Western and Eastern Coast of India Map

India is a geographically rich country. It covers an area of 32,87,263 sq. km. It has a diversity of land that includes plains, plateaus, sea, ocean, mountains, etc. The coastline of India is 7516.6 km long. It includes 5422.6 km of mainland coastline and 2094 km of island territories.

This coastline touches the boundaries of 9 Indian states including, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal, Union Territories of Daman and Diu, and Puducherry, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands.

The coastline of the country is on the west and east side of the country. There are two types of Coast in India:

• Eastern Coast of India
• Western Coast of India

The Eastern Coast of India

The Eastern Coast of India lies around the Bay of Bengal. It stretches from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu and covers the area of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. It also contains deltas of rivers of Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Cauveri. This area receives maximum cyclone storms making it suitable for the cultivation of jute and rice. The rains here are received from the North East Monsoons but the area witnesses less rainfall.

The Eastern Coast of India is again divided into three different parts:

1. Utkal Coast: It extends between Chilika Lake and Kolleru Lake. Crops like rice, coconut, and banana are cultivated here.
2. Andhra Coast: It extends between Kolleru Lake and Pulicat Lake. It forms the basin area of two rivers- Krishna and Godavari.
3. Coromandel Coast: It extends between Pulicat Lake and Kanyakumari. It receives rainfall in winters and remains dry in summers.

The Western Coast of India

The coastline that stretches from Kerala in the south to Gujarat in the north while passing through Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra is called the Western Coast of India. This coastline of India is narrower than the other. It stretches for 1500 km. It receives heavy rainfall from South-West Monsoons.

The Western Coast of India is further divided into four different parts:

1. Kachchh and Kathiawar Coast: The area of Kachchh is covered with shallow water during monsoons. It is divided into two parts- Great Rann (North) and Little Rann (East). Kathiawar lies in the south of Kachchh.
2. Konkan Coast: It extends from Daman to Goa. Important crops of this region are Cashew and Rice.
3. Konkan Coast: Rich in iron deposits, this coast extends between Marmagaon and Mangalore.
4. Malabar Coast: This part of the eastern coast is broader than the others. It extends from Mangalore to Kanyakumari. Lagoons are found in this region.

Differences between the Western and the Eastern Coast of India

1. The Eastern Coast is broader and the Western Coast is narrower.
2. The Eastern coast is washed by the Bay of Bengal while the Western Coast is washed by the Arabian Sea.
3. The Eastern Coast is suitable for agricultural purposes. Except for the Malabar Coast, the Western Coast is not suitable for agricultural purposes.
4. Deltas are formed on the Eastern Coast. They cannot be formed on the Western Coast.
5. The Eastern coast is divided into three parts and the Western Coast is divided into four parts.

1. The Indian coastline covers a total of 13 states and union territories.
2. The state with the longest coastline in Gujarat. It covers 1214.7 Km of India’s coastline.
3. The union territory with the longest coastline in Andaman and Nicobar islands. It covers 1962Km of India’s coastline.
4. The main crop of the coastal areas is rice and coconut trees can be found all along the coast.
5. The Eastern and the Western Coast of India meet at the southernmost tip of India- Kanyakumari.