Coastal States of India

While talking about the coastal areas of India, one question will often appear in our mind — what is the coastline of India. In order to answer this question, we can proudly say India has a total coastline length of 7516.6 kilometres, with 5422.6 kilometres of mainland coastline. Nine coastal states of India- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and two union territories - Daman & Diu and Puducherry- make up the list of coastal areas in India.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea are India's two island territories. The area between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is referred to as the western coastal areas of India, which are further divided into the Northern Konkan Coast and the Malabar Coast. The area between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal is called the eastern coastal plains.

Definition Of The Coastal State

A Coastal State is a small or medium-sized state that is bordered by the sea. Within its territorial seas, the Coastal State has complete sovereignty. As we've seen, it also has supreme authority on the continental shelf and in the exclusive economic zones off its coast. There are nine coastal states in India, while Gujarat is the only Indian state with longest coastline.

Number Of Coastal States In India And Coastal Length Of All The Indian States

Students often come across questions like ‘how many coastal states are there in India?’ So, here is the table containing the coastal length of all the Indian states to clear all the doubts. Take a look.

Coastal States In India

Gujarat

Gujarat boasts India's longest coastline, which is 1,600 kilometres long and located in the Kathiawar part of the state. The Arabian Sea surrounds this coastline, which is peppered with 41 ports: one primary and 40 intermediate or minor. Gujarat's beaches include Diu, Dwarka, Porbandar, and others.

Andhra Pradesh

The state of Andhra Pradesh is located in the Coastal Andhra area and ranked as the Indian state with the second-longest coastline. Between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, the coastline is 974 kilometres long, including the Coromandel Coast. Because of the delta — Godavari Krishna river and Penna — this shoreline has many agricultural lands. Rice is the region's principal crop, followed by pulses and coconut plantations.

Tamil Nadu

The Coromandel coast, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, is India's second-biggest coastline (1,076 kilometres long). It is bordered on the north by the Utkal Plains, east by the Bay of Bengal, south by the Kaveri delta, and west by the Eastern Ghats. The region's principal crops include rice, lentils, sugarcane, cotton, and peanuts. Along the Coromandel coast, coconut plantations are practised. It also has essential seaports, including Tuticorin and Chennai, fishing harbours, Marina Beach (India's largest natural urban beach), and the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra's coastline, known as the Konkan Coast, stretches for 720 kilometres. It is bordered on the east by the Western Ghats mountain range, on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the north by the Daman Ganga River, and on the south by the Gangavalli River. Rice, millets, lentils, coconut, and other agricultural crops are important in the region. The Konkan coastline is lined with various beaches and is a popular weekend retreat for Pune and Mumbai residents. It has 53 ports, including two major ports and 51 minor or intermediate ports.

Kerala

Kerala's Malabar Coast, which stretches over 580 kilometres, is India's fifth-longest. It runs from Maharashtra's south-western coast to Goa's coastal region, to Karnataka's and Kerala's western coasts, and finally to Kanyakumari. It is bordered on the west by the Arabian Sea and the east by the Western Ghats. Beautiful scenery, tea and coffee plantations, beaches, brackish water lakes, and other attractions abound along the Malabar coast.

Odisha

Odisha boasts a 485-kilometre-long coastline known as coastal Odisha or the Utkal Plains. The region is bordered on the north by the Lower Ganges Plain, east by the Bay of Bengal, south by the Tamilnad Plains, and west by the Eastern Ghats. Chilka Lake (India's largest lake), the ancient kingdom of Kalinga, beaches (Chandipur, Gopalpur, etc.) and Bhitarkanika are all found in this region (second largest mangrove ecosystem). There is only one major port on the island.

Karnataka

Kanara in the 300-kilometre-long coastal region of Karnataka. The Konkan in the north, the Western Ghats in the east, Kerala Plains in the south, and the Arabian Sea in the west define the region. It boasts several tourist attractions, including Maravanthe and St. Mary's Island Beach. Uttara Kannada, Udupi, and Dakshina are its three districts. There are ten important ports and two minor/intermediate ports in the city.

Goa 

Goa is India's smallest state, which also has the smallest coastline in India, i.e. 160-kilometre-long coastline. It has many of our country's most gorgeous beaches. It is bordered on the north by Maharashtra and east and south by Karnataka, with the Arabian Sea defining its western coast. Goa's soil is reddish in colour and rich in ferric-aluminium oxides. The soil is generally alluvial and loamy inland and along the riverbanks. Agriculture thrives in this soil, which is rich in minerals and humus.

West Bengal

The 157-kilometre-long coastal plain of West Bengal is found in Purba Medinipur and the South 24 Parganas districts. The Sundarbans delta in West Bengal is home to the world's largest mangrove forest. It is home to a diverse assortment of wildlife, including the regal Bengal swamp tiger. In West Bengal, agriculture is the most important economic sector. West Bengal's main crops include rice, potato, jute, sugarcane, and wheat.

Interesting Facts About The Coastal Areas

• The Eastern shoreline stretches from the Ganges Delta in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and includes the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.

• The creation of India's coastline is thought to be the result of Gondwanaland's continental drift.

• According to states, the Eastern coastline is separated into three sections: Orissa coastal plain, Andhra coastal plain, and Tamil Nadu coastal plain.

• Rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery run along India's eastern shore.

• On the other side, the Western shoreline stretches from Rann of Kachchh in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.

• The Indian Ocean, which is the only ocean named after a country, flows along the western coast.

• People living along India's coasts rely heavily on fishing as a source of income.

Water covers a large portion of India's territory. The coastal zone encompasses the area bounded by coastal waters and nearby shorelands, both of which are heavily influenced by one another. Coastal lands, such as estuaries, lagoons, and coastal wetlands, are some of the biosphere's most productive and vital habitats. Port development, coastal connectivity, the shipping industry, and coastal economic zones are some of the critical areas where the government should focus. They are a high-priority location for people, trade, the military, and a range of businesses. These days the shoreline/ coastal towns are subjected to environmental alteration and deterioration due to reclamation, dredging, pollution, industry, and anthropogenic activities due to their large population.