Chapter 2.2 The Coastal Plains, The Islands of India.

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 The Coastal Plains:

To the east and west of the peninsular plateau, two narrow strips of plain lands are found, which are respectively called Eastern Coastal Plain and Western Coastal Plain.

• These plains are formed by the erosional and depositional activities of the sea waves and from the sediments brought by the peninsular rivers

• Two narrow plains lie to the east and west of the Peninsular Plateau:

  • Eastern Coastal Plain

  • Western Coastal Plain

• Formed by:

  • Sea wave action

  • Deposits from peninsular rivers

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(A) Western Coastal Plain:

• Width: 15–25 km (narrower than eastern coast)

• Divided into four parts:

  1. Kathiawar Coast (Gujarat)

  2. Konkan Coast (Maharashtra)

  3. Kannara Coast (Karnataka)

  4. Malabar Coast (Kerala)

Key Features:

• Gujarat coastal plains formed by alluvium of Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada, Tapi.

• Malabar coast has lakes, lagoons, and backwaters (Kayals).

• Vembanad Lake (Kerala) is the largest backwater lake.

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(B) Eastern Coastal Plain:

• Mainly an emergent coast.

• Regular coastline with:

  • Offshore bars

  • Sea beaches

  • Sand ridges

  • Lagoons

Regional Names:

• Tamil Nadu coast → Coromandel Coast

• Odisha & West Bengal coast → Northern Circars Coast

River Features:

• East-flowing rivers:

  • Follow zig-zag paths

  • Are broader

  • Form deltas

• West-flowing rivers (e.g., Narmada, Tapi) form estuaries.

Examples of Deltas:

• Sundarbans (Ganga–Brahmaputra)

• Mahanadi delta

• Godavari delta

• Region of Mahanadi delta is called Utkal Plain.

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Difference: Eastern vs Western Coastal Plains:

Feature	Eastern Coast	Western Coast
Coastline	Smooth	Dissected
River mouth	Deltas	Estuaries
Rainfall	Less	More
Width	Broader	Narrower
Rivers	Long rivers	Small rivers

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 The Islands of India:

India has ~247 islands, grouped into:

1. Andaman & Nicobar Islands

2. Lakshadweep Islands

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(A) Andaman & Nicobar Group:

• Located in the Bay of Bengal.

• Considered the continuation of Arakan Yoma (Myanmar) mountains.

• Islands count:

  • Andaman group → ~203 islands

  • Nicobar group → 7 big + 12 small islands

Important Channels:

• Ten Degree Channel → separates Andaman & Nicobar

• Duncan Passage → between South Andaman & Little Andamanseparates Little Andaman from South Andaman.

  Capital Port Blair is located in South Andaman.

  • Middle Andaman is the largest (area wise) oceanic island of India.

  • Saddle peak (737 m) is the highest peak of Andaman & Nicobar and is located in North Andaman.

  • Indira Point (Pygmalion point) is the southernmost point of Indian territory (6½° N), which is located in Great Nicobar.

  • Barren Island of Andaman group is the only active volcano of India. Last time, it was erupted on 10th April, 1991.

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  (B) Lakshadweep group:

  • It is a coral island located in Arabian Sea and Kavaratti is its capital. Though Lakshadweep literally mean ‘one lakh islands’ but it is only a group of 25 small islands.

  • In Lakshadweep, most of the islands are horse shoe shaped and made up of Attols (coral deposits).

  • The islands north of 11°N are known as Amendvi Islands while those south of this latitude are called Cannanore Islands.

  • Andrott island is the largest island of Lakshadweep whereas Minicoy is the second largest and southern most island of this group.

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  • Minicoy is separated from rest of the Lakshadweep by Nine Degree Channel whereas Lakshadweep group separated from Maldives by Eight Degree Channel.

  • Presently, Lakshadweep Islands are highly affected by Coral Bleaching due to Global Warming.

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  (C) Other Important Islands:

  • Newmoore Island: It is located in Bay of Bengal on the mouth of Ganga.

  • Pumban Island: It is located in Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka.

  
  

  ISLANDS:

  Islands are the land masses surrounded by water from all the sides. On the basis of their origin, islands can be classified into:

  (a) Tectonic Islands

  (b) Volcanic Islands

  (c) Erosional Islands

  (d) Depositional Islands

  (e) Coral Islands                                                                                                                       Disclaimer:

  This content is prepared for educational and informational purposes only. The notes are simplified for better understanding and exam preparation (UPSC and State Exams). Readers are advised to refer to standard textbooks and official sources for detailed study