KeralaState:(pop.,2008est.:34,232,000),southwesternIndia.Area:38,863sq.kmPopulation:31,841,374Capital:ThiruvananthapuramPrincipalLanguages:MalayalamBetterknownas"GodsOwnCountry",Keralaoffersyouahostofexcitingholidayoptions.SpreadoutacrosstheyeararespeciallydesignedpackagesthathighlighttheState'sattractions,andprovebeyonddoubtthattheseasonneverendsinthisbreathtakingbeautifulland.

BasicFactsDateofFormation : November1,1956Area : 38,863Sq.Km.Capital : ThiruvananthapuramPrincipallanguage : MalayalamStateFestival : OnamStateAnimal : ElephantStateBird : Hornbill(BensyrusBicernis)StateFlower : Kanikkonna(CassiaFistula)StateTree : CoconutTree(Cocosnucifera)GeographicalData : North Latitude between 8018 and

12048East longitudebetween74052and77022

NeighbouringStates/UTs : Tamil Nadu, Karnataka andLakshadweepis.

Demography

Population(2001) : 3,18,41,374Male(2001) : 1,54,68,614Female(2001) : 1,63,72,760

Sex Ratio (Females per 1000males)

: 1058

Populationdensity(2001) : 819/Sq.Km.UrbanPopulation(2001) : 8266925(26%)RuralPopulation(2001) : 2357449(74%)Decadalgrowthrate(2001) : 9.43Scheduled Caste population (inmillion)

: 3.12

Scheduled Tribe population (inmillion)

: 0.36

Maternalmortality ratio200103(SRS2007)

: 110

CrudeBirthRate(SRS2008) : 14.6%CrudeDeathRate(SRS2008) : 6.6%TotalFertilityRate(NFHS111) : 1.9InfantMortalityRate(SRS2008) : 12Lifeexpectancy : 71Malelifeexpectancy : 71Femalelifeexpectancy : 73.62Percapitaincome : Rs.27,048Literacy : 90.92%Maleliteracy : 94.20%Femaleliteracy : 87.86%

AdministrationDistricts : 14RevenueDivisions : 21Taluks : 63Villages : 1453Panchayats : 999

DevelopmentBlocks : 152DistrictPanchayats : 14AssemblySeats : 140+1AngloIndianNomineeLoksabhaSeats : 20RajyasabhaSeats : 9Municipalities : 53MunicipalCorporations : 5Contonment : 1(Kannur)Township : 1(Guruvayoor)EducationalDistricts : 38SubEducationalDistricts : 161Universities : 7+2DeemedUniversities

DistrictwiseDetailsDistrict Area Sq.

KmPopulation HeadQuarters

Thiruvananthapuram 2192 32,34,356 ThiruvananthapuramKollam 2579 25,85,208 KollamPathanamthitta 2731 12,34,016 PathanamthittaAlappuzha 1256 21,09,160 AlappuzhaKottayam 2204 15,53,646 KottayamIdukki 4998 11,29,221 PainavuErnakulam 2408 31,05,798 KochiThrissur 3032 29,74,232 ThrissurPalakkad 4480 26,17,482 PalakkadMalappuram 3548 36,25,471 MalappuramKozhikode 2345 28,79,131 KozhikodeWayanad 2132 7,80,619 KalppattaKannur 2997 24,08,956 Kannur

Kasargod 1961 12,04,078 KasaragodTotal 38863 3,18,41,374

AgricultureScenario(20052006)Totalcroppedarea : 27,68,737haNetareasown : 21,05,070haAreasownmorethanonce : 6,63,667ha.Landputtononagriculturaluses : 4,49,003haCroppingintensity : 131Barren&uncultivatedland : 25,826ha.Permanentpasturesandgrazingland : 95ha.Landundermiscellaneoustreecrops : 4,593ha.Currentfallow : 83,454ha.Fallowotherthancurrentfallow : 45,644ha.Cultivablewaste : 91,093haForest : 10,81,509Ha.Grossirrigatedarea : 4,55,310ha.Netareairrigatedtonetareasown : 18.41%Gross irrigated area to gross croppedarea

: 16.44%

Irrigated area under paddy to totalirrigatedarea

: 40%

ProductionofRice : 5,28,000MTProductivityofRice : 2,308Kg./Ha.Areaunderpaddycultivation : 2.29lakhha.ProductionofMilk(200607) : 22.48LakhtonnesProductionofEgg(200607) : 1,379MillionProductionofMeat(200607) : 205.21('000Metrictonnes)

