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Physiography: Kerala may be divided into three geographical regions:
1. Highlands 2. Midlands 3. Lowlands.
The highlands slopedown from the western ghats which rise to an average height of 900m, with a number of peaks well over 1,800m in height. The midlands lying between the mountains and the lowlands, is made up of undulating hills and villages. The lowlands or the coastal area, which is made up of the river deltas, back waters and the shore of the Arabian sea, is essentially a land of coconut and rice.
Rivers and Backwaters: Kerala is the land of Rivers and backwaters. 44 Rivers (41 West flowing and 3 east flowing) cut across Kerala with their innumerable tributaries and branches but these rivers are comparative small and being entirely monsoon - fed, practically turn into rivulters in summer, especially in the upper areas.
Backwaters form a specially attractive and economically valuable feature of Kerala. They include lakes and ocean inlets which stretch irregularly along the coast.
The biggest backwater is the Vembanad lake, some 200 sq. km in area, which opens out into the Arabian sea at Cochin Port.
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