4th Standard Social Science Term-II
Physical Features of Tamil Nadu
Learning Objectives
Children can :
- understand the physical features of Tamil Nadu.
- locate mountains, plateaus, plains and coastal regions in Tamil Nadu.
- describe the features of mountains, plateaus, plains and coastal regions.
- know about the types of forests found in Tamil Nadu.
Our State
Tamil Nadu is located in the South of India. It is the Tenth largest state in India. It shares boundaries with
- Andhra Pradesh to the North
- Karnataka to the North west
- Indian Ocean to the South
- Kerala to the West
- Bay of Bengal to the East
Tamil Nadu extends upto Kanniyakumari, the so called southernmost tip of India. It is the meeting point of Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
The Pulicat lake is situated at the northern boundary of Tamil Nadu near chennai.
DO YOU KNOW?
Tamil Nadu had 32 districts. In 2019, government announced 6 more districts namely Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Chengalpattu and Mayiladuthurai At present there are 38 districts.
DO YOU KNOW?
During the British rule Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Lakshwadeep together known as Madras Presidency. Later in 1953, Telugu speaking region formed as Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, in 1956, Malayalam and Kannada speaking regions also formed as Kerala and Karnataka.
Landscape of Tamil Nadu
The landscape of Tamil Nadu is divided into four forms namely :
1. Mountains 2. Plateaus 3. Plains 4. Coast
1. Mountains
Mountains are raised part of the earth's surface much larger than hills.
Tamil Nadu which is the only state in India, has both the Western ghats and Eastern ghats. They meet at the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu. Doddabetta is the highest peak in Nilgiri hills. Tamil Nadu has various hill stations like Ooty, Kodaikkanal, Kolli hills, Kothagiri and Yercaud.
The Eastern ghats do not get enough rainfall whereas the Western ghats which receives lot of rainfall. The plantations grown in these ghats include tea, coffee and spices.
Tamil Nadu has rich flora and fauna. Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary, Indira Gandhi wildlife sanctuary and Anaimalai National park are in the Western ghats of the state. There are a variety of plant species found in them. The Kurunji shrub is the most special of them all. Kurunji flowers blossom once in 12 years.
2. Plateaus
Plateau is a large flat area of land that is high above sea level.
There are three plateaus in Tamil Nadu namely Bharamahal plateau, Coimbatore plateau and Madurai plateau. There are many small hills between these plateaus. Chennimalai in Erode, is one among those hills.
3. Plains
A Plain is a broad area of flat land. Plains in Tamil Nadu are divided into river plains and coastal plains.
a) River plains
Rivers Palar, Cheyyar, South Pennar and Vellar form the Northern plains. The middle river plain is formed by Cauvery and its tributaries. River Vaigai and Thamirabarani form the Southern plains.
River Cheyyar is a tributary of River Palar. It is a seasonal river that flows through the district of Tiruvannamalai.
b) Coastal plains
Coastal plains of Tamil Nadu are also called Coromandal coastal plains which extend from Chennai to Kanniyakumari.
4. Coasts
Coast is the land next to or close to the sea or ocean.
Tamil Nadu has the third longest coastline in India. The coastal region extends from Chennai to Kanniyakumari. Pamban island forms a part of Ramanathapuram. It separates Gulf of Mannr and Palk strait. 14 districts share the coastline.
The notable beaches of Tamil Nadu are :
a) Marina Beach, the second longest urban beach in the world.
b) Rameshwaram beach is famous for its beautiful view.
c) Kanniyakumari beach is famous for its beautiful views of sunrise and sunset over the water.
d) Silver Beach is located 2kms from cuddalore. It is the second longest beach on the Coromandal coast.
DO YOU KNOW?
Pamban bridge in Rameswaram is India's first sea bridge opened in the year 1914.
Waterfalls of Tamils Nadu
Waterfalls is an area where the river water flows down from a mountain. Tamil Nadu has 27 waterfalls. Some of them are :
a) Thalaiyar waterfalls is situated at Devadanapatti in Theni district, is the highest waterfalls in Tamilnadu and 6th highest in India.
b) Courtallam waterfalls is located in Tenkasi. It is in the Western ghats on the river Chittar. There are a total of nine falls of which Peraruvi, Aintharuvi and Puli Aruvi are the most prominent.
c) Suruli waterfalls is located in Theni. Here the water falls from a series of rock steps.
d) Vattaparai waterfalls is located in Kanniykumari. The falls is surrounded by forest on all sides. People are allowed to take a natural bath here.
e) Hogenakkal waterfalls is located in Dharmapuri on the River Cauvery. It is known for bathing areas, boat rides and attracts many tourists throughout the year.
DO YOU KNOW?
Droogs are steep rocks. Rock fort is a famous droog in Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu).
Climate of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu experiences tropical climate and there is very little difference between summer and winter. The temperature during summer can rise up to 40⁰C (40 degree celsius). Due to its location, Tamil Nadu experiences hot and humid weather almost throughout the year with mild winter. As Tamil Nadu is dependent on monsoon rains, it often faces droughts when monsoon fails.
Seasons of Tamil Nadu :
1. Winter season (January - February)
2. Summer season (March - May)
3. South west monsoon (June - September)
4. North East monsoon (October - December)
DO YOU KNOW?
Thiruthani recorded the highest temperature of 48.6⁰C on 29th May 2003.
Forests
There are many types of forests across Tamil Nadu. Most of these forests are found in the areas near the ghats. These forests have so many types of trees. The topmost branches of the trees form like a continuous chain that prevents the sunlight from falling on the ground is called the canopy. The forests are divided based on the canopy cover :
Very Dense Forest
The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Tenksi Erode.
Moderate Dense Forest
The Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Krishnagiri.
Open Forest
Salem, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet Dharmapuri.
The forests can also be grouped as :
a) Evergreen forests :
The word evergreen means :
Ever (always) + green = Always green
The trees in these forests have leaves that are always green. In Tamil Nadu we find evergreen forests in the Western ghats of Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, The Nilgiris and Coimbatore.
b) Deciduous forests :
The trees in these forests shed their leaves during the dry season (winter).
These forests are usually found near the evergreen forests. They generally grow in the lower regions of the hills.
c) Swamp (Mangrove) forests :
The word swamp means an area of soft wet land. These forests are usually found near the beaches and river beds.
The Pichavaram mangrove forest is located near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu.
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