GeneralSeatofHighCourt : KochiHighestPopulatedDistrict : MalappuramLowestPopulatedDistrict : WayanadLargestDistrict : IdukkiSmallestDistrict : AlappuzhaLongestRiver : PeriyarHighestPeak : AnamudiLargestKayal : VembanadKayalNationalHighways : 8(1524Km)RoadLength : 1,73,592KmRailwayRoute : 1,148Km.Airports : 3 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and

Kozhikode)RegionalPassportoffices : 4 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi,

KozhikodeandMalappuram)Annualrainfall : 3,428.4mm(2006)ForestArea(2001census) : 15,560Sq.KmMajorReligions : Hinduism,Islam,ChristianityNumber of Post Offices(200708)

: 5,070

Number of TelephoneExchanges

: 1,242

NumberofRivers : 44Numberofnavigablerivers : 41Total length of Inlandwaterways

: 1,687Km

Shri.R.S.Gavai,Governor

Sri.V.S.AchuthanandanChiefMinister

CouncilofMinistersShri.V.SACHUTHANANDA ChiefMinisterShri.M.A.Baby MinisterforEducationandCultureShri.KodiyeriBalakrishnan MinisterforHome,TourismShri.A.K.Balan MinisterforElectricity,SC/STDevelopmentShri.BinoyViswom MinisterforForestandwildlifeShri.C.Divakaran MinisterforFoodandCivilSuppliesShri.P.K.Gurudasan MinisterforLabour&ExciseShri.ElamaramKareem MinisterforIndustriesShri.PaloliMohammedKutty MinisterforLocalSelfGovernmentShri.N.K.Premachandran MinisterforWaterResourcesShri.K.P.Rajendran MinisterforRevenueandLandReformsShri.MullakkaraRatnakaran MinisterforAgricultureShri.S.Sharma MinisterforFisheriesSmt.P.K.SreemathiTeacher MinisterforHealthandSocialWelfareShri.G.Sudhakaran MinisterforCooperationDr.T.M.ThomasIssac MinisterforFinance

Shri.M.Vijayakumar Minister for Law, Sports and Youth affairs,ParliamentaryAffairs

Shri.Kadannapall Minister for Devaswom, Printing and

Ramachandran StationaryShri.JoseThettayil MinisterforTransport

It liesontheArabianSea, isborderedbyKarnatakaandTamilNadustates,andsurroundsthecoastalenclaveofMahe(partofPuducherryunionterritory).Ithasanareaof15,005sqmi(38,863sqkm),andits capital is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). During the 3rd century bce, it was an independentDravidiankingdomknownasKeralaputra.TheKulashekharadynasty ruled the region in the9th12thcentury,whentheregionalMalayalamlanguagetookhold;itisstillthedominantlanguage.Portugueseinterventionfrom1498wasfollowedbyDutchrule inthe17thcentury.TheDutchwereousted inthemid18thcenturyby theprincely stateofVenad (Travancore),which itselfcameunderBritish ruleaspartoftheMadrasPresidencyintheearly19thcentury.Itacquireditspresentnameandshapein1956.KeralaisoneofIndiasmostdenselypopulatedstates.ItissouthwesterncoastalstateofIndia.Itisasmallstate,constitutingonlyabout1percentofthetotalareaofthecountry.Keralastretchesforabout360miles(580km)alongtheMalabarCoast,varying inwidth fromroughly20to75miles (30to120km). It isborderedbythestatesofKarnataka (formerlyMysore)tothenorthandTamilNadutotheeastandbytheArabianSeatothesouthandwest;italsosurrounds Mahe, a segment of the state of Puducherry, on the northwestern coast. The capital isThiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum).Although isolated from the Indian interiorby themountainousbeltof theWesternGhats,Keralahasbeenexposedtomanyforeigninfluencesviaitslongcoastline;consequently,thestatehasdevelopedauniqueculturewithinthesubcontinent,notonlywithadiversereligioustraditionbutalsowithitsownlanguage,Malayalam.AlsonotableisthehighsocialstatusthatcontinuestobeaccordedtowomenofKerala,owingtotheformerstrengthofamatrilinealkinshipsystem.Area15,005squaremiles(38,863squarekm).Pop.(2008est.)34,232,000.LandKeralaisaregionofgreatnaturalbeauty.Intheeasternpartofthestate,AnaiPeak(8,842feet[2,695metres]),thehighestpeakofpeninsular India,crownstheWesternGhats.Descending fromtherockyhighlandswestwardtowardthecoastalplainisastretchoffarmlands,withdifferentcropscultivatedatdifferentelevations.Alongthecoast,alinkedchainoflagoonsandbackwatersformthesocalledVeniceofIndia.AmongthemoreimportantriversthatflowtotheArabianSeaarethePonnani(Bharatapuzha),Periyar,Chalakudi,andPamba.Climate

