Tag: geography

Tamil Nadu has a wealth of flora and fauna and some of its major wildlife sanctuaries like Mudumalai and Anaimalai are situated on the hills of the Western Ghats which is a habitat of elephants, tigers, bison and a variety of monkey and deer. Of the 3000 and more plant species found in Tamil Nadu, a majority is found in the mixed deciduous forest of this region.

The Nilgiri hills have a number of medicinal plants and a variety of flowers. Cinchona from which quinine is obtained is used for curing malaria. 

In coastal regions some alluvial deposits are formed due to wave action. Coastal and deltaic areas of Tamil Nadu includes Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirapalli, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Sivaganga districts have alluvial soils.

The forest areas of Tiruvannamalai and Tirunelveli districts of the state are  being regenerated and protected by the State Forest Department. These  forests not only provide for the large economy of the state but also to the local livelihood.

There are 17 major river basins found in Tamil Nadu. These are: Palar, Varaha Nadhi, Ponnaiyar, Vellar, Paravanar, Cauvery, Agniyar, Pambar, Kottakaraiyar, Vaigai, Gundar, Vaippar, Kallar, Thamiraparani, Nambiar, Kodayar, PAP. Most of the rivers which drain Tamil Nadu originate from uplands Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. Among the 17 basins Cauvery river basin is the wider one.

Sandalwood occurs extensively mostly in the Eastern Ghats ranging from Vellore district in the North east of Tamil Nadu to the Nilgiris in the west in the dry deciduous forests of the region. In Tamilnadu only dead and drying sandal trees are brought to depots for rough cleaning and final cleaning

Iron ore, copper, bauxite, chromite and pyrite are the major metallic minerals of Tamil Nadu.Following are the places they are found:

1. Iron ore: Salem, Namakkal and Thiruvannamalai
2. Copper: Salem, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Madurai
3. Bauxite: Salem, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Vellore, Dhamapuri, Madurai and Villupuram
4. Pyrite: Villupuram

• Conventional sources of energy usually include fossil fuels like hydroelectric, thermal power, natural gas and oil.
  
• Non-conventional sources of energy include solar power, wind power, biogas, tidal power, and geothermal power.

Natural forms of minerals are called ores. An ore is a mineral compound that is mined for one of the elements it contains, usually a metal element. 

Based on state geographical records for Tamil Nadu, there are 15 major lakes identified for water management and irrigation purposes.