List of rivers of Kerala

The rivers flow faster, owing to the hilly terrain and as the short distance between the Western Ghats and the sea.

Geographically, the state can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands; rugged and cool mountainous terrain, the central mid-lands; rolling hills, and the western lowlands; coastal plains.

[1]: 110  The eastern region of Kerala consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys immediately west of the Western Ghats' rain shadow.

[9][10] The country's longest lake Vembanad, dominates the backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is about 200 km2 (77 sq mi) in area.

These rivers all originate in the Western Ghats range and flow westward into the Kerala Backwaters or into the Arabian Sea.