South India information

South India or the Deccan (from Sanskrit word दक्षिण dakshina meaning the south) is the area encompassing the southern region of India. As a linguistic and cultural region, it comprises the southern states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. Culturally and linguistically, South India is distinguished as the home of the Dravidians, but not exclusively so; ethnic Dravidians also live in parts of eastern and central India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, while some non-Dravidian communities (such as the Konkanis) live in South India.
As a geographical entity, South India includes the peninsular region of India, south of Vindhya Range. The Deccan Plateau forms the northern boundary of the region, while the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal surround the peninsula in the west, south and east respectively. The geography of southern India is diverse, encompassing two mountain ranges - the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats and a plateau heartland. The Tungabhadra and Kaveri rivers are important non-perennial sources of water. The inhabitants of South India are referred to as South Indians.
A majority of South Indians are primarily Dravidians who speak one of four Dravidian languages - Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu. During its history, a number of dynastic kingdoms ruled over parts of South India prior to the British occupation of the region. The result of invasions in South-east Asia and Sri Lanka by South Indian dynasties directly impacted the history and cultures of modern nation-states such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. (...) more....

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