Area	38,863 sq km	Kerala is a small state, tucked away in the south west corner of India. It represents only 1.18% of the total area of india but 3.43% of the total population of the country is in Kerala. Physiography Kerala may be divided into 3 geographical regions: 1) Highlands, 2) Midlands and 3) Lowlands. The highlands slope down from the Western Ghats which rise to an average height of 900 m, with a number of peaks well over 1,800 m in height. This is the area of major plantations like tea,coffee,rubber,cardamom and other spices. The midlands, lying between the mountains and the lowlands, is made up of undulating hills and valleys. This is an area of intensive cultivation. Cashew, coconut, arecanut, cassava(tapioca), banana, rice, ginger, pepper, sugar-cane and vegetables of different varieties are grown in this area. The lowlands or the coastal area, which is made up of the river deltas, backwaters and shore of Arabian sea, is essentially a land of coconuts and rice. Fisheries and coir industry constitute the major industries of this area. Kerala is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty-four rivers(41 west-flowing and 3 east-flowing) cut across Kerala with their innumerable tributaries and branches but these rivers are comparatively small and being entirely monsoon-fed, practically turn into rivulets in summer,especially in the upper areas.
Capital	Thiruvananthapuram
Language	Malayalam
Districts	14
Population	29,011,237
Males	14,218,167
Female	14,793,070
Increase	(1981-91): 3,557,557
Growth Rate (per cent)	1981-91: 13.98
Density(persons per sq.km.)	747
Urban Population	26.31%
SexRatio(females per 1000 males)	1040
Literacy	90.59%
Males	94.45
Females	86.93
Percapita income(92-93)	Rs.5,065
1991 Census final population total	29,698,518

The backwaters form a specially attractive and economically valuable feature of Kerala. They include lakes and ocean inlets which stretch water is the Vembanad lake, some 200 sq. km in area, which opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin Port, The Periyar, Pamba, Manimala,Achenkovilm Meenachil and Moovattupuzha rivers drain into this lake. The other important (Anju Thengu), Edava, Nadayaram Paravoor, Ashtamudi(Quilon), Kayamkulam,Kodungallur(Cranganore) and Chetuva. The deltas of the rivers interlink the backwaters and provide excellent water transportation in the lowlands of Kerala. A navigable canal, 367 km long,stretches from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, to Tirur in the far north. History When India became free, three administrations ruled this region-two princely states, Travancore and Cochin, and Malabar which was under the direct administration of the British. One of the first steps taken by independent India was to amalgamate small states together so as to make them viable administrative units. Accordingly Travancore and Cochin states were integrated to form Travancore-Cochin State on 1st July, 1949. However, Malabar remained as part of the Madras Province. Under the States Re-organization Act of 1956, Travancore-Cochin State and Malabar were united to form the State of Kerala on 1st November, 1956. Some territorial adjustments had necessarily to be made on re-organization. In this adjustment, Kerala lost to Madras (now Tamil Nadu) the taluks of Thovala, Agasteeswaram, Kalkulam and Vilavancode in the far south and Shencotta in the east, while it gained the Malabar district and the Kasargod taluk of South Kanara district in the north. The Lakshadive Minicoy and Amindivi detached from Kerala and declared as Union Territory. Administration :The sate has unicameral legislature. The Legislative Assembly has 141 members. Districts The state divided into 14 districts. Districts Area Population Headquarters Thiruvananthapuram 2,192 2,938,583 Thiruvananthapuram Kollam 2,579 2,398,285 Kollam Alappuzha 1,256 1,990,603 Alappuzha Pathanamthitta 2,731 1,186,628 Pathanamthitta Kottayam 2,204 1,819,581 Kottayam Idukki 4,998 1,076,555 Painav Ernakulam 2,408 2,797,779 Kochi Thrissur 3,032 2,734,333 Thrissur Palakkad 4,480 2,376,160 Palakkad Malappuram 3,548 3,093,190 Malappuram Kozhikode 2,345 2,612,897 Kozhikode Wyanad 2,132 671,195 Kalpetta Kannur 2,997 2,224,819 Kannur Kasargod 1,961 1,070,629 Kasaragod State of the Economy Power(installed capacity): 1476.5 MW; Industrial Employment:2.59 lakh; No. of industrial units: 11,407; People per phone: 62; Road length: 139,042 km; Domestic Airports: 3; Inflation 12.2%. Kerala with its high population presents complex problems in the