Kerala

Kerala കേരളം
State of India
Template:Infobox settlement/columns
Motto(s):
A map showing us where the location of Kerala is in the Republic of India A map showing us where the location of Kerala is in the Republic of India
Map of Kerala Map of Kerala
Country	India
Region	South India
Government
• Legislature	Unicameral (* seats)
Area
• Total	Template:Infobox settlement/metric
Population  (2011)
• Total	33,387,677
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Official languages	Malayalam · English
^*

Kerala is a Southern state in the Republic of India. It is in the south-west of India, with the Arabian Sea to its west.

The states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are to the east. The capital city of the state is Thiruvananthapuram, even though the city of Kochi is more densely populated. The land area of Kerala is 15,005 mi² (38,863 km²), which is bigger than Bhutan but smaller than Switzerland. In traditional Indian geography it falls under the South Indian zone.

There are 14 districts in Kerala. They are Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod.

Language

Most of the people in Kerala speak Malayalam (Dravidian language) More than 95% of the people are literate, and know not only Malayalam, but also a little bit of English.

Culture

Kerala is one of the most beautiful places in India. Kerala is known for traditional arts and people enjoy traditional, percussion-filled music. They also enjoy tribal ceremonies, martial arts, and even sports activities such as soccer, cricket, and badminton. Most of the people have access to the internet, TVs, newspapers, and books. The average amount of reading per week is about seven hours. The literacy rate is approximately 99.7%.

Provincial symbols of Kerala

• Great-Hornbill.jpg

  Provincial bird of Kerala

• IndianElephant.jpg

  Provincial animal of Kerala

• Starr 031209-0059 Cocos nucifera.jpg

  Provincial tree of Kerala

• Cassia-fistula.jpg

  Provincial flower of Kerala

Festivals

Temples as well as churches hold festivals in several days of the year. A common tradition in all these festivals is the hosting of the holy flag, which is brought down on the last day of the festival. Some temple festivals are called poorams, and the most famous one among these is 'Thrissur Pooram'. The main attractions of poorams are firecrackers, traditional dance forms like 'Theyyam, Kathakali, Chakyar Koothu etc.'. Festivals are locally known as utsavams .

Tourism

Kerala is one of the biggest tourist attractions in India, both for Indians as well as foreigners. It has beautiful beaches, and extensive backwater. Kerala is also known for its diverse nature.

Agriculture

• Pepper091.jpg

  Black pepper

• Rubber trees in Kerala, India.jpg

  Natural rubber

• Coconut face.jpg

  Coconut

• Blue Hills and Tea Garden at Munnar Kerala.jpg

  Tea

• Coffee beans2.jpg

  Coffee

• Cashew apples.jpg

  Cashew

• Banana three in Réunion.jpg

  Banana

Related pages

• Nair