Understanding Indian State Boundaries

The question asks us to identify an Indian state based on its geographical boundaries. We are given the following boundaries:

• North: Karnataka
• East: Tamil Nadu
• West: Arabian Sea

Let's examine the options provided and see which one fits this description of state boundaries.

Analyzing State Locations and Boundaries

We need to consider the location of each state option relative to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and the Arabian Sea.

• Gujarat: Gujarat is in the western part of India. It is bordered by Rajasthan to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is not bordered by Karnataka or Tamil Nadu.
• Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh is in the southeastern part of India. It is bordered by Odisha and Chhattisgarh to the north, Telangana to the north-west, Karnataka to the west, Tamil Nadu to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the east. It is bordered by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, but it faces the Bay of Bengal to the east, not the Arabian Sea to the west, and Karnataka is to its west, not north.
• Kerala: Kerala is in the southwestern part of India. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Arabian Sea to the west. This description perfectly matches the boundaries given in the question: Karnataka in the North, Tamil Nadu in the East, and the Arabian Sea in the West.
• Maharashtra: Maharashtra is in the west-central part of India. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Gujarat to the northwest, Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Telangana to the southeast, Karnataka to the south, and Goa to the southwest. While it shares a border with Karnataka, Karnataka is primarily to its south and southeast, not north. Also, it does not share a border with Tamil Nadu.

Based on this geographical analysis, the state that fits all the given boundary conditions is Kerala.

Confirming Kerala's Geography

Kerala's location on the Malabar Coast of Southern India places it:

• To the north of Tamil Nadu.
• To the south of Karnataka.
• Between the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.

Therefore, relative to Kerala:

• Karnataka is to its North.
• Tamil Nadu is to its East.
• The Arabian Sea is to its West.

This confirms that Kerala is the correct state.