{"id":6233,"date":"2025-11-04T13:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/?p=6233"},"modified":"2025-11-07T06:37:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T06:37:50","slug":"coastal-plains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/","title":{"rendered":"The Coastal Plains of India: Meaning, Divisions, Significance &amp; More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Stretching along the sea-coasts, the <strong>Coastal Plains of India<\/strong> lies as a crucial interface between land and sea. As zones of ecological importance and economic activity, they play a crucial role in India&#8217;s development and sustainability. This article of NEXT IAS aims to study in detail the Coastal Plains of India, including its major features, regional divisions, geomorphology, and significance.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_56_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#About_the_Coastal_Plains_of_India\" title=\"About the Coastal Plains of India\">About the Coastal Plains of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Divisions_of_the_Coastal_Plains_of_India\" title=\"Divisions of the Coastal Plains of India\">Divisions of the Coastal Plains of India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#The_Western_Coastal_Plains_of_India\" title=\"The Western Coastal Plains of India\">The Western Coastal Plains of India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Sub-Divisions_of_Western_Coastal_Plains\" title=\"Sub-Divisions of Western Coastal Plains\">Sub-Divisions of Western Coastal Plains<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#The_Eastern_Coastal_Plains_of_India\" title=\"The Eastern Coastal Plains of India\">The Eastern Coastal Plains of India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Sub-Divisons_of_Eastern_Coastal_Plains\" title=\"Sub-Divisons of Eastern Coastal Plains\">Sub-Divisons of Eastern Coastal Plains<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Difference_between_Eastern_and_Western_Coastal_Plains\" title=\"Difference between Eastern and Western Coastal Plains\">Difference between Eastern and Western Coastal Plains<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Significance\" title=\"Significance\">Significance<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#What_are_the_coastal_plains_of_India\" title=\"What are the coastal plains of India?\">What are the coastal plains of India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Where_is_the_coastal_plains_located\" title=\"Where is the coastal plains located?\">Where is the coastal plains located?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Why_are_the_coastal_plains_important\" title=\"Why are the coastal plains important?\">Why are the coastal plains important?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#What_is_the_extent_of_the_eastern_coastal_plains_of_India\" title=\"What is the extent of the eastern coastal plains of India?\">What is the extent of the eastern coastal plains of India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#What_is_the_extent_of_Indias_western_coastal_plains\" title=\"What is the extent of India&#8217;s western coastal plains?\">What is the extent of India&#8217;s western coastal plains?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#What_is_the_meeting_point_of_the_eastern_and_western_coastal_plains_of_India\" title=\"What is the meeting point of the eastern and western coastal plains of India?\">What is the meeting point of the eastern and western coastal plains of India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#What_is_the_northern_Circar\" title=\"What is the northern Circar?\">What is the northern Circar?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#Which_coastal_plain_is_the_rice_bowl_of_India\" title=\"Which coastal plain is the rice bowl of India?\">Which coastal plain is the rice bowl of India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/coastal-plains\/#What_is_an_emergent_coast\" title=\"What is an emergent coast?\">What is an emergent coast?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fff043e889862b1251f8259bb907171d\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_Coastal_Plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>About the Coastal Plains of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Coastal Plains of India refers to the stretch of narrow coastal strip lying between the edges of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/peninsular-plateau\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/peninsular-plateau\/\"><strong>Peninsular Plateau<\/strong><\/a> and the coastline of India. They constitute one of the 5 physiographic divisions of India. These plains stretch for a distance of about 6000 km along the Arabian Sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1.png\" alt=\"coastal plains of india\" class=\"wp-image-6234\" style=\"width:705px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1.png 1000w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-460x258.png 460w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-350x196.png 350w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-696x390.png 696w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-750x420.png 750w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-150x84.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e378d8b0854a69d4b40e1153130a675f\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Divisions_of_the_Coastal_Plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Divisions of the Coastal Plains of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Coastal Plains of India<\/strong> have been divided into <strong>two parts:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Western Coastal Plains of India<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Eastern Coastal Plains of India<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>two parts<\/strong> of the coastal plains <strong>meet at<\/strong> the southernmost tip of India &#8211; Kanyakumari.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These two parts have been further subdivided into various sub-parts as discussed in the sections that follow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-99b079deb49cce889f4822e0346c71a6\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Western_Coastal_Plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>The Western Coastal Plains of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: They lie <strong>between <\/strong>the <strong>Western Ghats<\/strong> and the <strong>Arabian Sea<\/strong> coast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spread<\/strong>: They stretch <strong>from <\/strong>the <strong>Rann of Kutch<\/strong> in the <strong>north <\/strong>to <strong>Kanyakumari <\/strong>in the <strong>south<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>States Covered<\/strong>: These plains begin in the state of <strong>Gujarat <\/strong>and stretch through <strong>Maharashtra, Goa<\/strong>, and <strong>Karnataka <\/strong>upto <strong>Kerala<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Width<\/strong>: With an average width of about <strong>65 km<\/strong>, they are quite <strong>narrow in the middle<\/strong> and a bit <strong>broader <\/strong>in the <strong>northern <\/strong>and <strong>southern <\/strong>parts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nature<\/strong>: They are an example of a <strong>Submergent Coastline<\/strong>, thus providing natural conditions for the <strong>development of ports.