Kerala State and Districts: Kerala is one of the southern states of India on the Malabar Coast with Malayalam as its official language. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Its area is over 38,863 km2 with Karnataka as a border to the North and Northeast, Tamil Nadu to the East and South, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the West. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Kerala is the thirteenth-largest populated state. Kerala State has been divided into 14 districts, 75 taluks, 152 community development blocks, 978 Gram panchayats, 6 corporations and 87 municipalities. The districts are:
Kerala has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices are important. Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%; highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.790 in 2011; the highest literacy rate, 93.91% in the 2011 census; the highest life expectancy, 77 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1000 men.
Kerala's coastline extends for 595 kilometers (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people in the state depend on fishery industry which contributes 3% to the state's income. It has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English and Malayalam.
Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions.
Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon with around 120–140 rainy days per year. Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon and the rest from September to December corresponding to Northeast monsoon.
Kerala has three international airports: Trivandrum International Airport, Cochin International Airport, and Calicut International Airport.
Kerala is considered as best models in health care compared to many other metropolitan cities.
Inland are the Western Ghats, mountains whose slopes support tea, coffee and spice plantations as well as wildlife. Kerala is blessed with abundant flora and fauna. National parks like Eravikulam and Periyar, Wayanad and other sanctuaries, are home to elephants, langur monkeys, and tigers.
Kerala celebrates Onam, the State festival as a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala and is reminiscent of the state's agrarian past. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and marks the commemoration of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of King Mahabali. It is one of the festivals celebrated with cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal and Onavillu.
Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. There are five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal, and Krishnanattam, which are originated and developed in the temple theaters during the classical period under the patronage of royal houses. Kerala Nathan is, Thirayattam, Kaliyattam, Theyyam, Koothu, and Padayani are other dance forms associated with the temple culture of the region. Kerala's Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest fighting systems in existence. Kalaripayattu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods.
Kerala State
Kerala State and Districts
| Thiruvananthapuram | Kollam |
| Alappuzha | Pathanamthitta |
| Kottayam | Idukki |
| Ernakulam | Thrissur |
| Palakkad | Malappuram |
| Kozhikode | Wayanad |
| Kannur | Kasaragod |
Kerala has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the total national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices are important. Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%; highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.790 in 2011; the highest literacy rate, 93.91% in the 2011 census; the highest life expectancy, 77 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1000 men.
Kerala's coastline extends for 595 kilometers (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people in the state depend on fishery industry which contributes 3% to the state's income. It has the highest media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine languages, mainly English and Malayalam.
Kerala is one of the prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major attractions.
Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon with around 120–140 rainy days per year. Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon and the rest from September to December corresponding to Northeast monsoon.
Kerala has three international airports: Trivandrum International Airport, Cochin International Airport, and Calicut International Airport.
Kerala is considered as best models in health care compared to many other metropolitan cities.
Inland are the Western Ghats, mountains whose slopes support tea, coffee and spice plantations as well as wildlife. Kerala is blessed with abundant flora and fauna. National parks like Eravikulam and Periyar, Wayanad and other sanctuaries, are home to elephants, langur monkeys, and tigers.
Kerala celebrates Onam, the State festival as a harvest festival celebrated by the people of Kerala and is reminiscent of the state's agrarian past. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (August–September) and marks the commemoration of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu and the subsequent homecoming of King Mahabali. It is one of the festivals celebrated with cultural elements such as Vallam Kali, Pulikali, Pookkalam, Thumbi Thullal and Onavillu.
Kerala is home to a number of performance arts. There are five classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullal, and Krishnanattam, which are originated and developed in the temple theaters during the classical period under the patronage of royal houses. Kerala Nathan is, Thirayattam, Kaliyattam, Theyyam, Koothu, and Padayani are other dance forms associated with the temple culture of the region. Kerala's Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest fighting systems in existence. Kalaripayattu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods.