•   Assertion is true but reason is false.

•   Western coast receives more rainfall, but temperature (20-27°C) and soil quality is more suitable for rice production on the eastern coast.

•   There is competition on the western coast from other commercial crops like cotton which grow on the fertile black soil region along the western coasts.

•   Why eastern coast produces more rice?

o  Gradient is not steep when compared to the western coast, therefore more water retention.

o  Irrigation infrastructure is available more on the eastern coast than the western coast.

o  Cultural aspect: Rice is staple diet for people on the eastern coast.

•   It lies between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.

•   It extends from the Ganga delta to Kanniyakumari.

•   It is marked by deltas of rivers like the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Cauvery.

•   Chilka lake and the Pulicat lake (lagoon) are the important geographical features of the east coast.

•   Eastern coast is divided into three categories-

o  Utkal coast

o  Andhra coast

o  Coromandel coast

•   The west coast strip extends from the Gulf of Cambay (Gulf of Khambhat) in the north to Cape Comorin (Kanniyakumari).

•   From north to south, it is divided into (i) the Konkan coast, (ii) the Karnataka coast and (iii) the Kerala cost.

•   It is made up of alluvium brought down by the short streams originating from the Western Ghats.

•   It is dotted with a large number of coves (a very small bay), creeks (a narrow, sheltered waterway such as an inlet in a shoreline or channel in a marsh) and a few estuaries.

•   The Kerala coast (Malabar Coast) has some lakes, lagoons and backwaters, the largest being the Vembanad Lake.