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sub-Divisions_of_Western_Coastal_Plains\"><\/span>Sub-Divisions of Western Coastal Plains<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the relief and structure, these can be <strong>divided into the following subdivisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"528\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2-1.png\" alt=\"western coastal plains of india\" class=\"wp-image-6236\" style=\"width:581px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2-1.png 690w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2-1-337x258.png 337w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2-1-549x420.png 549w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2-1-80x60.png 80w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2-1-150x115.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The Kutch Peninsula<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: It spreads over <strong>northwestern Gujarat.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Formation<\/strong>: It was, <strong>originally<\/strong>, an island surrounded by seas and lagoons. The surrounding seas and lagoons, later on, got filled by deposition of sediment by the Indus River which used to flow through this area. In this way, the islands became a part of the mainland.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topography<\/strong>: The area has an <strong>arid and semi-arid landscape<\/strong> because of the scarcity of rain and the work of wind.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chief physiographic features<\/strong> of this region include <strong>coastal sand dunes<\/strong>, and <strong>sandy plains<\/strong>, which are interspaced with <strong>bare rocky hills.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extensions<\/strong>: In the north and south-east, it is bounded by two salt-soaked plains as described below:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Great Rann<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>salt-soaked plain<\/strong> lying all along the <strong>north of Kutch<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is almost completely flat and rises only a few meters above sea level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is flooded by the Banas and the Luni rivers during the rainy season.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Little Rann<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the southern continuation of the Great Rann.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It lies on the coast and to the south-east of Kutch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"298\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/3-1.png\" alt=\"the little rann\" class=\"wp-image-6237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/3-1.png 298w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/3-1-240x258.png 240w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/3-1-150x161.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The Kathiawar Peninsula<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: It lies to the <strong>south of the Kutch Peninsula<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is <strong>surrounded <\/strong>by the <strong>Little Rann<\/strong> on the <strong>eastern side<\/strong> and the <strong>Nal Basin<\/strong> on the <strong>northeastern side<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prominent Hills<\/strong>: This region consists of some prominent hills as mentioned below:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mandav Hills<\/strong>: They lie in the central part of the Kathiawar Peninsula.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many small streams radiate in all directions from the Mandab Hills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Girnar Hills<\/strong>: With an average height of around 1,117 m, Girnar Hills form the <strong>highest point<\/strong> in the region.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gir Range<\/strong>: It lies in the <strong>southern part<\/strong> of the Kathiawar Peninsula.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This range is famous as the <strong>abode of the Gir Lion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Gujarat Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: It lies to the <strong>east of<\/strong> the <strong>Kutch <\/strong>and <strong>Kathiawar <\/strong>Peninsulas and spreads over the <strong>southern part of Gujarat and the coastal areas of the Gulf of Khambhat.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Formation<\/strong>: This plain has been formed by <strong>depositions <\/strong>of rivers like <strong>Narmada, Tapi, Mahi,<\/strong> and <strong>Sabarmati<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Slope<\/strong>: Its average slope is <strong>towards <\/strong>the west and <strong>southwest<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elevation<\/strong>: It is of <strong>low elevation<\/strong> with none of its parts exceeding 150 m in height.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topography<\/strong>: The topography of this plain can be divided into two parts:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Eastern Part:<\/strong> This part is composed of sediments, and hence is <strong>fertile <\/strong>and suitable for agriculture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Coastal Part<\/strong>: This part is covered by wind-blown <strong>loess (heaps of sand),<\/strong> which has given rise to a <strong>semi-arid<\/strong> landscape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Konkan Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: This plain lies to the <strong>south of the Gujarat plain.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spread<\/strong>: It extends from <strong>Daman to Goa<\/strong> for a distance of about 500 km.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Width<\/strong>: Its average width varies from <strong>50-80 km<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topography<\/strong>: It has some <strong>characteristics of marine erosion<\/strong> including cliffs, shoals, reefs, and islands in the Arabian Sea.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mumbai, situated in this plain, was initially an island reclaimed to connect it with the mainland.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Konkan coast has a series of small bays and beaches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Karnataka Coastal Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: This plain lies to the <strong>south of the Konkan plain.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spread<\/strong>: It is about 225 km long, extending from <strong>Goa to Mangalore.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Width<\/strong>: It is a narrow plain with an average width of <strong>30-50 km<\/strong>, the maximum being 70 km near Mangalore.