Introduction of Kerala
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Kerala with 1.18% of
total area of the country has 3.34% of the country’s population is at the south
west corner of Indian peninsula
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It
was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States
Reorganisation Act by
combining Malayalam-speaking regions.
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Malayalam is Kerala's official language and is spoken by
at least 96% of the people of Kerala; the next most common language is Tamil, spoken mainly by Tamil workers from Tamil
Nadu and the local Kerala Iyers.
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Kerala occupies a
long 550km narrow strip of land with Arabian Sea coastline in the west,
Tamilnadu in the south and east and Karnataka in the north.
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It
is Spreaded over 38,863 km2(15,005 sq mi) and shares border with Karnataka to the north and
northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and
south, and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west.
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Kerala
is famous for its lush greenery, hills, waterfalls, sun kissed beaches and
serene backwaters.
Kerala
à´•േà´°à´³ം |
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State
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State of Kerala
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 A houseboat in the Kerala backwaters |
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Nickname(s): God's
Own Country, Spice Garden of India,
Land of Coconut Trees
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 Location of Kerala |
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Coordinates (Thiruvananthapuram):
 8.5°N 77°ECoordinates: 8.5°N 77°E |
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Country
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India
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Region
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South India
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Formation
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1 July 1949
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Renamed
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1 November 1956
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Capital
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Thiruvananthapuram
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Districts
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14
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Area
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• Total
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38,863 km2(15,005 sq mi)
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Area rank
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22nd
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Highest elevation
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2,695 m (8,842 ft)
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Lowest elevation
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-2.2 m (−7.2 ft)
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Population (2011)
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• Total
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33,387,677
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• Rank
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13th
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• Density
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986/km2(2,550/sq mi)
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Demonym(s)
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Keralite, Malayali
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Time zone
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IST (UTC+05:30)
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ISO 3166 code
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IN-KL
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HDI
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 0.790 (high) |
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HDI rank
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1st (2011)
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Literacy
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93.9% (1st) (2011)
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Official language
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Malayalam
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Website
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Kerala.gov.in
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The history of Keralam, India,
dates back many millennia.. Stone age carvings
in the Edakkal Caves feature pictorial writings believed to date to at least
the Neolithic era
around 5,000 BC, indicating the presence of a prehistoric civilisation or
settlement in this region
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According
to Hindu mythology, the
lands of Kerala were recovered from the sea by the axe-wielding warrior
sage Parasurama, the sixthavatar of Vishnu, hence Kerala is also
called Parasurama Kshetram ("The Land of Parasurama").
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Kerala
has been a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, according to Sumerian records and it is still referred to as the
"Garden of Spices" or as the "Spice Garden of India"
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Kerala's
spices attracted ancient Babylonians, Assyrians and Egyptians to the Malabar
Coast in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Arabs and Phoenicians established trade
with Kerala during this period
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The word Keralam is first recorded (as Keralaputra) in a 3rd-century
BC rock inscription (Rock Edict 2) left by the Maurya emperor Ashoka (274–237
BC)
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The Land
of Keralaputra was one of the four independent kingdoms in southern India during
Ashoka's time, the others being Chola, Pandya, and Satiyaputra.
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Kerala
was the home to Mysore dynasty ruled by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan who fought
four decisive battles (Anglo – British Wars) with British.
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After
British India was partitioned in 1947 into India
and Pakistan, Travancore and Kochi, part of the Union of India were merged on 1
July 1949 to form Travancore-Cochin. However, Malabar
remained under the Madras province. Under the State's Re-organisation Act 1956,
Travancore-Cochin state and Malabar were united to form Kerala state on 1
November 1956.
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Wedged
between the Lakshadweep Sea on the west and
the Western Ghats on the east, the width
of the state varies from 35 km to 120 km.
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Kerala
bordered with only 2 states – Karnataka in north and Tamil
Nadu in east.
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According
to the geographical features, the state can be divided into hills, valleys,
midland plains and costal belt.
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Kerala's
western coastal belt is relatively flat compared to the eastern region, and is
criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals,
lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as
the Kerala Backwaters.
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There
are 44 rivers in Kerala out of
which 41 (Periyar, Pamba, Pamba, Chaliyar, Kalada, Muvatupuzha etc) flows
westwards while remaining 3 (Pambar, Bhawani and Kabani) flows to east.
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Kerala’s
climate is mainly wet and maritime tropical, heavily influenced by the seasonal
heavy rains brought by the monsoon.
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The Kerala coast was significantly
affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami. The coast located in the shadow
zone with respect to the direction of propagation of the tsunami encountered
unexpected devastation.
