Geographical area
The state covers an area of 1,30,058 km², which is 3.96% of the total geographical area of the country divided into four major regions, namely Coastal Plains, Eastern Ghats, Central Plateau and Western Ghats.
Tamil Nadu is the only state in India that has both the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, creating a unique biological and ecological connectivity. It has the finest landscapes, from the high-altitude sholas of the Western Ghats to the vibrant coral reefs of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay.
The state covers an area of 1,30,058 km², which is 3.96% of the total geographical area of the country divided into four major regions, namely Coastal Plains, Eastern Ghats, Central Plateau and Western Ghats.
Tamil Nadu’s 1,068.69 km of coastline is now recorded as the second-longest in India, with 14 coastal districts largely supporting India’s blue economy.
The state covers a wide range of ecosystems, consisting of nine forest types, including tropical wet evergreen forests, dry deciduous tracts, thorns, montane sholas, and mangroves, as well as aquatic habitats such as inland wetlands, estuaries, and marine and coastal lagoons. That supports a wide range of floral and faunal diversity.
Tamil Nadu has 26,450.22 km² of area that falls under forest cover, which is 20.34% of the state's geographical area. The forest and tree cover area are 31820.94 km², which is 24.47% of the geographical area of the state (Source: FSI, 2023).
Tamil Nadu supports rich native flora and diverse wildlife across forests, wetlands, and coastal habitats.
Tamil Nadu is well-known for its floral diversity, with many endemic species accountings for roughly one-third of the country's total flora. It also has thousands of medicinal plants and hundreds of wild relatives of cultivated plants.
The state also supports a wide range of wildlife, from the Asian Elephant and Bengal Tiger to endemic primates, hundreds of bird species, thousands of insects, varieties of corals and associated marine faunal diversity.
Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in the protection of forests and conservation of wildlife by enacting the (Tamil Nadu) Forest Act since 1882 and also notified many Protected Areas (PAs) under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, that comprise 5 National Parks, 18 Wildlife Sanctuaries for various threatened animals, 17 Bird Sanctuaries and 3 Conservation Reserves. As of now, the state has 39.59% (9179.676 km²) of forest area as protected areas.
In Tamil Nadu, there are 5 tiger reserves, 5 elephant reserves for conserving flagship species, 3 biosphere reserves, 4 biodiversity heritage sites to conserve local ecosystems along with endemic species and traditional practices, and 20 Ramsar sites for protecting various wetland habitats.
Tamil Nadu leads the country by initiating several in-situ and ex-situ wildlife conservation programmes, as well as establishing infrastructure facilities.
India's first state-level wild mammal conservation project was initiated in late 2022. It primarily focuses on the conservation, protection, and increased awareness of the State Animal, the Nilgiri Tahr, as well as the restoration of Shola grasslands in the Western Ghats via radio collaring, biennial synchronised surveys, and outreach programs.
Establishing a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre at Pethikuttai, Coimbatore; a biodiversity park at Kadambur; a Pallikaranai conservation centre; Mahout villages in Anamalai and Mudumalai tiger reserves; a slender loris conservation centre at Ayyalur; an elephant camp in Sadivayal; modernisation of the elephant camp in Theppakadu for conservation and rehabilitation of elephants; and a remodelled children's nature park in Guindy.
Tamil Nadu has established the Tamil Nadu Raptor Research Foundation (TNRRF) to study and conserve the birds of prey (vultures, eagles, hawks, etc.), and the Tamil Nadu Marine Resource Foundation (TNMRF) is dedicated to conserving marine and coastal ecosystems, restoring biodiversity, and building climate resilience for coastal communities.
The state has also established the Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund (₹50 crores) to protect and recover threatened species such as the lion-tailed macaque, Madras hedgehog, striped hyena, humpback mahseer fish, etc., and their habitats.
The Centre for Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Conservation Innovation cum Incubation Centres at various locations for protecting the vultures, Bengal fox, striped hyena, etc., to enhance conservation efforts on the endangered animals.
Turtle telemetry studies and protected area management in the Gulf of Mannar are some of the important projects initiated by the Forest Department of Tamil Nadu recently for the conservation of marine biodiversity in the state.
Establishing a dugong conservation centre in Manora and the sea turtle conservation centres in Nagapattinam and Chennai is to raise awareness about marine biodiversity among the public.
Major firsts and landmark achievements that set Tamil Nadu apart in wildlife and ecosystem conservation.
For detailed data and reports, explore our Resources and Programmes.