The climate of Kerala is equable and varies little from season to season. Throughout the year, dailytemperaturesusuallyrisefromthelow70sF(low20sC)intothe80sF(27to32C).Thestateisdirectlyexposed to thesouthwestmonsoon,whichprevails from July throughSeptember,but italso receivesrain from the reverse (northeast) monsoon, which blows in October and November. Precipitationaveragesabout115 inches (3,000mm)annuallystatewide,withsomeslopesreceivingmorethan200inches(5,000mm).

Plantandanimallife

The watery coastal zones of Kerala are interspersed with coconut palm groves, while much of theWesternGhatsandriverineareasarecoveredwithrainforestsandmonsoonforests(tropicaldeciduousforests).Rollinggrasslandsaretypicaloftheuplandregion.Thisdiversenaturalenvironmentishometoanextraordinaryarrayofwildlife.Mammals includesambardeer,gaurs(wildcattle),Nilgiritahrs(wildgoatlike animals;Hemitragushylocrius,or,by some classifications,Nilgiritragushylocrius), elephants,leopards,tigers,bonnetmonkeys,rareliontailedmacaques(Macacasilenus),andHanumanandNilgirilangurs (Semnopithecus entellus and Trachypithecus johnii, respectively). King cobras (Ophiophagushannah)areamongthenotablereptiles,whilepeacocksandhornbillsarecommonbirds.Thestatehasseveralnationalparksandwildlifesanctuaries,amongwhichthePeriyarNationalParkandTigerReserveisthelargest.Populationcomposition

The Malayalis are a group of people of mixed ethnic heritage who speak Malayalam, a Dravidianlanguage;theyconstitutethemajorityofthepopulationofKerala.MostMalayalisaredescendantsofthe early inhabitants of India, the socalledDravidians (speakers ofDravidian languages),whoweredriven southward between about 2000 and 1500 bce when the Aryans (speakers of IndoAryanlanguages)descendedintotheIndiansubcontinent.Overthemillennia,therehasbeenmuchexchangebetween the twogroups.Elementsof IndoAryanancestry remain strongestamong theNambudiri,aprominent caste of orthodox Hindus. Also living in Kerala is a significant minority of Tamils, aneighbouringpeopleofDravidianancestry.MorethanhalfofKeralasresidents,includingmostoftheMalayalis,followHinduism.Aboutonefourthofthepopulationpractices Islam,withtheMoplah(Mapilla)peopleoftheMalabarCoastconstitutingthe states largestMuslimcommunity.Christians,whoaccount fornearlyonefifthof thepopulation,belongbroadly to theSyrianOrthodoxandRomanCatholicchurchesaswellas tovariousProtestantdenominations.Keralaalsohas tiny Jain,Sikh,Buddhist,and Jewishcommunities; there isanancientsynagogueinKochi.Settlementpatternsanddemographictrends

Kerala is one of the most densely populated states in India. While only about onefourth of thepopulationwasreportedasurbanintheearly21stcentury,suchstatisticsaredeceptivebecauseofthecloseproximityof ruralhouses,especially in thecoastalplain. Indeed, inpartsof the state therearedensely populated rural equivalents of urbanmegalopolises. Themajor urban centres and industrialcomplexes include Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kollam (Quilon), Alappuzha (Alleppey),Thrissur(Trichur),andThalassery(Tellicherry).Agriculture,forestry,andfishingAgricultureisthestatesmaineconomicactivity.Commercialplantingsonlessthanhalfofthetotallandundercultivationearnasizableamountofforeignexchangebuthavenecessitatedthe importationoffood for local consumption. Keralas principal cash crops are rubber, coffee, and tea, which arecultivated inplantationson the slopesof the foothills, aswell as arecanut, cardamom, cashewnut,

coconut,ginger,andpepper.Themajorfoodcropsarerice,pulses(e.g.,peasandbeans),sorghum,andtapioca.Commercialpoultryfarmingiswelldeveloped.Theforestsyieldvaluabletimberssuchasebony,rosewood,andteak. Inaddition,Keralaswoodlandssupply industrial rawmaterials suchasbamboo (used in thepaperand rayon industries),woodpulp,charcoal, gums, and resins. The state is also a national leader in fish production. Sardines, tunas,mackerels,andprawnsareamongtheprincipalproductsoftheindustry.Resourcesandpower

