Tamil Nadu occupies the southeastern extremity of the Indian peninsula. It is bounded by the Eastern Ghats to the north, the Western Ghats (specifically the Nilgiri, Anaimalai, and Cardamom hills) to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south. The state shares borders with Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the northwest, and Andhra Pradesh to the north.
The state's physical geography is broadly divided into two main regions: the eastern coastal plains, known as the Coromandel Coast, and the hilly western and northern regions. A network of rivers, most notably the Kaveri (Cauvery), Palar, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani, cross the plains to empty into the Bay of Bengal. These river deltas form fertile agricultural zones. The state's natural resources are significant, including vast lignite reserves in Neyveli, limestone, bauxite, and granite.