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The mid
land lies between the mountains and the low lands. It
is made up of undulating hills and valleys. This is an area
of intensive cultivation - cashew, coconut, areca nut,
cassava, banana, rice, ginger, pepper, sugarcane and
vegetables of different varieties are grown in this area. |
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The
'Western Ghats' with their rich primeval forests having a
high degree of rainfall, form the eastern boundary and
extend from the north to Kanyakumari in the south. The
entire western border is caressed by |
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The south-west
and north-east monsoons with their accompanying downpour keep
the land soaked, for a period of five to six months in a year.
The 'western Ghats', which form the eastern ramparts of the
state rise from very low altitudes of a few hundred metres upto
about 2,000 metre on an average. The 'Anamudi' peak in the high
ranges of Kottayam district rises to a height of 3,000 metres
and represents the highest point in India, south of Himalayas. 'Agastyakutam'
the southern most peak in the Ghats, is 2,044 metres. 'Ezhimala'
is a rugged hill jutting into the sea in startling isolation on
the Kannur coast. Ghats are served as an effective rampart. The
range has many passes which have allowed a controlled
interaction between Kerala, and the lands lying beyond the
mountains. The 'Peranbadi Ghat' provides access to Coorg, the 'Periyar
Ghat' to the Nilgiri district. The Palghat pass, 32 km broad,
has played a bigger role in the alarums and excursions of
history. In south, the Bodinaikannur pass connects Devikulam and
Munnar in Kerala with the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. Other
passes linking Kerala with Tamil Nadu are Thevaram, the Kambam,
the Kumili and the Aramboly. |