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topography<\/strong>: The diverse topography of this plain can be seen as follows:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the <strong>central part<\/strong>, numerous spurs (lateral ridges of land), descending from the Western Ghats, cross the plain. These spurs go very close to the coast, thus reducing the width of the plain in this part.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>some places<\/strong>, the <strong>streams <\/strong>originating in the Western Ghats descend along steep slopes and make <strong>waterfalls<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For example, the <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong> <\/strong>while descending over the slope forms the <strong>Jog Falls <\/strong>&#8211; one of the highest waterfalls in the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>coastal parts,<\/strong> marine topography forms the prominent features.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Kerala Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Nomenclature<\/strong>: It is also known as the <strong>Malabar Plain<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: It is situated between Mangalore and Kanyakumari, stretching for a distance of around 500 km.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Width<\/strong>: This plain is much <strong>wider than<\/strong> the <strong>Karnataka Plain<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elevation<\/strong>: It is a <strong>low-lying<\/strong> plain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Topography<\/strong>: The presence of lakes, lagoons, backwaters, spits, etc. is the chief characteristic of this plain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>backwaters of Kerala<\/strong> are known as <strong>Kayals<\/strong>, which are the shallow lagoons or inlets of the sea running parallel to the coastline.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vembanad Lake<\/strong>, one of the Ramsar Wetlands, is the largest backwater with a length of 75 km and a width of 5-10 km.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-af7399370fd439f51b8af75195c3df14\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Eastern_Coastal_Plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>The Eastern Coastal Plains of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>: It is situated <strong>between <\/strong>the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Its <strong><strong>discontinuous<\/strong><\/strong> is a <strong>discontinuous line<\/strong> of the Eastern Ghats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spread<\/strong>: It extends from the <strong>Subarnarekha River <\/strong>along the West Bengal-Odisha border to Kanyakumari.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Width<\/strong>: Their average width is around <strong>120 km<\/strong>, although they may be as wide as 200 km in the deltaic regions and as narrow as 35 km in between the deltas.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Overall, they are <strong>wider in comparison to the Western Coastal Plains.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Formation<\/strong>: It has been formed as a result of the <strong>alluvial fillings <\/strong>by the Rivers Mahanadi, Godavari Krishna, and Cauvery. Thus, it also contains some large deltas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nature<\/strong>: They are an example of an <strong>Emergent Coastline<\/strong>, thus <strong>NOT <\/strong>providing natural conditions for the <strong>development of ports.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Nomenclature<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is known by <strong>different names in different regions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Northern Circars<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The section of the Eastern Coastal Plains lying between the Mahanadi and the Krishna rivers is known as the Northern Circars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Carnatic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The section of the Eastern Coastal Plains lying between the Krishna and the Cauvery rivers is known as the Carnatic.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sub-Divisons_of_Eastern_Coastal_Plains\"><\/span><strong>Sub-Divisons of Eastern Coastal Plains<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on the relief and structure, these can be <strong>divided into the following subdivisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"647\" height=\"633\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/4.png\" alt=\"carnatic\" class=\"wp-image-6242\" style=\"width:500px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/4.png 647w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/4-264x258.png 264w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/4-429x420.png 429w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/blog\/uploads\/2024\/03\/4-150x147.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 647px) 100vw, 647px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The Utkal Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Utkal Plain comprises the <strong>coastal region of Odisha,<\/strong> including the <strong>Mahanadi Delta.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The famous <strong>Chilka Lake<\/strong> is located in this region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Andhra Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is <strong>located south of the Utkal Plain<\/strong> and extends <strong>up to Pulicat Lake.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>chief characteristic<\/strong> of this plain is the <strong>delta formation <\/strong>by the Rivers <strong>Godavari <\/strong>and <strong>Krishna<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This part is, <strong>largely<\/strong>, <strong>a straight coast<\/strong> and <strong>lacks <\/strong>any significant <strong>indentations<\/strong>. This makes the <strong>development of ports<\/strong> in this part very difficult.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, there are some <strong>prominent ports <\/strong>in this part, such as <strong>Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam<\/strong> etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Tamil Nadu Plain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It <strong>stretches <\/strong>for a distance of around 675 km from <strong>Pulicat Lake to Kanyakumari<\/strong> along the coast of Tamil Nadu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>most<\/strong> <strong>important feature<\/strong> of this plain is the <strong>Cauvery Delta<\/strong> where the plain is 130 km wide.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The fertile soil and large-scale irrigation facilities have made the <strong>Cauvery Delta<\/strong> the <strong>granary <\/strong>of <strong>South India<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-252f95ce0050f2dc6a9809396ae141ec\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Difference_between_Eastern_and_Western_Coastal_Plains\"><\/span><strong>Difference between Eastern and Western Coastal Plains<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><thead><tr><th>The Western Coastal Plains<\/th><th>The Eastern Coastal Plains<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Narrower<\/td><td>Wider<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Intersected by various mountains of Western ghats.