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Aug 20, 2015 · 29. 88,000 km². Except Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram & Sikkim, all the other 26 states are bypassing their parallel country’s population by a huge margin. It’s not news to us that ‘population ...
- Overview
- Relief and drainage
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns and demographic trends
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
Kerala, southwestern coastal state of India. It is a small state, constituting only about 1 percent of the total area of the country. Kerala stretches for about 360 miles (580 km) along the Malabar Coast, varying in width from roughly 20 to 75 miles (30 to 120 km). It is bordered by the states of Karnataka (formerly Mysore) to the north and Tamil Nadu to the east and by the Arabian Sea to the south and west; it also surrounds Mahe, a segment of the state of Puducherry, on the northwestern coast. The capital is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).
Although isolated from the Indian interior by the mountainous belt of the Western Ghats, Kerala has been exposed to many foreign influences via its long coastline; consequently, the state has developed a unique culture within the subcontinent, not only with a diverse religious tradition but also with its own language, Malayalam. Also notable is the high social status that continues to be accorded to women of Kerala, owing to the former strength of a matrilineal kinship system. Area 15,005 square miles (38,863 square km). Pop. (2011) 33,387,677.
Kerala is a region of great natural beauty. In the eastern part of the state, Anai Peak (8,842 feet [2,695 metres]), the highest peak of peninsular India, crowns the Western Ghats. Descending from the rocky highlands westward toward the coastal plain is a stretch of farmlands, with different crops cultivated at different elevations. Along the coast...
The climate of Kerala is equable and varies little from season to season. Throughout the year, daily temperatures usually rise from the low 70s F (low 20s C) into the 80s F (27 to 32 °C). The state is directly exposed to the southwest monsoon, which prevails from July through September, but it also receives rain from the reverse (northeast) monsoon, which blows in October and November. Precipitation averages about 115 inches (3,000 mm) annually statewide, with some slopes receiving more than 200 inches (5,000 mm).
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The watery coastal zones of Kerala are interspersed with coconut palm groves, while much of the Western Ghats and riverine areas are covered with rainforests and monsoon forests (tropical deciduous forests). Rolling grasslands are typical of the upland region. This diverse natural environment is home to an extraordinary array of wildlife. Mammals i...
The Malayalis are a group of people of mixed ethnic heritage who speak Malayalam, a Dravidian language; they constitute the majority of the population of Kerala. Most Malayalis are descendants of the early inhabitants of India, the so-called Dravidians (speakers of Dravidian languages), who were driven southward between about 2000 and 1500 bce when the Aryans (speakers of Indo-Aryan languages) descended into the Indian subcontinent. Over the millennia, there has been much exchange between the two groups. Elements of Indo-Aryan ancestry remain strongest among the Nambudiri, a prominent caste of orthodox Hindus. Also living in Kerala is a significant minority of Tamils, a neighbouring people of Dravidian ancestry.
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More than half of Kerala’s residents, including most of the Malayalis, follow Hinduism. About one-fourth of the population practices Islam, with the Moplah (Mapilla) people of the Malabar Coast constituting the state’s largest Muslim community. Christians, who account for nearly one-fifth of the population, belong broadly to the Syrian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches as well as to various Protestant denominations. Regardless of their sect, these indigenous Christians share a common set of early Christian traditions unique to the Malabar Coast. They are referred to collectively as St. Thomas (Mar Thoma) Christians in allusion to the tradition that St. Thomas the Apostle first evangelized the region. Kerala also has tiny Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jewish communities; there is an ancient synagogue in Kochi.
Kerala is one of the most densely populated states in India. While only about one-fourth of the population was reported as urban in the early 21st century, such statistics are deceptive because of the close proximity of rural houses, especially in the coastal plain. Indeed, in parts of the state there are densely populated rural equivalents of urba...
Agriculture is the state’s main economic activity. Commercial plantings on less than half of the total land under cultivation earn a sizable amount of foreign exchange but have necessitated the importation of food for local consumption. Kerala’s principal cash crops are rubber, coffee, and tea, which are cultivated in plantations on the slopes of the foothills, as well as areca nut, cardamom, cashew nut, coconut, ginger, and pepper. The major food crops are rice, pulses (e.g., peas and beans), sorghum, and tapioca. Commercial poultry farming is well developed.
The forests yield valuable timbers such as ebony, rosewood, and teak. In addition, Kerala’s woodlands supply industrial raw materials such as bamboo (used in the paper and rayon industries), wood pulp, charcoal, gums, and resins. The state is also a national leader in fish production. Sardines, tunas, mackerels, and prawns are among the principal products of the industry.
- William A. Noble
The state is situated between Arabian Sea to the west and Western Ghats mountain ranges to the east. The state's coastline extends for 595 kilometres (370 mi), and around 1.1 million people in the state are dependent on the fishery industry, which contributes 3% to the state's income.
Feb 20, 2024 · 9 min read. Kerala, the name of the lush, coastal state in southwest India, literally means “land of the coconut trees.” It bursts with life and aromatic spices, and everything revolves around water, both the sea and the backwaters—a 560-mile labyrinth of lakes, canals, lagoons, and inlets that are used for trade, travel, and tourism.
Jul 24, 2017 · But folks, trust us, Kerala is much much more than just that! Even though it is only the twenty-second largest state in India, 34.3 million people from this small south Indian state are much different from others in the country. It is known as ‘God’s Own Country’ for a reason. Talk about sex ratio, the women nailed it in here!
Coordinates: 8°28′N 76°57′E / 8.47, 76.95 Kerala refers to a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. To its east and northeast, Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka respectively; to its west and south lie the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, with the islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives, respectively.
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Kerala is an extremely fertile and green strip of land sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. Immortalized in the book God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and embracing the Malabar Coast, it is India's smallest and most populous state—only 20 to 80 miles wide, 360 miles long but packed with 35 million people.
