INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

Detailed explanation-1: -In Kerala, these backwaters are locally known as Kayals. One of the very famous backwaters in the state is Vembanad. These Kayals are formed by wave action and shore currents which creates low barrier islands. The Kayals are a zone where freshwater is meeting with seawater and thus it has diverse flora and fauna.

Detailed explanation-2: -The place is called backwaters because the lake water is actually fresh river water that comes down from the river and is then used for the paddy fields whenever the need be, and later the lake water as it goes ahead, merges with the ocean in Kochi.

Detailed explanation-3: -A backwater is a part of a river in which there is little or no current. It can refer to a branch of a main river, which lies alongside it and then rejoins it, or to a body of water in a main river, backed up by the sea tide or by an obstruction such as a dam.

Detailed explanation-4: -While hill resorts and beaches can be found in other parts of India, the backwaters are unique to Kerala. Meandering through the coastal areas of Kerala is a 900-km-long (560-mile) intricate network of lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of several rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea.