Kerala

केरल
കേരളം
केरल ; കേരളം
State of India
	Location of Kerala in the Republic of India
	Map of Kerala
Country	India
Region	South India
Government
• Legislature	Unicameral (* seats)
Area
• Total	38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	33,387,677
Time zone	UTC+06:30 (GST)
Official languages	Malayalam
	^*

Kerala is a state in the Republic of India. It is in the south-west of the country. The west coast of the state is on the Arabian Sea. It is borderded by Tamil Nadu to the east and Karnataka to the north

The capital city of the state is Thiruvananthapuram, even though the city of Kochi is more densely populated. The area of Kerala is 15,005 mi² (38,863 km², which is bigger than Bhutan but smaller than Switzerland. In traditional Indian geography, it is part of South India.

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

Language

People in Kerala speak Malayalam. More than 90% of the people can read the language.^[1] English is also very popular in Kerala, with a large population of the state being able to communicate in an advanced level.

Culture

Kerala is known for traditional arts, and people enjoy traditional, percussion-filled music. They also enjoy tribal ceremonies, martial arts, and sports such as soccer, cricket, and badminton. Kerala is popular for Kalaripayattu, a martial arts form and Kathakali, a Hindu performance art. 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 96.2%, making it the most literate region in India.^[2]^[3] Kerala, though filled with plenty of natural beauty, also has a large cityscape, filled with malls, busy streets, festivals, and nightlife, with Kochi being the most polular for the same.

Provincial symbols of Kerala

Provincial bird of Kerala
Provincial animal of Kerala
Provincial tree of Kerala
Provincial flower of Kerala

Festivals^[4]

Theyyam of Kerala.

The most famous festivals held by Keralites are Onam, the harvest festival and Vishu, the Malayalam Calendar New Year. In addition to these, 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 beaches, hill stations and extensive backwaters. Kerala is also known for its diverse nature.

Agriculture

Kerala Media

A painting depicting Parashurama, surrounded by settlers, commanding Varuna (the Hindu god of water) to part the seas
A dolmen erected by Neolithic people in Marayur
Silk Road map. The spice trade was along the water routes (blue).
Tharisapalli plates granted to Saint Thomas Christians testify that merchant guilds and trade corporations played a very significant role in the economy and social life during the Kulasekhara period.
The route taken by Vasco da Gama to reach Kerala (indicated in black)
Tea plantations at Munnar, Kerala
A paddy field at Palakkad, also known as The Granary of Kerala
Cochin International Airport, the busiest airport in the state is also the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy
Cranes at the Cochin Shipyard
The Population pyramid of Kerala