhadra
, a major tributary of the Krishna.

The river

Mandovi and Tapti River (or Tapi) rivers, and the Narmada
at the northern edge of the region.

India's largest lake at Vembanad, is a part of the larger Kerala backwaters

Malabar coast comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain slopes.[2]

Achankovil River; 128 kilometres (80 mi). The average length of the rivers is 64 kilometres (40 mi). Many of the rivers are small and entirely fed by monsoon rain.[8]

Flora and fauna

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve lies amid the Nilgiris range of Western Ghats, which is scattered in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu

There is a large number and wide diversity of plants and animals in South India, resulting from its varied climates and geography. Tropical moist forests are found along the Arabian Sea coast and the Western Ghats. The Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains.[9] The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests are found at intermediate elevations. The southern Western Ghats have high altitude rain forests called the South Western Ghats montane rain forests. The Western Ghats are a biodiversity hotspot.[10]

Scrub lands, including the

Vembanad Lake, the Ashtamudi Lake
and the Kayamkulam Lake.

References

  1. University at Albany
    . p. 281. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0415773362
    . Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  3. ISBN 978-8131767344
    . Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  4. ^ Press Trust of India (1 June 2020). "Kerala Boat Ferries Lone Passenger To Help Her Take Exam". NDTV. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. ^ Suchitra, M (13 August 2003). "Thirst below sea level". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ISBN 978-0070702882
    . Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  7. ^ Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI—Ministry of Shipping) (2005). "Introduction to Inland Water Transport". IWAI (Ministry of Shipping). Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2006.
  8. ISBN 978-8171885947
    .
  9. ^ "Indo-Malayan Terrestrial Ecoregions". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 21 March 2001. Retrieved 15 April 2006.
  10. ^ "Biodiversity Hotspot – Western Ghats & Sri Lanka, Conservation International". Archived from the original on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2006.
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