Kerala's topography slopes dramatically from the towering peaks of the Western Ghats down to the Arabian Sea. The highest point in the state—and in all of peninsular India—is Anamudi, which stands at 2,695 meters (8,842 feet) in the Idukki district. The lowest point is located in the Kuttanad region, which uniquely lies 1 to 2 meters below sea level and is one of the few places in the world where below-sea-level farming is practiced.
The state is intersected by 44 rivers, 41 of which flow westward into the Arabian Sea or the backwater system. The longest of these is the Periyar River. The topography transitions swiftly from steep, tea-covered mountainous plateaus to midland hills dominated by rubber and spice plantations, eventually flattening out into marshy coastal plains and the massive Vembanad Lake.