The Western Ghats is a mountain range that runs parallel to India's western coast, north of Mumbai along the Arabian Sea. The area consists of lower land along the coast and rising land inwards (Ghats means 'steps').

On average the Ghats are some 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level, but there are several peaks that have an elevation of more than 2,000 m. The highest mountain is Anamudi and it is 2,695 m (8,842 ft) high.

The region was originally covered with tropical and temperate evergreen forests, but large swathes of forest were cleared for agricultural plantations and timber. As a result the forests in the Western Ghats are fragmented. Despite of this, about one-fourth of India's flowering plant species are found in the Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats run through the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The mountains form a barrier to rain-bearing monsoon winds and as a result, most rain falls on their western side. The Western Ghats were inscribed into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Site in 2012.