Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Ghats are big mountains in India.

They sit near the sea. Many rivers flow through the hills.

These rivers flow east to the ocean. The mountains have many kinds of trees. Some trees are called red sandalwood.

Many animals live there too. You might see a small loris.

It is a very busy and green place.

The Eastern Ghats are a long chain of mountains in India.

They run along the eastern coast near the Bay of Bengal. These mountains pass through many states. These include Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

The mountains are not one solid line. They are a broken chain of hills. The highest peak is called Arma Konda. It is 1,698 meters tall. Many big rivers flow through the range. The Godavari and Krishna rivers flow east toward the sea.

The weather is often hot and humid. The mountains help bring rain to the coast. There are many kinds of forests here. You can find evergreen forests and dry thorn forests. Some trees, like red sandalwood, are very special.

Many animals call this place home. You might see a Bengal tiger or an Indian elephant. There are also many birds. One rare bird is the Jerdon's courser.

A small animal called the grey slender loris also lives here.

The region is full of life.

The Eastern Ghats are a long chain of mountains in India.

They run along the eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. This range sits near the Bay of Bengal. It passes through many different states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It also goes through Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The mountains are not one solid line. They are a broken chain of hills. This makes them look different from the Western Ghats.

These mountains are very old. They began forming during a time called the archeozoic era. They became part of India after huge supercontinents broke apart. Scientists found that the mountains grew through a process called metamorphism. This means rocks changed over millions of years. The rocks in the mountains include granite and quartzite. You can also find khondalite rocks there.

These mountains are much older than the Western Ghats. They have been shaped by erosion for a very long time.

The mountains have three main sections. The northern part is mostly in Odisha. The middle part reaches up to the Penna River. This middle section has two parallel ranges. A wide gorge sits between them. This is where the Godavari and Krishna rivers flow.

Most rivers start in the Western Ghats. They flow east across these mountains to reach the sea. The mountains also create many waterfalls. There are also large lakes called lagoons near the coast.

The weather in the Eastern Ghats is often hot and humid. The mountains play a role in bringing rain to the coast. This happens because the range blocks certain winds. There are nine different types of forests in this region. You can find evergreen forests and dry thorn forests. Some trees are very useful, like red sandalwood.

The higher hills are usually cooler and wetter. The lower parts can be quite dry.

Many amazing animals live in these mountains. You might see a Bengal tiger or an Indian elephant. There are also many kinds of monkeys like the Hanuman langur.

Some animals are special because they only live here. The grey slender loris is one such animal.

You can also find rare birds like the Jerdon's courser.

This bird was once thought to be gone forever. It was found again in 1986. The region is truly full of life.

The Eastern Ghats are an ancient mountain range in India. They stretch along the eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. This range runs parallel to the Bay of Bengal. It sits along the eastern edge of the Deccan Plateau. The mountains cover a large area across several Indian states. These include Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Geologists study these mountains to understand Earth's history. The range is an orogenic belt. An orogenic belt is a region where mountains form through tectonic activity. This process began during the archeozoic era. The mountains became part of the Indian subcontinent after the supercontinent Rodinia broke up. This breakup led to the formation of Gondwana. Over millions of years, the mountains changed through metamorphism. Metamorphism is when rocks change due to intense heat and pressure. This makes the Eastern Ghats much older than the Western Ghats.

The geology of the range is very complex. Many different types of rocks are found here. These include granite, quartzite, and charnockite. A major rock type is khondalite. These rocks formed during the mid-proterozoic era. They began as layers of silt, carbonates, and basalt. During the mesoproterozoic era, the range was compacted. It was also re-aligned toward the northeast. The structure contains many thrusts and strike-slip faults. A significant feature is the Eparchaean Unconformity in the Tirumala Hills. This shows a long period where no new rocks were deposited.

The Eastern Ghats can be divided into three distinct sections. The northern section lies mostly in Odisha. It stretches from the Similipal hills to the Andhra Pradesh border. The highest peak here is Deomali at 1,672 meters. The central section reaches up to the Penna River. It consists of two parallel ranges. A wide gorge separates these ranges. The Godavari and Krishna rivers flow through this gorge.

The southern section consists of several smaller hills. These include the Javadi and Shevaroy Hills. The range eventually meets the Western Ghats at the Nilgiris.

Water plays a huge role in this landscape. The Eastern Ghats are a major watershed for India. A watershed is an area of land that directs water to specific rivers. Many perennial river systems flow through the range. These include the Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, and Kaveri. Most of these rivers originate in the Western Ghats. They flow east across the plateau to reach the Bay of Bengal. The rivers create many waterfalls and large coastal lagoons. Examples of these lagoons include Chilika, Kolleru, and Pulicat lakes.

The climate in the region is tropical. It is often hot and humid. During summer, temperatures can reach high levels. The humidity stays between 65% and 75%. The mountains influence local weather through orography. Orography is the study of how mountains affect weather. The range blocks low-level winds. This brings rainfall to the eastern coastal plains. There are nine different forest types in the region. These range from tropical evergreen to thorn scrub.

Some trees, like red sandalwood, are commercially important.

Biodiversity in the Eastern Ghats is incredibly high. The region is home to many species of plants and animals. There are over 4,500 species of flowering plants. Some of these are endemic, meaning they live nowhere else. Many animals live in these forests. You can find Bengal tigers, leopards, and Indian elephants. The grey slender loris is also found here.

Many bird species live in the range too. The Jerdon's courser is a very rare bird. It was thought to be extinct until it was found again in 1986.

The region is a vital home for much of India's wildlife.