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Kerala

Kerala is a state in southern India located on the Malabar Coast. It was formed in 1956 by combining several Malayalam-speaking regions. Kerala has a population of over 33 million people and has the highest Human Development Index in India. It has a long history of spice trading and was influenced by European colonization starting in the 15th century. Kerala is known for its high literacy rate, life expectancy, and positive social indicators compared to other Indian states.

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70 views2 pages

Kerala

Kerala is a state in southern India located on the Malabar Coast. It was formed in 1956 by combining several Malayalam-speaking regions. Kerala has a population of over 33 million people and has the highest Human Development Index in India. It has a long history of spice trading and was influenced by European colonization starting in the 15th century. Kerala is known for its high literacy rate, life expectancy, and positive social indicators compared to other Indian states.

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AthulKrishnaPandothayil
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Kerala (/krl/) historically known as Keralam, is an Indian

state in South India on the Malabar Coast. It was formed on 1


November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by
combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Spread over
38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), it is bordered by Karnataka to the north
and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and
the Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per
the 2011 Census, Kerala is the thirteenth-largest Indian state by
population and is divided into 14 districts with the capital
being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken
language and is also the official language of the state.

The region has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE.
The Chera Dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala,
though it frequently struggled against attacks by the
neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. In the 15th century, the spice
trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and paved the way for
the European colonisation of India.
After independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of
India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state in 1949.
In 1956, Kerala state was formed by merging Malabar district,
Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks), and the taluk
of Kasargod, South Kanara.

Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India, 3.44%;
highest Human Development Index (HDI), 0.712 in 2015; the highest
literacy rate, 93.91% in the 2011 census; the highest life expectancy,
77 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1000 men. The
state has witnessed significant emigration, especially to Arab states of
the Persian Gulf during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s,
and its economy depends significantly on remittances from a
large Malayali expatriate community. Hinduism is practised by more
than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity. The
culture is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian cultures,[7]developed over
millennia, under influences from other parts of India and abroad.

The production of pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly


to the total national output. In the agricultural
sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are important. 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. The state has the highest
media exposure in India with newspapers publishing in nine
languages, mainly English and Malayalam. Kerala is one of the
prominent tourist destinations of India, with backwaters,
beaches, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery as its major
attractions.

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