Geographically, Andhra Pradesh is composed of most of the eastern half of the Deccan
plateau and the plains to the east of the Eastern Ghats. Andhra Pradesh is divided into three
regions. The northern part of the plateau is the Telangana region and the southern part is
known as Rayalaseema. These two regions are separated by the River Krishna. The third region
is Coastal Andhra. The plains to the east of Eastern Ghats form the Eastern coastal plains. The
Eastern Ghats are discontinuous and individual sections have local names. The Kadapa Basin,
formed by two arching branches of the Eastern Ghats is a mineral-rich area. The coastal plains
are for the most part delta regions formed by the Godavari, Krishna, and Penner rivers. The
Eastern Ghats are a major dividing line in the state's geography. The Ghats become more
pronounced towards the south and extreme north of the coast. The Eastern Ghats region is
home to dense tropical forests, while the vegetation becomes sparse as the Ghats give way to
the Deccan Plateau, where shrub vegetation is more common. Most of the coastal plains are
put to intense agricultural use. The west and southwest parts of Andhra Pradesh have semi-arid
conditions.