Flora and
Fauna : Wildlife
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As
of 2004, over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species are in Kerala. Out of the
4,000 flowering plant species; 1,272 of
which are endemic to Kerala, 900
are medicinal, and 159 are threatened.
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Its
9,400 km2 of forests include tropical wet evergreen and
semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km2),
tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km2 and
100 km2, respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest
elevations—100 km2).
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Altogether,
24% of Kerala is forested.
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Three
of the world's Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta, Ashtamudi Lake and the
Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km2 of
the vast Nilgiri
Biosphere Reserve.
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Kerala's
fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: it includes
102 species of mammals (56 of which are
endemic), 476 species of birds, 202 species of
freshwater fish, 169 species of reptiles (139 of them endemic), and 89 species
of amphibians (86 endemic).
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Nestled in the hills of the
Western Ghats, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary or the Thekkady Wildlife
Sanctuary is one of the most popular tourism hot spots in Kerala. Spread over
an area of 675 sq km, this wildlife sanctuary is a reservoir of several
endemic, rare and endangered species of animals.
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Followings
are the 6 National Parks in Kerala:
1.
Anamudi
Shola National Park
2.
Eravikulam
National Park
3.
Karimpuzha
National Park
4.
Mathikettan Shola National Park
5.
Pampadum
Shola National Park
6.
Silent
Valley National Park
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Kerala is a land of colourful festivals. Kerala is a land of
diverse cultures, religions and communities with a rich miscellany of social
habits, festivals, and customs.
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Over
10,000 festivals are celebrated in the Kerala every year.
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Onam,
Vishu, Christmas and Aluva Shivratri are the main festivals of Kerala.
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Kerala
is home to a number of performance arts. These include five
classical dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Koodiyattom, Thullaland Krishnanattam, which originated and
developed in the temple theatres during the classical period under the
patronage of royal houses.
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Elephants
have been an integral part of the culture of the state. Kerala is home to the
largest domesticated population of elephants in India—about 700 Indian elephants, owned by temples as
well as individuals.
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Kerala is also famous for its
secular character, where Hindus, Christians and Muslims live with complete
harmony.
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The major tribes who inhabit the mountains of Kerala are
Kanis, Uralis, Kadar, Kanikkar, Paniyar etc.
Demographics Facts
About Kerala
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Kerala
is home to 2.76% of India's people with a population of 3.34 Crores, and — at
859 persons per km².
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As
of 2011, Thiruvananthapuram is the most populous city in Kerala.
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In
the state, the rate of population growth is India's lowest, and the decadal
growth of 4.9% in 2011 is less than one third of the all-India average of
17.64%.
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According
to the 2011 census, Kerala has the highest literacy rate (93.91) among
Indian states.
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The life expectancy in Kerala is 74
years, among the highest in India as of 2011.
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Kerala
has the highest sex ratio (1084) in India .
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Religions
in Kerala are
a mixture of different faiths, most significantly Hinduism, Islam and
Christianity. Kerala has a reputation of being, communally one
of the most tolerant states in India.
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Kerala
has the lowest proportion of homeless people in rural India - 0.04%, and the
state is attempting to reach the goal of becoming the first "Zero Homeless
State", in addition to its acclaimed "Zero landless project",
with private organisations and the expatriate Malayali community funding
projects for building homes for the homeless.
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Kerala's
culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, have made the state
one of the most popular tourist destinations in India.
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Backwater,
Beaches, Fort & Palaces, Hills, Monuments, Museum, Picnic Spots, Pilgrim
Centers, Waterfalls and Wildlife are the main tourist places in Kerala
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Kerala is the most
attracted tourist destination with its beaches, hill stations, backwaters, bird
and wild life sanctuaries etc. Kerala is blessed with its variety of flora and
fauna.
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First
literate state of India
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First
state to implement land reform bills and education reform bills
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Lower
birth rate
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Least
infant mortality
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State
with maximum life expectancy
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The
only state with the facilities of hospitals in every village
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Excellent
communication infrastructure.
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One
among the states where Air, Water and Road are used as the media for
transportation.
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Kerala
is the least corrupt Indian state as per Transparency International survey.
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In
2015, Kerala had the highest conviction rate of any state, over 77%.
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In
2015 Kerala became the first "complete digital state" by implementing
e-governance initiatives.
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The
state was also among the lowest in the India
State Hunger Index next
only to Punjab.
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In
2012, National
Geographic's
Traveller magazine named
Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world and "50 must see
destinations of a lifetime".
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Kerala is full of coconut trees.
Kerala is the state of India or probably the only state of the world which has
the highest number of coconut trees.
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As Kerala consists of long beaches
and coastlines, it offers vast fishing opportunities for the sea food and
fishing lovers.
