Occupying a narrow, lush strip of land on India's southwestern Malabar Coast, Kerala is a geographical marvel. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west and the towering Western Ghats mountain range to the east, naturally isolating the region from the Deccan Plateau and fostering a distinct biodiversity.
The state is crisscrossed by 44 rivers, the longest of which are the Periyar, the Bharathappuzha, and the Pamba. These rivers feed an intricate network of interconnected brackish lagoons and lakes known as the Kerala Backwaters, which run parallel to the Arabian Sea coast. Vembanad Lake is the largest and longest lake in this system. The state is exceptionally rich in natural resources, including abundant forests, fisheries, and minerals like ilmenite and rutile found in its coastal sands.