From the archive record
In the backwaters of Kerala, freshwater from rivers meets seawater from Arabian Sea. Water birds such as terns, kingfishers and cormorants also live in and alongside the backwaters in Kerala. Beautiful palm trees, various leafy plants and shrubs provide a green hue to the surrounding landscape. The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man made and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.