Kerala

Kerala is a slender strip of land in the southern tip of Indian subcontinent. Beautiful and benign, this Indian state lies along a sun drenched coastline flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and the mountains of the Western Ghats on the east.

Cascading delicately down the hills to the golden coasts covered by verdant coconut groves, Kerala is located between north latitudes 8 degree 18' and 12 degree 48' and east longitudes 74 degree 52' and 72 degree 22'. Encompasses 1.18 per cent of the country, this land of eternal beauty is the abode of more than 31.8 million Malayalees.
Along a sun drenched coastline, to the extreme south west of the Indian peninsula, lies Kerala, beautiful and benign. Flanked by the Arabian sea on the west and the mountains of the Western Ghats on the east, this land of Parasurama stretch north-south along a coast line of 580 kms with a varying width of 35 to 120 kms. Cascading delicately down the hills to the golden coasts covered by verdant coconut groves, the topography and physical characteristics change distinctly from east to west.

Located between north latitudes 8 degree 18' and 12 degree 48' and east longitudes 74 degree 52' and 72 degree 22', this land of eternal beauty encompasses 1.18 per cent of the country.

The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap. The average elevation of the Ghats is about 1500 meters above sea level, occasionally soaring to peaks of 2000 to 2500 m. From the Ghats, the land slopes to west on to the plains, into an unbroken coastline.

The nature of the terrain and its physical features, divides an east west cross section of the state into three district regions - hill and valleys, midland plains and coastal region

Basic Facts

Date of Formation

:

November 1, 1956

Area

:

38,863 Sq. Km.

Capital

:

Thiruvananthapuram

Principal language

:

Malayalam

State Festival

:

Onam

State Animal

:

Elephant

State Bird

:

Hornbill (Bensyrus Bicernis)

State Flower

:

Kanikkonna (Cassia Fistula)

State Tree

:

Coconut Tree ( Cocos nucifera)

Geographical Data

:

North Latitude between 8018’ and 120 48’ East longitude between 740 52’ and 770 22’

Neighbouring States/UTs

:

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Lakshadweep is.

 

Demography

Population (2001)

:

3,18,41,374

Male (2001)

:

1,54,68,614

Female (2001)

:

1,63,72,760

Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 males)

:

1058

Population density (2001)

:

819/ Sq. Km.

Urban Population (2001)

:

8266925 (26%)

Rural Population (2001)

:

2357449 (74%)

Decadal growth rate (2001)

:

9.43

Scheduled Caste population (in million)

:

3.12

Scheduled Tribe population (in million)

:

0.36

Maternal mortality ratio 2001-03 (SRS 2007)

:

110

Crude Birth Rate (SRS 2008)

:

14.6%

Crude Death Rate (SRS 2008)

:

6.6%

Total Fertility Rate (NFHS-111)

:

1.9

Infant Mortality Rate (SRS 2008)

:

12

Life expectancy

:

71

Male life expectancy

:

71

Female life expectancy

:

73.62

Per capita income

:

Rs. 27,048

Literacy

:

90.92 %

Male literacy

:

94.20 %

Female literacy

:

87.86 %

 

Administration

Districts

:

14

Revenue Divisions

:

21

Taluks

:

63

Villages

:

1453

Panchayats

:

999

Development Blocks

:

152

District Panchayats

:

14

Assembly Seats

:

140 + 1 Anglo Indian Nominee

Loksabha Seats

:

20

Rajyasabha Seats

:

9

Municipalities

:

53

Municipal Corporations

:

5

Contonment

:

1 (Kannur)

Township

:

1 (Guruvayoor)

Educational Districts

:

38

Sub Educational Districts

:

161

Universities

:

7+ 2 Deemed Universities
District wise Details

District

Area Sq. Km

Population

Head Quarters

Thiruvananthapuram

2192

32,34,356

Thiruvananthapuram

Kollam

2579

25,85,208

Kollam

Pathanamthitta

2731

12,34,016

Pathanamthitta

Alappuzha

1256

21,09,160

Alappuzha

Kottayam

2204

15,53,646

Kottayam

Idukki

4998

11,29,221

Painavu

Ernakulam

2408

31,05,798

Kochi

Thrissur

3032

29,74,232

Thrissur

Palakkad

4480

26,17,482

Palakkad

Malappuram

3548

36,25,471

Malappuram

Kozhikode

2345

28,79,131

Kozhikode

Wayanad

2132

7,80,619

Kalppatta

Kannur

2997

24,08,956

Kannur

Kasargod

1961

12,04,078

Kasaragod

Total

38863

3,18,41,374

  
Agriculture Scenario (2005-2006)

Total cropped area

:

27,68,737 ha

Net area sown

:

21,05,070 ha

Area sown more than once

:

6,63,667 ha.

Land put to non agricultural uses

:

4,49,003 ha

Cropping intensity

:

131

Barren & uncultivated land

:

25,826 ha.

Permanent pastures and grazing land

:

95 ha.

Land under miscellaneous tree crops

:

4,593 ha.

Current fallow

:

83,454 ha.

Fallow other than current fallow

:

45,644 ha.

Cultivable waste

:

91,093 ha

Forest

:

10,81,509 Ha.

Gross irrigated area

:

4,55,310 ha.

Net area irrigated to net area sown

:

18.41%

Gross irrigated area to gross cropped area

:

16.44%

Irrigated area under paddy to total irrigated area

:

40%

Production of Rice

:

5,28,000 MT

Productivity of Rice

:

2,308 Kg./Ha.

Area under paddy cultivation

:

2.29 lakh ha.

Production of Milk (2006-07)

:

22.48 Lakh tonnes

Production of Egg (2006-07)

:

1,379 Million

Production of Meat (2006-07)

:

205.21('000 Metric tonnes)
General

Seat of High Court

:

Kochi

Highest Populated District

:

Malappuram

Lowest Populated District

:

Wayanad

Largest District

:

Idukki

Smallest District

:

Alappuzha

Longest River

:

Periyar

Highest Peak

:

Anamudi

Largest Kayal

:

Vembanad Kayal

National Highways

:

8 (1524 Km)

Road Length

:

1,73,592 Km

Railway Route

:

1,148 Km.

Airports

:

3 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode)

Regional Passport offices

:

4 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Malappuram)

Annual rainfall

:

3,428.4 mm (2006)

Forest Area (2001 census)

:

15,560 Sq. Km

Major Religions

:

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity

Number of Post Offices (2007-08)

:

5,070

Number of Telephone Exchanges

:

1,242

Number of Rivers

:

44

Number of navigable rivers

:

41

Total length of Inland water ways

:

1,687 Km