Free fall: Why the water won t stop
Rimmed on the east by the Western Ghats, Kerala is a land of undulating hills and steep slopes. The state's altitude ranges from below mean sea level (MSL) to 2,694 metres above MSL. The mountains of Western Ghats capture the rains of the south west monsoon and some of the north east monsoon, making Kerala one of the wettest states in the country.
But as the high range is hardly 80 km away from the sea, Kerala's rivers flow down to the Arabian Sea within 48 hours of a rainfall. The state's lowland region runs along the coastline, and it occupies approximately 10 per cent of the total area. It consists of beaches, swamps and lagoons and is famous for its backwaters, paddy fields and coconut plantations.
Kerala's midland, with altitudes ranging from 7.5 metres to 75 metres above MSL, is primarily made up of valleys. Undulating with numerous rivers and small hills, it accounts for 42 per cent of the landmass. A variety of seasonal, annual and perennial crops are grown in its mainly lateritic soil.
The highland region, with steep hills ranging from 75 metres to 750 metres above MSL, constitutes about 43 per cent of the state's area. It has forests and small streams, which join the state's 44 rivers. Plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber and cardamom are grown in this region.