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Question 2 of 15 · Physical Features of India
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The stretch of the western coast of India between Mumbai and Goa is known as the:

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Answer: Option A — Konkan Coast

Detailed Solution

The western coastal plains of India lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. They are narrow compared with the eastern coastal plains and are divided into three main parts, from north to south:

Konkan Coast: from Mumbai (Daman, in some descriptions) to Goa. It lies mainly in Maharashtra and Goa. It is a rocky coast with many small rivers, bays, creeks and headlands. The Konkan region is known for rice, coconuts, cashew nuts and the famous Alphonso mangoes of Ratnagiri. The Konkan Railway, opened in 1998, runs along this coast, connecting Roha in Maharashtra to Mangaluru in Karnataka.

Kanara (Karnataka) Coast: from Goa to Mangaluru, along the coast of Karnataka.

Malabar Coast: from Mangaluru to Kanyakumari, mainly in Kerala. It is famous for its backwaters (kayals) and lagoons, such as Vembanad Lake.

North of Mumbai lies the Gujarat coast, including the Kathiawar Peninsula and the Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat.

The eastern coastal plains, along the Bay of Bengal, are broader and are formed by the deltas of rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. They are divided into:

Northern Circars (Utkal and Andhra coasts): from the Mahanadi to the Krishna.

Coromandel Coast: from the Krishna to Kanyakumari, mainly in Tamil Nadu.

The western coast is a submerged (emergent in parts) coast with natural harbours, such as Mumbai and Mormugao, while the eastern coast is an emergent coast with deltas and fewer natural harbours. The western coast gets heavy rainfall from the south-west monsoon, while the Coromandel Coast gets much of its rain from the north-east monsoon in winter.

Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Alibag and Malvan (known for the Sindhudurg fort built by Shivaji) are important places on the Konkan coast. Konkani is the main language of Goa and is also spoken along the coast.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The Malabar Coast lies in Kerala.
  • ✗The Coromandel Coast lies on the east coast, mainly in Tamil Nadu.
  • ✗The Kanara Coast lies in Karnataka.

Quick tip

Remember: West coast (north to south) = Konkan (Mumbai-Goa), Kanara (Karnataka), Malabar (Kerala); east coast = Northern Circars and Coromandel (Tamil Nadu); Konkan Railway opened 1998.

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Physical Features of India — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Physical Features of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India's location and extent, its neighbours and boundary lines, and its physiographic divisions: the Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains and the islands, along with important mountain passes, peaks and hill ranges. Questions often ask which states the Tropic of Cancer passes through, the southernmost point of India (Indira Point), the highest peak in India (Kangchenjunga), and which pass connects which regions. India shares its longest land border with Bangladesh. Learning the Himalayan ranges from north to south (Himadri, Himachal and Shiwaliks) is also useful. Practise the physical features of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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