Kerala, better known as ‘God’s Own Country’ is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Western Ghats on the east. The states of Karnataka in the north and Tamil Nadu in the east are Kerala's immediate neighbours. Geographically Kerala is divided into three regions:
• Highland or Mountain region
• Midland or the rolling hills
• Lowland or the coastal plains
There are 44 rivers flowing through Kerala, most of them are small and entirely fed by the Monsoons. The Kerala Backwaters, an interconnected system of brackish water lakes and river estuaries, lies behind the coast and runs virtually the length of the state.
Kerala came into existence on Novemebr 1, 1956 with Thiruvananthapuram as the capital
Major Achievements
First Indian State to achieve universal literacy.
The first in India to implement land reforms.
State with highest life expectancy.
State with lowest birth rate.
State with lowest infant mortality.
Only state with hospital facility in every village.
State in which the communication infrastructure is the highest in the country.
Kerala is picked by National Geographic as ‘50 Places of a Lifetime’
Population and General Information
Area ( in sq.km)
38,863
Population
3,18,41,374
Males
15,468,614
Females
16,372,760
Sex ratio : Females/1000
1058
Sex ratio : Females/1000
1058
Density of Population
819
Per Capita Income 2002-2003 (in Rs)
25,764
Literacy rate
90.86%; Male 94.24%; Female 87.72%
Principal Language
Malayalam
Coast line in km.
590
Water bodies area in ha.
108,760
Forest area in ha.
1,081,509
Parliament Constituencies
20
Assembly Constituencies
140
No of Districts
14
No of Taluks
63
No of Revenue Divisions
21
No of Rural Blocks
152
No of Villages
1467
The modern State of Kerala was formed by the amalgamation of three regions, the Kingdom of Thiruvithamcoore (Travancore), the Kingdom of Kochi (Cochin) and Malabar District. Thiruvithamcoore and Kochi, former princely states, were merged to form Thiru-Kochi on July 1, 1949. Thiru-Kochi was merged with Malabar District and Kasargod taluk of South Kanara District to form the State of Kerala on November 1, 1956, based on the recommendations of the State Reorganisation Commission set up by the Government of India.
Modern Kerala was created in 1956 when Malabar, which had been part of the Madras Presidency, was merged with Travancore and Kochi. The latter two were princely states, distinguished in that they had concerned themselves with the education and provision of basic services to the residents of their Kingdoms. The first Assembly elections in Kerala took place in 1957 and the first elected Communist government of Asia came into power headed by Shri. E.M.S.Namboothirippadu. The radical reforms introduced by that government in favour of farmers and labourers changed the social order which prevailed in kerala for centuries to a great extent.
Kerala is divided into 14 districts. They are (from north to south) Kasargod, Kannur (Cannanore), Wayanad (Wynad), Kozhikode (Calicut), Malappuram, Palakkad (Palghat), Thrissur (Trichur), Ernakulam (Cochin), Idukki, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam (Quilon) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). Thiruvananthapuram is the state capital. Kochi is the largest city and considered the commercial capital of the state.
Malayalam is the official language of Kerala. The state also has a large Tamil-speaking population. The major religions followed in Kerala are Hinduism (56.1%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19%). Kerala also had a tiny Jewish population till recently, said to date from 587 BC when they fled the occupation of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The state has many famous temples, churches, and mosques.
Kerala has a rich tradition in the arts, both classical and folk. In addition to the classical art forms like Koodiyattom (UNESCO Human Heritage Art), Kathakali, Kerala Natanam, Koothu, Mohiniyaattam Thullal, Padayani and Theyyam, Kerala has several folk art forms performed by people in various regions of the state. The region also has a tradition of Christian and Muslim performing arts. Malayalam Cinema is another mode of artistic expression.
In music, the dominant classical stream is Carnatic music, the classical music of South India. Travancore king and music composer Swathi Thirunal was instrumental in popularising Carnatic music in Kerala. Kerala has its own music system called Sopanam which is a slow, step-by-step rendition of raga based songs. This is the music style used in Kathakali.
Kerala also has a unique and varied heritage in the percussion instruments genre. Classical styles of percussion music known as 'Melam' ( major categories are 'Paandi', 'Panchari') are performed using the unique Kerala instrument 'Chenda' during temple festivals. These are performed by large ensembles of percussion artists numbering up to 150 in numbers, each performance lasting up to 3 to 4 hours. Another major percussion ensemble of Kerala is 'Panchavadyam' consisting of 5 percussion instruments, again played by around 100 artists in major festivals. In addition to these major percussion orchestras, there are other varieties of percussion instruments / percussion methods associated with different folk and classical art forms of Kerala - all of them unique and found to be used only in this region.
