By : Neha Dhyani
Updated : Apr 8, 2022, 9:44
Coastal plains are the areas in India situated on the coastal borders of the subcontinent. The coastal plains in India are divided into two zones, the Eastern Coastal and the Western Coastal Plains.
This article looks at the Difference Between Eastern Coastal Plains and Western Coastal Plains.
Lying between the mighty Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, the Eastern Coastal Plains of India are further divided into three areas:
The Western Coastal plains rest between the Eastern Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It is further divided into three zones:
Eastern Coastal Plains | Western Coastal Plains | |
Divided | The Eastern Coastal Plains are divided into three categories- the Utkal Coast, the Circar Coast, and the Coromandel Coast | The Western Coastal Plains are divided into three categories: the Konkan Coast, Canara Coast, and the Malabar Coast |
Rivers | Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri | Incidentally broken by certain hill terrains, this area does not contain any rivers of prominence |
Lakes | Chilka Lake in Orissa, Pulicat in Andhra Pradesh, and Kolleru | The Western Coastal Plains are not bejewelled by prominent lakes like the Eastern Coastal Plains |
Land Fertility | The Eastern Coastal plains contain rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, that have built deltas along the eastern coast, giving rise to fertile alluvial soil | The Western Coastal plains lack prominent rivers flowing through the areas. The water bodies here are fast-flowing and short, resulting in the deposition of less alluvial soil in the region |
Agriculture | Due to the deposition of rich alluvial soil along the eastern coast, the Eastern Coastal Plains are suitable for growing important crops such as rice, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, wheat, gram, and oilseeds (groundnut). Plantations of Coconut and Banana are widely found | Although not particularly fertile, this region is home to crops such as Great, Bajra, Jowar, Cotton, Millets, and Pulses |
Land Stretch | Stretches from the Mahanadi in the State of Orissa to the Kaveri in the state of Tamil Nadu | Stretches from the Rann of Kutch at the tip of Rajasthan to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. |
Surface Area | Very wide and have a huge surface area of 41,400 km2. | Narrower and have a surface area of 6,150 km overall, which is much lesser compared to the Eastern Coastal Plains |
Surface Type | Very smooth because of the rich alluvial soft soils that the rivers in the region build up throughout the year | Covered in ridges and curves because of the presence of several rocky hills |
Lies Between | Lie between the mighty Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal | Lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Arabian Sea |
The Difference Between Eastern Coastal Plains and Western Coastal Plains is that while Eastern Coastal Plains stretch from Tamil Nadu through West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, as well as Odisha, the Western Coastal Plains are a stretch of land extending between the west coast of India and Western Ghats Hills, whose starting point is near the Tapi River
The Difference Between Eastern Coastal Plains and Western Coastal Plains in terms of rivers is that Eastern Coastal Plain contains rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, the Western Coastal Plains are broken by certain hill terrains and do not contain any rivers of prominence.
The Difference Between Eastern Coastal Plains and Western Coastal Plains in terms of the surface area is that while the surface of the Eastern Coastal Plains is very smooth because of the rich alluvial soft soils that the rivers in the region build up throughout the year, the surface of the Western Coastal Plains is covered in ridges and curves because of the presence of several rocky hills.
The Difference Between Eastern Coastal Plains and Western Coastal Plains in terms of location is that while the Eastern Coastal Plains lie between the mighty Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, the Western Coastal Plains rest between the Eastern Ghats and the Arabian Sea.