Kerala

Kerala കേരളം
State of India
Government Logo
Motto:
Location of Kerala in the Republic of India
Map of Kerala
Country	India
Region	South India
Government
• Legislature	Unicameral (* seats)
Area
• Total	38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	33,387,677
Time zone	UTC+06:30 (GST)
Official languages	Malayalam
^*

Kerala is a state in the Republic of India. It is in the south-west of the country. The west coast of the state is on the Arabian Sea. Tamil Nadu to the east and Karnataka to the north

The capital city of the state is Thiruvananthapuram, even though the city of Kochi is more densely populated. The area of Kerala is 15,005 mi² (38,863 km²), which is bigger than Bhutan but smaller than Switzerland. In traditional Indian geography, it is part of South India.

There are 14 districts in Kerala. They are Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Wayanad.

People in Kerala speak Malayalam. More than 90% of the people can read the language.^[1] A mix of English and Malayalam is called Manglish. Manglish is used by people in Kerala, who can speak it very easily and fluently.

Kerala is known for traditional arts and people enjoy traditional, percussion-filled music. They also enjoy tribal ceremonies, martial arts, and sports such as soccer, cricket, and badminton. Kerala is popular for Kalaripayattu, a martial arts form and Kathakali, a Hindu performance art. Most of the people have access to the internet, TVs, newspapers, and books. The average amount of reading per week is about seven hours. The literacy rate is approximately 96.2%, making it the most literate region in India.^[2][3]

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  Provincial bird of Kerala
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  Provincial animal of Kerala
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  Provincial tree of Kerala
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  Provincial flower of Kerala

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  Theyyam of Kerala.

The most famous festivals held by Keralites are Onam, the harvest festival and Vishu, the Malayalam Calendar New Year. In addition to these, temples as well as churches hold festivals in several days of the year. A common tradition in all these festivals is the hosting of the holy flag, which is brought down on the last day of the festival. Some temple festivals are called poorams, and the most famous one among these is 'Thrissur Pooram'. The main attractions of poorams are firecrackers, traditional dance forms like 'Theyyam, Kathakali, Chakyar Koothu etc.'. Festivals are locally known as utsavams .

Kerala is one of the biggest tourist attractions in India, both for Indians as well as foreigners. It has beaches, hill stations and extensive backwaters. Kerala is also known for its diverse nature.

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  Black pepper
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  Natural rubber
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  Coconut
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  Tea
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  Coffee
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  Cashew
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  Banana

• Malayalam

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kerala.