Geography of Tamil Nadu

2021-10-13T14:58:33Z

2405:201:C:A04C:FC1B:3017:224B:606D:

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox place geography
|name = Tamil Nadu
|map = Tamil Nadu topo deutsch mit Gebirgen.png
|region = [[Indian Peninsula]]
|area ranking = 10th
|km area = 130,058
|borders = [[Kerala]] (West) [[Karnataka]] (Northwest) [[Andhra Pradesh]] (North) [[Bay of Bengal]] (East) [[Arabian Sea]] (South West) [[Indian Ocean]] (South)
|terrain =Mountains: [[Western Ghats]], [[Eastern Ghats]]
}}

[[Tamil Nadu]] is the Tenth largest state in [[India]] and covers an area of {{convert|130058|km2|sqmi}}. It is bordered by [[Kerala]] to the west, [[Karnataka]] to the northwest, [[Andhra Pradesh]] to the north, the [[Bay of Bengal]] to the east and the [[Indian Ocean]] to the south. [[Cape Comorin]] ([[Kanyakumari]]), the southernmost tip of the [[Indian Peninsula]] which is the meeting point of the [[Arabian Sea]], the Bay of Bengal, and the [[Indian Ocean]].

==Terrain==
The western, southern and the north-western parts are hilly and rich in [[vegetation]]. Tamil Nadu is the only state in India which has both the [[Western Ghats|Western Ghat]] and the [[Eastern Ghats|Eastern Ghat]] mountain ranges which both meet at the [[Nilgiri hills]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/elementary/geo_of_india.htm |title=Geography of India |author=Joel Anderson |publisher=Center for South Asia Outreach, University of Wisconsin-Manhattan |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412163656/http://www.southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/elementary/geo_of_india.htm |archivedate=2009-04-12 }}</ref> The Western Ghats dominate the entire western border with Kerala, effectively blocking much of the rain bearing clouds of the South West Monsoon from entering the state. The eastern parts are fertile coastal plains. The northern parts are a mix of hills and plains. The central and the south-central regions are [[arid]] plains.
[[File:Palaghat_Gap..jpg|thumb|200px|Palakkad gap allows south-west monsoon winds to pass through the western ghats producing rain in western Tamil Nadu]]
[[File:Agasthiyamalai range and Tirunelveli rainshadow.jpg|thumb|200px|A semi-arid wasteland near [[Tirunelveli]]. Monsoon winds are prevented by the [[Agastya Malai|Agasthyamalai Range]] of the Western Ghats]]

==Natural hazards==
Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about {{convert|1076|km|mi|-2}} which is the country's third longest coastline after [[Gujarat]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]], Tamil Nadu's coastline bore the brunt of the 2004 [[Indian Ocean tsunami]] when it hit India, which caused 7,793 direct deaths in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01724/effects_india.html |title=Tsunami: Magnitude of Terror – Effects - Damage to Countries - India |publisher=Oracle ThinkQuest |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513051807/http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01724/effects_india.html |archivedate=2009-05-13 }}</ref> Tamil Nadu falls mostly in a region of low [[Earthquake|seismic hazard]] with the exception of the western border areas that lie in a low to moderate hazard zone. Parts of this region have seismic activity bagging the [[Richter magnitude scale|M5.0]] range.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://asc-india.org/maps/hazard/haz-tamil-nadu.htm |title=GSHAP seismic hazard map for Tamil Nadu & Puducherry (Pondicherry), India |date=30 March 2007 |publisher=Amateur Seismic Centre |access-date=8 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717015554/http://asc-india.org/maps/hazard/haz-tamil-nadu.htm |archive-date=17 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Climate==
Tamil Nadu is heavily dependent on [[monsoon]] rains, and thereby is prone to droughts when the monsoons fail. The climate of the state ranges from wet rainforests to semi-arid. Tamil Nadu agriculture is a gambling of monsoon. The state has distinct periods of rainfall, which are the advancing monsoon period, [[South-west monsoon]] (from June to September) with strong southwest winds, the [[North-east monsoon]] (from October to December), with dominant northeast winds, and the Dry season (from January to May). The normal annual rainfall of the state is about {{convert|945|mm|in|abbr=on}},<ref>[http://drought.unl.edu/pubs/dnn/arch9.pdf Assessment Report from the National Drought Mitigation Center, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln].</ref> of which 48% is through the North East monsoon, and 32% through the South West monsoon. Since the state is entirely dependent on rains for recharging its water resources, monsoon failures lead to acute [[water scarcity]] and severe drought.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unsystem.org/SCN/archives/india/ch16.htm |title=Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu |publisher=United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502211218/http://www.unsystem.org/scn/archives/india/ch16.htm |archivedate=2012-05-02 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Droogs (rocks)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Geography of Tamil Nadu| ]]

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Geography of Tamil Nadu