Geography of Kerala


Kerala, located in between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. Kerala is characterized by an asymmetrical topography. Its landform is dominated by undulating, subdued hills and steep scarp slopes

Geographically, Kerala is divided into three climatically distinct regions. These are;

The eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous.

The regions of Wayanad, Anamala, Nelliyampathi, The Periyar plateau and the Agasthya hills are the different divisions of the eastern highlands. Anamudi is the highest point of this region with a height of 2695 m. from the mean sea level. Western slopes of these winding hill ranges are covered with shola forest.

The central mid-lands; rolling hills

The mountains lie the midland plains comprising central Kerala, dominated by rolling hills and valleys. Generally ranging between elevations of 250-1,000 m (820-3300 ft), the eastern portions of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills include such formations as Agastyamalai and Anamalai.

The western lowlands; coastal plains.

In the lowest lands, the midlands region hosts paddy fields; meanwhile, elevated lands slopes play host to groves of rubber and fruit trees in addition to other crops such as black pepper, tapioca, and others. Kerala's coastal belt is relatively flat, teeming with paddy fields, groves of coconut trees, and heavily crisscrossed by a network of interconnected canals and rivers.

For one more reason, Kerala is very famous and that is "Kerala Backwaters".

Kerala Backwaters

It is an interconnected system of brackish water lakes and river estuaries that lies inland from the coast and runs virtually the length of the state. These facilitate inland travel throughout a region roughly bounded by Thiruvananthapuram in the south and Vatakara (which lies some 450 km to the north).

There are 34 backwaters in Kerala Lake Vembanad—Kerala's largest body of water —dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is over 200 km2 in area. For tourists purpose some of them are as follows.

Alleppey : Alleppey is one of the best backwaters in Kerala. Kumarakom : Kumarakom is another paradise for tourists.