The world's second-most populous country with 29 states and 7 Union Territories, India is bounded on all three sides by some of the biggest waterways on the planet. The Arabian Sea on the West, the Bay of Bengal on the East, and the Indian Ocean on the south with the undaunted Himalayas in the North and the Thar Desert's sandy trails in the West complete the landscape and ecology of the country. The Northern Plains and the Deccan Plateau are intercepted by numerous rivers, tributaries, and distributaries, while mountainous regions are marked by waterfalls, gorges, forests, and valleys that are home to distinct species of flora and fauna