WESTERN GHATS
The Western Ghats or the Western Mountain range is a mountain range that covers an area of 160,000 km2 (62,000 sq mi) in a stretch of 1,600 km (990 mi) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Hills till 11 ° N
- The Western Ghats are known as Sahyadri in northern Maharashtra, Sahya Parvatam in Kerala and Nilagiri Malai in Tamil Nadu.
- The subduction of the Arabian basin and the tilting of the peninsula in the east and northeast during the Himalayan uplift generated the Western Ghats.
- As a result, it seems to block mountains in the west, with escarpments and staircase formations on the slope.
- The Western Ghats is one of the world's eight biodiversity hotspots, spanning six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
- It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological variety.