Ghats

Ghats, two converging mountain ranges, southern India, called the Eastern and Western Ghats, running along the eastern and western coasts of the country.

The Eastern Ghats parallel the Coromandel Coast. The average elevation of the range is about 457 m (1,500 ft), but several peaks reach an altitude of about 1,219 to 1,524 m (4,000 to 5,000 ft) above sea level. The Eastern Ghats lie generally at a distance of about 80 to 240 km (50 to 150 mi) from the coast, but at Vishakhapatnam they form precipitous escarpments along the Bay of Bengal. The chief rivers that cross or penetrate the mountains are the Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery.

The Western Ghats extend from the southern portion of the Tapti River valley along the Malabar Coast to Cape Comorin. The range is divided by Palghat Gap (about 40 km/25 mi wide); the section north of the division is about 1,290 km (800 mi) long and that south of the gap about 320 km (200 mi). In many sections, the range is separated from the coastline only by a narrow strip of land. The Western Ghats have an average elevation of 915 m (3,000 ft), but south of Palghat Gap some peaks are as high as 2,438 m (8,000 ft) The highest point in the Ghats is Anai Mudi, which is 2,695 m (8,842 ft) high. Many dams have been constructed on the rivers of the Ghats for drinking and irrigation water, and hydroelectricity.