Western Ghats
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How it came to be
The Western Ghats run for about 1,600 km parallel to India's west coast, 30 to 50 km inland, across six states. They are thought to have risen in the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, when Gondwana broke up and India separated from Africa. The range is older than the Himalayas.
The mountains catch the rain-bearing southwest monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea and shape India's wet season. Of nearly 650 tree species, 352 (54%) are endemic, as are 65% of up to 179 amphibian species. At least 325 globally threatened species live there.
Rugged terrain kept the range forested for a long time, but under British colonial rule large areas were cleared for plantations and timber. A serial property of 39 components was listed by UNESCO in 2012.
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