Kerala lacks major reserves of fossil fuels. However, there are moderate deposits of ilmenite (theprincipaloreof titanium), rutile (titaniumdioxide),andmonazite (amineral consistingof ceriumandthoriumphosphates),allofwhicharefoundinbeachsands.Othermineralsincludelimestone,ironores,andbauxite (theprincipaloreof aluminum). The state is especially known for itshighquality kaolin(chinaclay),whichisusedtomakeporcelain.Keralahasgreathydroelectricpotential,withsome twodozenhydroelectricstationsoperatingwithinthestate.Severalthermalplantssupplyadditionalenergy,andinthelate20thcenturythestatebegantoestablishwind farms.Despite itswealthof renewable resources forpowergeneration,KeralahascontinuedtoimportsomeofitselectricityfromelsewhereinIndia.Manufacturing,services,andlabour

Aside from agriculture, manufacturing and service activities are important contributors to Keralaseconomy.Traditionalcottageindustries,suchasweaving,theproductionofcoconutfibre,andcashewprocessing, employ many workers in the manufacturing sector. Of the medium and largescaleindustries, food processing is the principal employer. Other major manufactures include fertilizers,chemicals,electricalequipment,titanium,aluminum,plywood,ceramics,andsyntheticfabrics.Banking,finance,andothercomponentsof theservicessectoralsoemployasignificantsegmentofthestatesworkforce.However,unemploymenthasremainedacute,withthestateshighlevelofeducationamongthejoblessexacerbatingtheproblem.Transportation

Keralahaswelldevelopedroadandrailwaysystems.ItisconnectedwiththestatesofTamilNaduandKarnatakabynationalhighways.ArailwaycomingfromtheeastthroughthePalghatGapintheWesternGhatsmeetswitharailwayrunningfromnorthtosouththroughthestateandontoKanniyakumari,thesouthernmost town of India. There is a major port at Kochi and intermediate ports at Kozhikode,Alappuzha, andNeendakara (near Thiruvananthapuram); all handle coastal and foreign traffic. Kochialsohasmajor shipyardandoil refining facilitiesand servesasadistrictheadquarters for the Indiancoastguardandasa regionalheadquarters for thenavy.More than1,000miles (1,600km)of inlandwaterwaysformthemainarteriesforcarryingbulkfreighttoandfromtheports.ThiruvananthapuramandKozhikodehaveinternationalairports;anairportinKochioffersdomesticservice.

Constitutionalframework

ThestructureofthegovernmentofKerala,likethatofmostotherstatesofIndia,isdeterminedbythenationalconstitutionof1950.AppointedbythepresidentofIndia,thegovernoristheheadofthestateandfunctionsontheadviceofthechiefminister,whoistheheadoftheCouncilofMinisters.Thestatehas an elected unicameral Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha). The High Court in Ernakulam (nearKochi)isheadedbyachiefjustice;appealsfromtheHighCourtmaygototheSupremeCourtofIndia.Below theHighCourt aredistrict courts, subdivisional courts,munsifs (subordinate judicialofficers)courts,andmunsifmagistratecourts. Inaddition,therearefamilycourtsandothercourtsthathandleparticulartypesofcases.Atthe local level,thestate isdivided intodistricts,which inturnaresubdividedforrevenuepurposesinto talukas (subdivisions) and villages. Since themid20th century, Keralas political experience haslargelybeenoneofinstability,withaproliferationofpoliticalpartiesandcoalitiongovernments.HealthandwelfareThestatemaintainsarelativelyhighstandardofhealthservice.Acomprehensivehealthinsuranceplanis available forworkers in a number of professions, and freemedical treatment is offered inmanyhospitals, health centres, and dispensaries.Among the top priorities of government health schemeshavebeen theestablishmentofhealthcare facilities in ruralareas, thepromotionof familyplanning,prevention of blindness, and control of communicable diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis, andmalaria.Education

Kerala has one of the most advanced educational systems and highest levels of literacy in India.Elementary education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 11. There are primary,middle, andsecondaryschools,aswellaspolytechnicaland industrialtraining institutes,artsandsciencecolleges,andprofessionalcolleges.Keralaalsohasseveraluniversities,includingtheUniversityofKerala(1937)inThiruvananthapuram, theUniversityofCalicut (1968) in Kozhikode,CochinUniversityof Science andTechnology(1971)inKochi,andKeralaAgriculturalUniversity(1971)inThrissur.Culturallife

