Subject: To study some important facts about Coastal States of India: Coastline Length,
Characteristics and Significance
Introduction
India has a total of 7516.6 km of Coastline, including 2094 km of island territories and 5422 km
of mainland coastline. Indian Coastline stretches across nine states and four union territories, and
it is bordered to the west by the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean and to the East by the Bay of
Bengal. The Coastal States of India are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal, Goa,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep
Islands, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands are the coastal Union territories. Gujarat has the
longest Coastline among states, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have the longest Coastline
among UTs.
Coastline of India
India is a country that is surrounded on three sides by large water bodies. The Indian peninsula is
surrounded to the East by the Bay of Bengal, to the west by the Arabian Sea, and to the south by
the Indian Ocean. The length of the Coastline of the mainland, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and
Lakshadweep Islands is 7,516.6 km and passes through 13 states and union territories (UTs).
Indian mainland coastlines can be divided into two groups based on their location and
active geomorphological processes:
o Eastern Coastal Plains of India
o Western Coastal Plains of India
know the difference between eastern coastal plain and western coastal plain of India.
Eastern Coastal Plains of India
The eastern coastal plains of India run from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, passing through
Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The eastern coastal plain contains the rivers Godavari, Cauveri
Mahanadi, and Krishna deltas. The Eastern coast of India can be classified further into three sub-
sections:
o Utkal Coast: The Utkal coast is significantly wider than the western coastal plains and
experiences heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.
o It includes the coastal regions of Odisha.
o It includes the Mahanadi River, Baitarani River, and Brahmani River delta.
o Known for its famous beaches and turtle nesting sites, such as Gahirmata Beach.
o Andhra Coast: It is situated south of the Utkal Plain and stretches up to Pulicat Lake.
There are two major deltas on the Andhra coast: the Godavari delta and the Krishna delta.
o Coromandel Coast: It extends between Pulicat Lake and Kanyakumari. During the
winter, the Coromandel coast receives rainfall from the Retreating Monsoon.
Western Coastal Plains of India
The western coastal plains are 1500 km long from north to south and 10 to 25 km wide. The
western shore is narrower than the eastern shore. The West Continental Shelf is at its widest near
the Bombay coast. In the western coastal plains, submerged coastal plains can be found. The
Western coastal plains of India can be classified further into four sub-sections:
o Kachchh and Kathiawar coast: Kachchh, formerly a gulf, is where the Indus River
dumps silt.
o The land of Kachchh is separated into two parts during the monsoons:
o Great Rann in the north, located to the north of Kutch, is a salt-soaked plain.
o Little Rann in the East, It is a southern extension and is located on the shore and
southeast of Kachchh.
o On the other hand, Kathiawar is situated south of Kachchh. The famous Gir national
park is located in the southern part of the Kathiawar peninsula.
o The Mandav Hills are the central highland, from which minor streams flow in all
directions (Radial Drainage). The highest point is Mt. Girnar (1,117 m), which is
volcanic in origin.
o Konkan coast: The Konkan Plain, located south of the Gujarat plain, stretches from
Daman to Goa (50 to 80 km wide). There are numerous beaches along the Konkan
coastline. Rice and cashew are the two most important crops in this region.
o Kannada coast: The Kannada coast is the area that stretches between Marmagaon and
Mangalore.
o The Kannada coastal plain has a maximum width of 70 kilometres, near Mangalore, and
an average width of 30 to 50 kilometres. This area is abundant in iron deposits.
o Malabar coast: The Malabar coast stretches from Mangalore to Kanyakumari and is
relatively broad.
o The Malabar coastal plains are flat, low-lying plains.
o Vembanad Lake is 75 kilometres long and 5 kilometres wide, located on the
Malabar coast.
o Anamudi, India's highest peak outside of the Himalayas, is also found in this
region.
Difference Between Eastern and Western Coastal States of India
The coastal states of India are divided into two regions: the Eastern Coastal States along the Bay
of Bengal and the Western Coastal States along the Arabian Sea.
Fig:- Coastline of India