<\/td><td>Run continuously from north to south.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rivers form estuaries.<\/td><td>Rivers form wide deltas.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Favors the formation of harbors.<\/td><td>Do not favor the formation of harbors as they have wide continental shelves.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Receives a high amount of rain from southwest monsoons.<\/td><td>Receives rains from both northeast and southwest monsoons.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Largely rocky. However, there are estuaries on the Konkan coast and back-waters on the Malabar coast.<\/td><td>Mostly sandy and have sand dunes and lagoons.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dbef0ca3ac5bc34dbf91355603c727cf\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Significance\"><\/span><strong>Significance<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The significance or the importance of coastal plains of India are categorised under the following heads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Agriculture<\/strong>: These coastal plains are covered by fertile soil, and hence are agriculturally very productive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Port<\/strong>: The entire length of the coast is dotted with big and small ports which help carry out trade.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>About <strong>98% of India\u2019s<\/strong> <strong>international trade <\/strong>is carried through these ports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Resource<\/strong>: The coastal plains are sources of salt, monazites, mineral oils, and gas as well as centers of fisheries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Settlements<\/strong>: These coastal plains are home to dense human settlements and have some of the largest cities in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Much more than just a geographical feature, <strong>the Coastal Plains of India<\/strong> carry multiple significance. Apart from providing the ports, they are a source of many other resources. Of late, they are facing the risk of inundation due to global warming and the probable rise in sea level. Ensuring the sustainability of the coastal plains is not just crucial for India but for the marine ecology of the subcontinent. <strong>Sustainable development <\/strong>is the way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-315f905aca00c2fa53a8becd4e55b004\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span><strong>FAQs<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551257295\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_coastal_plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>What are the coastal plains of India?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It is a narrow strip of land lying along the coastlines of India.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551264882\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_is_the_coastal_plains_located\"><\/span><strong>Where is the coastal plains located?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The Coastal Plains of India lie between the edges of the Peninsular Plateau and the coastline of India and <strong>stretch <\/strong>along the <strong>Arabian Sea in the west<\/strong> and the <strong>Bay of Bengal in the east<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551274456\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_the_coastal_plains_important\"><\/span><strong>Why are the coastal plains important?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>As a crucial interface between land and sea, these plains are a source of multiple natural resources along with being home to India\u2019s major ports.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551285728\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_extent_of_the_eastern_coastal_plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>What is the extent of the eastern coastal plains of India?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It extends from the <strong>Subarnarekha River<\/strong> to <strong>Kanyakumari<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551307976\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_extent_of_Indias_western_coastal_plains\"><\/span><strong>What is the extent of India&#8217;s western coastal plains?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>They extend <strong>from <\/strong>the <strong>Rann of Kutch<\/strong> in the <strong>north <\/strong>to <strong>Kanyakumari <\/strong>in the <strong>south<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551324834\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_meeting_point_of_the_eastern_and_western_coastal_plains_of_India\"><\/span><strong>What is the meeting point of the eastern and western coastal plains of India?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The <strong>two parts<\/strong> of the coastal plains <strong>meet near Kanyakumari.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551338416\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_northern_Circar\"><\/span><strong>What is the northern Circar?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The Northern Circar refers to the section of the Eastern Coastal Plains which lie between the Mahanadi and the Krishna rivers.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1709551352229\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_coastal_plain_is_the_rice_bowl_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Which coastal plain is the rice bowl of India?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The part of the Eastern Coastal Plain lying in the Krishna-Godavari Delta Region is called as Rice Bowl of India.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1762426988280\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h4 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_an_emergent_coast\"><\/span><strong>What is an emergent coast?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>An emergent coast Narrow sandy beaches, high cliffs, and crumbling coastlines are characteristics of emergent coasts (West Coast).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stretching along the sea-coasts, the Coastal Plains of India lies as a crucial interface between land and sea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":22775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,832],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-6233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geography","category-indian-geography","tag-gs-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6233"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22774,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6233\/revisions\/22774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}