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 |