The Deccan is the southern region of India. It’s also referred to as peninsular India because it covers most of the Indian peninsula. At the center of the Deccan is a large tableland, or plateau. The Deccan lies south of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, a large, flat plain that runs through parts of eastern Pakistan, northern India, and Bangladesh. The Deccan has an area of 735,000 square miles (1.9 million square kilometers).
The word Deccan comes from the Sanskrit word dakshina, meaning “south.”
Formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago, the Deccan is geologically ancient. Most of the plateau is made up of flat land that is 1,000 to 2,500 feet (300 to 750 meters) above sea level. Along the sides of the plateau are two chains of hills and mountains, called the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. These extend along the edges of the plateau region and meet at the southern tip of India. The highest point in the Deccan is Anai Peak (Anai Mudi), in the Western Ghats. It has an elevation of 8,842 feet (2,695 meters).
Narrow strips of coastal plains lie between the mountains and the sea. These plains are relatively narrow, ranging from 6 to 80 miles (10 to 130 kilometers) wide. On the east, several important rivers, including the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri, form large deltas as they flow into the Bay of Bengal.
The Deccan has a variety of ecosystems because of its size and the influence of the monsoon winds, which control how much rain falls. The Western Ghats, for example, receive extremely heavy rainfall, which has produced dense forests filled with trees such as bamboo and teak. Rainfall is much lighter inland on the plateau, where thorny vegetation covers the scattered hills.
Thousands of years ago ancient empires of the Deccan built tanks and reservoirs to capture monsoon rains, which they used for irrigating crops. In the 20th century people began building large dams to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. Today such crops as cotton, rice, and sugarcane are grown on the plateau. Mining resources such as iron ore, bauxite, and coal also contribute to the economy. The Deccan supports several major cities, including Hyderabad in Telangana state and Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) in Karnataka state.
The Deccan is home to a variety of wildlife, including large animals such as tigers and elephants. Numerous birds also inhabit the area. Wildlife conservation areas such as the Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu state have been established to protect the animals living in the region.
