Malabar Coast

For other uses of Malabar, see Malabar (disambiguation).

Malabar Coast
Region
Ponnani Lighthouse near Ponnani
Ponnani Lighthouse near Ponnani
Nickname(s): 
Maritime Gateway of India,[1][2] Spice Garden of India
Map showing the Malabar Coast
Map showing the Malabar Coast
Coordinates: 12°01′00″N 75°17′00″E / 12.0167°N 75.2833°E / 12.0167; 75.2833
CountryIndia
StateKerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
 • Density816/km2 (2,110/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialKonkani, Malayalam, Tulu, Kannada, English, Tamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-KL, IN-TN and IN-KA
No. of districts18 (14 in Kerala, 3 in Karnataka, and 1 in Tamil Nadu)
ClimateTropical (Köppen)

The Malabar Coast is the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. It generally refers to the western coastline of India stretching from Konkan to Kanyakumari. Geographically, it comprises one of the wettest regions of the subcontinent, which includes the Kanara region of Karnataka, all of Kerala and Kanyakumari region of Tamil Nadu.[3]

Kuttanad, which is the point of the lowest altitude in India, lies on the Malabar Coast. Kuttanad, also known as The Rice Bowl of Kerala, is among the few places in the world where cultivation takes place below sea level.[4][5] The peak of Anamudi, which is also the point of highest altitude in India outside the Himalayas, lies parallel to the Malabar Coast on the Western Ghats.

The region parallel to the Malabar Coast gently slopes from the eastern highland of Western Ghats ranges to the western coastal lowland. The moisture-laden winds of the Southwest monsoon, on reaching the southernmost point of the Indian subcontinent, because of its topography, divide into two branches; the "Arabian Sea Branch" and the "Bay of Bengal Branch".[6] The "Arabian Sea Branch" of the Southwest monsoon first hits the Western Ghats,[7] making Kerala the first state in India to receive rain from the Southwest monsoon.[8][9] The Malabar Coast is a source of biodiversity in India.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Etymology of Malabar was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ K. V. Krishna Iyer (1938). Zamorins of Calicut: From the earliest times to AD 1806. Norman Printing Bureau, Kozhikode.
  3. ^ Fahlbusch, Erwin; Bromiley, Geoffrey William; Lochman, Jan Milic (2008). The Encyclodedia of Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 285. ISBN 978-0-8028-2417-2.
  4. ^ Press Trust of India (1 June 2020). "Kerala Boat Ferries Lone Passenger To Help Her Take Exam". NDTV. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. ^ Suchitra, M (13 August 2003). "Thirst below sea level". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ^ RK Jain. Geography 10. Ratna Sagar. p. 110. ISBN 978-8183320818. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  7. ^ Together with Social Science Term II. Rachna Sagar. p. 112. ISBN 978-8181373991. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  8. ^ Edgar Thorpe, Showick Thorpe; Thorpe Edgar. The Pearson CSAT Manual 2011. Pearson Education India. p. 7. ISBN 978-8131758304. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  9. ^ N.N. Kher; Jaideep Aggarwal. A Text Book of Social Sciences. Pitambar Publishing. p. 5. ISBN 978-8120914667. Retrieved 18 November 2012.