Kerala

Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
Principal Languages : Malayalam
Largest City : Thiruvananthapuram
Establishment : November 1, 1956

Districts :

Alappuzha | Ernakulam | Idukki | Kannur | Kasaragod | Kollam | Kottayam | Kozhikode | Malappuram | Palakkad | Pathanamthitta | Thiruvananthapuram | Thrissur | Wayanad

Major Cities :

Kochi | Kollam | Kozhikode | Thiruvananthapuram | Thrissur

Geography :

Nestled away in the southwest corner of the subcontinent, the small state of Kerala makes up only 1.2% of India's total area, but it is home to 3.4% of India's population. Closed in by Karnataka to the north and Tamil Nadu on the east, Kerala's outlet to the rest of the world comes from its western coast on the Arabian Sea. The coastal belts of the state are actually the state's main attraction. Moving eastward from the Malabar Coast, Kerala slowly rises up into the Western Ghats, mountains that extend deeper into India.

Important Cities - Towns and Religious - Tourist Place :

Alleppey (sandy beach), Alwaye, Calicut (also called Kozhikode, was capital of Zamorin Rajas; Vasco da Gama landed here in 1498 AD), Cannanore (was capital of Kolathiri Raja), Choruthuruthi (famous poet and scholar Vallathol set up "Kerala Kalamanalam" here for revival of kerala are Forms), Cranganore (was capital ofcheraman Perumal, king of Kerala), Ernakulam, Guruvayoor (famous for ancient shrine of Lord Krishna), Idukki (hydro-electric Project), Kaladi (birth Place of Adi Sankaracharya, great Indian philosopher of 8th century), Kalpetta, Kasaragod (fort Projecting on to the sea), Kochi (earlier name Cochin, known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea), Kodanad (tourist place for trapping and taming wild elephants), Kottayam (main commercial centre), Kovalam (sea-side resort), Kozhikode, Malampuzha (picturesque surroundings and river project ). Malappuram, Munnar (highest town of kerala), Neyyar Dam (famous for scenic beauty), Palakkad, painavu Pathanamthitta, Periyar (wild life sanctuary) located near Thekkadi), ponmudi (famous bill station), quilon, Thiruvananthapuram (earlier name Trivandrum, known for Padmanabaswami temple, Veli lagoon at the outskirts), Trichur.

Climate :

Without a doubt, the only way to describe the Kerala climate is tropical. During the summer season, which lasts from April to August, temperatures hover around 90 F (32.2 C). The monsoon rains arrive In June, but do little to cool down the temperature. So, from June until September Kerala experiences very wet and hot conditions. Winter's onset in October does not bring cold or even chilly weather, but the season does keep temperatures moderate all the way through January

Location :

Located in south India, Kerala is bounded north by Karnataka, cast and southeast by Tamil Nadu, south - west by the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea in the west.

Culture :

Though Hinduism is the main religion of the state, Kerala has quite large Muslim and Christian populations. Islamic culture provided a Persian influence on the state, and Christianity's long history in Kerala has also helped mold the culture. Therefore, it comes as now surprise that Keralites have traditionally been very tolerant of religious differences. Its location between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea left Kerala with long periods of little contact with other parts of the world; thus it has distinct forms of art and custom. Woodcarving has been long practiced and mastered art of Kerala. Life-size sculptures and even completely carved buildings are found throughout the state. The 300 year-old dance form known as Kathakali is exclusive to Kerala. It combines opera, ballet, masque, and pantomime to create one of the most elaborate and technically difficult dance forms. Out of 11th century Kerala, Kalaripayattu emerged. Many experts believe that this complex martial art was a precursor of better-known oriental martial arts. One cannot discuss Kerala culture without discussing the food and celebrations of its people. Large Muslim and Christian populations have lent to widespread consumption of meat, but the distinguishing feature of Kerala's cuisine is the large amounts of curry leaves, coconut, coconut milk, and coconut oil used in preparation. This type of cooking adds to the celebration of religious holidays like Christmas and the state holiday of Onam, which marks the end of the monsoon, the time of harvest, and the legend of the return of an ancient ruler: Maha Billi.

History :

The State of kerala, created under the states Reorganization Act, 1956, consists of the previous State of Travancore - Cochin, expert for four taluks of the Trivandrumdistrict and a part of the Shencottah taluk of Quilon district. It took over the Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South from Madras state.

Economy :

Nearly 50 percent of the population of kerala is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. About 13 percent of the total cropped area is under irrigation. Cashewnut, arecanut, cocount, cotton, tea, cocoa, ginger and cardamom are the main cash crops of kerala. Rice and tapioca are important food crops. Forests account for 24 percent of the area of the State. Ilmenite, rutile, monazite, zircon, sillimanite and clay, quartz sand and lime shell are the important minerals of the State. Coir, cashew, rubber, tea, ceramics, electrical and electronic appliances, telephone cables, transformers, bricks and tiles, drugs and chemicals, general engineering, plywood, splints veneers, beedi and cigar, soaps, oils and fertilizers are the important industries of kerala. The new industries include precision instruments, machine tools. Petroleum and petroleum products, fertilizers and allied products, paints, aluminum, communication cables, rubber, rayon, pulp, paper, scooter, glass and nonferrous metals. The principal export products are cashew nuts, tea. coffee, paper and other spices, lemongrass oil, seafood's, rosewood, coir and coir products. The important power projects are : Panniyar, Sholayar, Sabarigiri, Sengulam, Peringalkuth, Neriamangalam, Idukki, Pallivasal, Edamalayar and Kuttiadi. Seaport : Kochi is the major seaport. Airports : Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Out of them, the first two are international airports

States and Union Territories of India