Kerala has an outstanding profile among the world's tourist hotspots. This small southern state of India that stretches along the Arabian Sea is astonishingly rich in its variety of landscape, climate, and culture. The omnipresent greenery, waters and bright sun beckon travellers. Its beaches and backwaters attract foreign tourists more and so they have gained prominence over inland tourism spots.
Location : Southwestern tip of India
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Area : 38, 863 sq km. (1.27% of India's land area)
Mother tongue: Malayalam
Other Languages: English, Hindi, Tamil etc
Religion : Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
Time : GMT +5:30
Currency : Indian Rupee (INR)
Climate : Tropical
Summer : February - May (24 - 330C)
Monsoon : June - September (22 - 280C)
Winter : October - January (22 - 320C)
Tourist Season: October - May
Peak Season: November - JanuaryThe highest peak : Anamudi
Number of rivers : 44
The longest river : The Periyar
Number of Districts : 14
The largest District : Idukki
The smallest District : Alappuzha
Most Populous District : Malappuram
Least Populous District : Wyanad
|
|
Districts :
Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum), Kollam (Quilon), Alappuzha(Alleppey), Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur(Trichur), Palakkad(Palghat), Malappuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode(Calicut), Kannur(Cannanore), Kasaragod
Major Cities : Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode
Taluks : 61
Revenue Villages : 1452
City Corporations : 5
Grama Panchayat : 991
Block Panchayat : 152
District Panchayat : 14
Population : 3,18,38,619
Density of Population : 819 per sq kms
Kerala's Share in the National Population : 3.1 per cent
District Average : 22.74 lakhs (2.274 millions)
Sex Ratio : 1058 women for 1000 men
Literacy Rate : 90.92 per cent
Male Literacy Rate : 94.20 per cent
Female Literacy Rate : 87.86 per cent
Educational Infrastructure:
Lower Primary Schools (First - Fourth classes) : 6712
Upper Primary Schools (Fifth - Seventh classes) : 2951
High Schools (Eighth - Tenth classes) : 2608
Total number of Schools : 12271
Higher Education:
Higher Education Universities : 7
Arts and Science Colleges : 286
Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI)
Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI):
Kerala has had a commendable record in terms of the Physical Quality of Life Index. Indicators of PQLI like infant mortality (11%), female literacy (87.86%), and life expectancy at birth for males (68.23) and females (73.62), are well above all India levels. The major reason for this achievement is Kerala's focus on the service sector. About 37% of the total annual expenditure of the State is earmarked for health and education. Another reason for this is the existence of a larger network of hospital infrastructure under the Directorate of Health Services with 933 primary health centres and 5094 sub centres
Health Care Infrastructure:
Immunisation has been near total in the year 2002 - 03.
T.T for Pregnant Women : 86.1%
T.T for 5 year old : 89.2%
T.T for 10 year old : 98.1%
T.T for 16 year old : 95%
DPT : 95.8%
BCG : 103%
Polio : 95.3%
Anti-measles : 90.6%
Rate of Diseases per 1000 People -
Leprosy : 0.66
Malaria : 0.36
Filaria : 1.28
Tuberculosis : 0.70
Transport:
Air: There are three international airports in the state. They are at Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Nedumbassery (Kochi) operates international flights and domestic flights.
Road and Rail : The state is well connected by rail and road.
Seaports:
Major : Kochi
Minor : Beypore (Kozhikode), Alappuzha, Kollam
Major Beaches:
Kovalam, Varkala, Fort Kochi, Kappad and Bekal
Major Wild Life Sanctuaries:
Thekkady (Periyar), Parambikkulam, Wayanad, Silent Valley, Aralm, Peechi-Vazhani, Chimani, Shenduruny, Idukki, Chinnar, Peppara, Neyyar.
Bird Sanctuary:
Thattekad, Kumarakom
Major Hill Stations:
Ponmudi, Peerumade, Thekkady, Munnar and Wayanad
Farm / Cash Crops:
Rubber, Coffee, Tea, Spices, Pepper, Cashew, Coconut, Arecanut and rice
Exports:
Marine, Coir, Handicrafts, Spices, Food and other Products
Major Industries:
Tourism, Information Technology, Fertilizer, Oil Refining and Power Generation, Ship Buildings, Machine Tools, Electronics, Cables, Rubber.
A Descriptive Definition
Stretching across nearly 400 km along the western coast of the country, Kerala has always been the ideal place for tourists. One does not know when the first visitor arrived here. There are the Chinese fishing nets, there are the unique shaped prayer houses that do not conform to the general places of worship elsewhere in the country. there are diverse culinary cultures that must have been left by visitors of an earlier era. Cut off from the rest of the country by the western ghats the state has been more open to influences from across the seas.
The architecture of the state's capital, Thiruvananthapuram, is an example of this unique confluence of styles and cultures. The sloping tiles and pagoda-shaped rooftops are blended with colonnade and pillars of the Greek and later British pattern. A leisurely paced city with its winding streets and vestiges of regal splendor, it has not been touched by the bustle of a modern metropolis.
The language Malayalam is an example of this absorption. Highly influenced by Sanskrit and Tamil, it has also borrowed extensively from languages like Portuguese and Arabic. Though the majority of the people are adherents to the indigenous Hindu denomination, there are substantial sections which follow the Christian and Islamic faiths. The first apostle of Jesus, St. Thomas, had landed in Kerala. The Arab traders who had been coming to Calicut and other ports of the state also brought the message of Islam as soon as it was propounded in Arabia.
An extrovert people Malayalis were always keen to absorb any idea that appealed to them. This has led to the flowering of many cultures and schools of thought. Kerala had also the first democratically elected Communist government in the world. As a result of this exposure there is a high degree of awareness as well as political consciousness. No wonder the literacy rate is the highest in India. And along with it the emancipation of women. Women in Kerala always enjoyed a privileged status, possibly due to the matrilineal custom practiced among certain sections. There are also people living in the high ranges who have been cut off from civilisation. The tribals of Wynad represent the other end of the spectrum.
The topography of this long stretch of land, 20 miles to 75 miles wide, reflects this diversity. Apart from the coconut fringed coastal areas there are highlands that nestle the sides of the Western ghats. In between are the fertile rice growing areas. The crops grown here also are varied. Famed for its spices, Kerala grows plantation crops like tea
and rubber as also exotic imported varieties like tapioca, cocoa and cashew.
 |
Top^
Call Now ! 