TheculturalheritageofKeralareflectsextensiveinteractionwithdiversecommunitiesfromantiquitytothe present. With an array of ancient Hindu temples with copperclad roofs, later mosques withMalabargables (triangularprojectionsat the rooftops),andBaroquechurches from thePortuguesecolonialera,thestatesarchitectureoffersachronicleofthesocial,spiritual,andpoliticalhistoryofthearea.Other characteristicallyKeralanart forms include intricatepaintingsonwood, thematicmurals,andaremarkablevarietyofindoorandoutdoorlamps(fromwhichthestatehasearnedthesobriquetLandofLamps).Literatureandlearning,inbothTamilandSanskrit,haveflourishedsincethe2ndcenturyce;meanwhile,theMalayalamlanguage,thoughanoffshootofTamil,hasabsorbedmuchfromSanskritandalsohasaprolific literature.Notablenames inMalayalampoetryareTunchattuEluttaccanandKuncanNampiyaramong classicalpoets and KumaranAsan andVallathol in the 20th century. In 1889ChanduMenon

wrote Indulekha, the first outstanding novel inMalayalam, forwhich he received a certificate fromQueenVictoria.ThakazhiSivasankaraPillai,whoproducedhundredsofworksbeforehisdeathin1999,hasremainedamongthemostwidelyreadMalayalinovelists.Most traditional dances of Kerala pertain to the great Indian epicsthe Mahabharata and theRamayanaortothehonouringofspecificHindudeities.Inkathakali,theclassicalmartialdancedramaofKerala,maleperformersportraybothmaleandfemalecharacters.Bycontrast,thebharatanatyamdancing,datingtoearlyTamiltimes,ispracticedexclusivelybyfemales.History

Kerala is first mentioned (as Keralaputra) in a 3rdcenturybce rock inscription left by the MauryanemperorAshoka.InthelastcenturiesbcethisregionbecamefamousamongtheGreeksandRomansforitsspices(especiallypepper).DuringthefirstfivecenturiescetheregionwasapartofTamilakamtheterritoryoftheTamilsandthuswassometimespartiallycontrolledbytheeasternPandyaandCholadynasties, aswell as by the Cheras. In the 1st century Jewish immigrants arrived, and, according toSyrianOrthodoxChristians,St.ThomastheApostlevisitedKeralainthesamecentury.MuchofKeralashistoryfromthe6thtothe8thcentury isobscure,but it isknownthatArabtradersintroduced Islam later in the period. Under the Kulashekhara dynasty (c. 8001102), Malayalamemergedasadistinctlanguage,andHinduismbecameprominent.TheCholasoften controlledKeraladuring the11thand12th centuries.By thebeginningof the14thcentury, Ravi Varma Kulashekhara of the Venad kingdom established a shortlived supremacy oversouthernIndia.Afterhisdeath,Keralabecameaconglomerationofwarringchieftaincies,amongwhichthemostimportantwereCalicut(nowKozhikode)inthenorthandVenadinthesouth.Theeraof foreign interventionbegan in1498,whenVascodaGama landednearCalicut. In the16thcentury the Portuguese superseded the Arab traders and dominated the commerce of theMalabarCoast.Theirattempttoestablishsovereigntywasthwartedbythezamorin(hereditaryruler)ofCalicut.TheDutchoustedthePortugueseinthe17thcentury.MarthandaVarmaascendedtheVenadthronein1729andcrushedDutchexpansionistdesignsattheBattleofKolachel12yearslater.MarthandaVarmathenadoptedaEuropeanmodeofmartialdisciplineandexpanded theVenaddomain toencompasswhatbecamethesouthernstateofTravancore.Hisalliancein1757withtherajaofthecentralstateofCochin (Kochi), against the zamorin, enabled Cochin to survive. By 1806, however, Cochin andTravancore, aswell as theMalabarCoast in thenorth,hadbecome subject statesunder theBritishMadrasPresidency.Two years after Indias independencewas achieved in 1947, Cochin and Travancorewere united asTravancoreCochinstate.ThepresentstateofKeralawasconstitutedonalinguisticbasisin1956whentheMalabarCoastandtheKasargodtaluka(administrativesubdivision)ofSouthKanarawereaddedtoTravancoreCochin.ThesouthernportionoftheformerTravancoreCochinstatewasattachedtoTamilNadu.

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