Question

Write about the features of the Indian coast

Answer 1

India has a coastline of 7516.6 Km [6100 km of mainland coastline + coastline of 1197 Indian islands] touching 13 States and Union Territories (UTs).

The straight and regular coastline of India is the result of faulting of the Gondwanaland during the Cretaceous period. {Continental Drift}

As such the coast of India does not offer many sites for good natural harbours.

[Indented coastlines of Europe provide good natural harbours whereas African and Indian coastlines are not indented].

The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea came into being during the Cretaceous or early Tertiary period after the disintegration of Gondwanaland.


East Coast of India

Lies between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.

It extends from the Ganga delta to Kanniyakumari.

It is marked by deltas of rivers like the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvery.

Chilka lake and the Pulicat lake (lagoon)are the important geographical features of east coast.

Regional Names of The East Coast of India

In Orissa (Odisha) it is known as Utkal coast.

From the southern limit of the Utkal plain, stretch the Andhra coast.

In the south of the Andhra plain is the Tamil Nadu coast.

The Tamil Nadu coast and parts of Andhra coast together are known as Coramandal Coast or Payan Ghat [False Divi Point in AP (Krishna River Delta) in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.].

West Coast of India

The west coast strip extends from the Gulf of Cambay (Gulf of Khambhat) in the north to Cape Comorin (Kanniyakumari).

Starting from north to south, it is divided into (i) the Konkan coast, (ii) the Karnataka coast and (iii) the Kerala cost.

It is made up of alluvium brought down by the short streams originating from the Western Ghats.

It is dotted with a large number of coves (a very small bay), creeks (a narrow, sheltered waterway such as an inlet in a shoreline or channel in a marsh) and a few estuaries. {Marine Landforms}

The estuaries, of the Narmada and the Tapi are the major ones.

The Kerala coast (Malabar Coast) has some lakes, lagoons and backwaters, the largest being the Vembanad Lake

Regional Names of The West Coast of India

Konkan coast == Maharashtra coast and Goa coast;

Malabar Coast == Kerala and Karnataka coast.