Apart from such performing arts, Kerala has made its mark in fine arts as well. Modern Indian art scenario is blessed with the presence of Kerala.
Kerala ranks highest in India with respect to social development indices such as elimination of poverty, primary education and healthcare. Kerala was declared the world's first "baby-friendly state" under WHO-UNICEF's Baby Friendly Hospital initiative. The state is known for Ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine which has found a new market in the growing tourist industry.
As per the 2001 census, Kerala is the only state in India with a female-to-male ratio higher than 0.99 (the ratio for Kerala is 1.058 while the national figure is 0.933). It is the only state in India to have sub-replacement fertility.
The literacy rate in Kerala is the highest among Indian states, and so is the unemployment rate. Education and early influences of Arabs, Jews, Chinese and Portuguese have also made Kerala one of the most religiously diverse states in India.
Kerala has an ancient solar calendar called the Malayalam calendar which is used by various communities primarily for Agricultural related activities and religious functions. Kerala has its own form of martial art, Kalarippayattu. Theyyam and Poorakkali are popular ritual arts of North Malabar, the northern part of Kerala. Oppana is most popular among Mappilas,the Muslim community in Malabar. Onam, associated with the legend of Mahabali is a state festival, but Keralites celebrate many other religious festivals, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Christmas, Easter, Deepavali and Vishu.
The economy of Kerala is predominantly agrarian in nature. In terms of per capita GDP and production Kerala lags behind many Indian states, but in terms of the Human Development Index and the standard of living of the people, Kerala is well ahead of most of the rest of India. In fact, in certain development indices Kerala is on par with some of the developed countries. This paradox is often termed the “Kerala Phenomenon” or “Kerala model of development” by experts and is mainly due to the state's strong service sector.
Kerala's economy can be best described as a socialistic welfare economy. However, Kerala's emphasis on social welfare has also resulted in slow economic progress with few major industries. Remittances from Keralites working abroad, mainly in the Middle East, make up over twenty percent of State Domestic Product (SDP).
Agriculture is the most important economic activity. Coconut, tea and coffee are grown extensively, along with rubber, cashew and spices. Spices commonly cultivated in Kerala include pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Much of Kerala's agriculture is in the form of home gardens.
Kerala is a popular tourist destination for both domestic and foreign travellers. Among the tourist attractions are great beaches, serene hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries and beautiful Kerala Backwaters, as also the marvel of Kerala building art revealed in many landmark structures that dot the landscape.. National Geographic Society described Kerala as one of the 50 must-see destinations of a lifetime. Kochi, the commercial capital of the state is known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Alappuzha, the first planned town in Kerala is called the "Venice of the East". Tourism plays an important role in the state's economy. (For more details please visit www.keralatourism.org).
The livestock sector plays a vital role in the economy of Kerala, and offers great potential for alleviating poverty and unemployment in rural areas. The majority of livestock owning farmers are small and/or marginal or even landless. In view of its suitability for combination with the crop sub-sector and its sustainability as a household enterprise with the active involvement of the farm women, livestock rearing is emerging as a very popular supplementary vocation in the small farm segment. Rural women play a significant role in the development of the livestock sub-sector and are involved in operations such as feeding, milking, breeding, management, health care and running micro-enterprises. It is estimated that about 32 lakh (3.2 million) out of the total number of 55 lakh (5.5 million) households in Kerala are engaged in livestock rearing for supplementing their income. The homestead settlement pattern, the relatively high level of literacy - particularly among women, the highly favourable agroclimatic conditions conducive for biomass production and the long tradition in livestock rearing are inherent strengths which the Kerala economy possesses in favour of livestock rearing.
Road network in Kerala has the distinction of achieving connectivity to all the villages in the state. Length of roads in Kerala is 145704 km (4.2 percent of that in India). Kerala has 4.62 km of road per thousand population, against the national figure of 2.59 km.
Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10 to 11 percent every year, resulting in excessive pressure on the roads. Total road length in Kerala increased by 5 percent during 2003-2004. The road density in Kerala is nearly four times the national average, and is a reflection of the unique settlement patterns in the State.The National Highway network in Kerala is 1524 km, only 2.6 percent of the national total. There are eight National Highways in the State.
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