Western Coastal Plains | |
|---|---|
Geographical region | |
 Physical map of India, showing the different topographical regions | |
| Country | India |
| State(s) | |
| Largest city | Mumbai |
| Languages | |
| • Major | Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Marathi, Malayalam, Tulu |
| Time zone | Indian Standard Time |
The Western Coastal Plains is a narrow stretch of landmass lying between the western part of the Deccan plateau and the Arabian sea in India. The plains stretch from the Kutch region to Kaniyakumari at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula with the Western Ghats forming its eastern boundary. It traverses the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala.
The plains are broadly divided into six subdivisions–Kutch and Kathiawar along with the Gujarat Plains in the north, Konkan Coast and Canara in the center, and Malabar in the south. Due to the presence of Western Ghats, which blocks the rain-bearing winds, the region from the south of Gujarat experiences heavy rainfall during the monsoons. Unlike the Eastern Coastal Plains, very few rivers cut across the region due to the steeper gradient of the Indian peninsula moving from east to west and the major rivers include Narmada and Tapti.