sphere of food, employment and housing. The state is 50% shot of food. Owing to the historical and climatic reasons state has developed commercial agricultural more than food crops. Consequently, the state is short of food grains, especially rice which is the staple food of the people. Out of a gross cropped area of 30.21 lakh hectares in 1992-93 the share of food corps (cereals,millets,pulses and tapioca) was only 23%. Kerala has a unique cropping pattern. It accounts for 92% of India’s rubber, 70% of coconut,60% of tapioca and almost 100% of lemon grass oil. Kerala is the single largest producer of a number of other crops like banana and ginger, besides tea and coffee in abundance. Rubber: Production stood at 408,300 tons in1970-71.(Figures for India for 35,160 and 92,171, respectively.) Area under Rubber increased from 198,424 to 437,100 hectors during the same period.(Figures for India:217,198 and 508,420) Coffee : In 30 years coffee production in the state increased more than 7 times. In 93-94 Kerala produced 38000 tones. Production marked an increase because of rice productivity. Tea : 1993-94 total production of tea in this state was 60,690 tones. Around 34,850 hectors are under tea foundation. Cardamom : The area under cardamom decline to 39,930 hectors in 1992-93 against 43,670 hectors in 1991-92, and production fell from 3450 tonnes in 91-92 to 2424 tonnes in 1992-93. In 93-94 area was 43,459 hectares and production 4430 tonnes. Coir and Cashew are two of the largest traditional industries in the state. Cashew production was 90,000 tonnes in 1992-93. Handloom also is fairly developed. Bamboo based industries are also thriving. In 1989-90 cashew work of Rs. 360 crores and coir products worth Rs.33.52 crore were exported. Out of a total marine products export of 139,419 tonnes from India during 1991. Kerala share was 50,997 tonnes. That is 36.58%. Fish production in 1992 was 603,000 tonnes. Total no: of small scale units was 95,851 in March 93. No: of working factories was 13,946 by end of 1992. Joint stock companies rose to 5,228 by march 93. In 1991 the state announced a new industrial policy of leberalisation for private entrepreneurs, first private airport, is planning to launch a airport development organization is approaching capital market for funds. Universities Kerala University, Thiruvanathapuram ; Calicut University, Thenjippalam(Malapuram Dist.); Cochin University of science and technology, Kochi; Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam; Kerala Agl University, Thrissur; Sree Sandara Sanskrit University, Kaladi(Ernakulam Dist.); Kannur University, Kannur(set up in Nov.95 as Malabar University). Number of colleges under Universities : a) Kerala:45,b)Calicut:72, c)M.G.:57. The first fully literate Municipal Town (Kottyam-1989), and the district(Ernakulam-1990) in India are in Kerala. On Dec.11, 1995, Ernakulam also became India’s first ‘Bachat’ (savings) district. In 1991, Kerala became the first fully literate state in India. Literacy among adults: 89.9% Infant mortality rate in Kerala is 16 per 1000 live births. Life expectancy is 71.3. Tourist Centres Under the aegis of the Department of Tourism and Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, many places in Kerala is a state which has notified tourism as an industry along with government sponsored schemes. Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum) the capital city is an abode of temples, mosques and churches. Kovalam Beach Resort is just 12km away. Veli(8 km.), Neyyar Dam (19 km), and Ponmudi(61 km) are other places of interest. Periyar Wild life Sanctuary at Thekkady in Idukki District is another attraction. Sabarimala, abode of Lord Ayyappan, is a famous pilgrim centre in Pathanamthitta Dist. Kochi(Cohin)- the major port of Kerala - is known as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. The beautiful Willingdon Island with the adjoining port is a great attraction. Kalady in Ernakulam District is the birth place of Sri Sankarachrya. Guruvayur in Thrissur Dist. The has the famous Lord Krishna shrine. Kalamandalam, the renowned Kathakali Centre is in Thrissur District. Kozhikode (Calicut) is historically important as the capital of the Zamorines. Edakal cave in Wayanad district is centuries old. The pantomime dance-drama kathakali performed by men, "The dance of the enchantress" mohiniyattam performed by women and Thullal, the solo dance exposition are among the classical dance forms of Kerala.

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