PACHAIMALAI HILLS

range of hills in Tamil Nadu state, southern India, an eastward extension of the Eastern Ghats in the northeastern Tamilnad Uplands. The Pachaimalai Hills, together with the Javadi, Shevaroy, and Kalrayan hills, separate the Cauvery River basin in the south from the Palar River basin in the north. Extending over approximately 5,200 sq mi (13,500 sq km), they form a discontinuous line of highlands with a general elevation of from 1,770 ft (540 m) to 4,620 ft. The region consists of rounded hills composed of granitic gneiss. The hills have scrub jungles on broken ground and sal (Shorea) forests on the flat hilltops. Loamy and clayey soils are found in the valleys. The Vellar, Palar, and Ponnaiyar rivers are dry for much of the year. The economy of the region is based on agriculture; rice, jowar (sorghum), sugarcane, gram (chick-pea), peanuts (groundnuts), and bajra (pearl millet) are subsistence crops. Coffee, cashews, and pepper are important plantation crops raised for export. Large-scale industries produce textiles, foodstuffs, and chemicals; engineering is also important. Cottage industries include mat and basket weaving, carpentry, blacksmithing, and the manufacture of bidi (cigarettes). Iron ore, manganese, beryl, and zinc are mined. About three-fifths of the area's population live in the Coimbatore-Madurai Uplands. The cankam period in Tamil literature flourished in the area during the Cera, Cola, and Pandya dynasties. Roads from the northern upland region to the eastern seaboard run along the valleys or other gaps between the hill ranges. Tiruvannamalai, Attur, Ranipet, and Chengam are important towns. The hills are named after the Pachaimalaiyali peoples who live in the region.