Kerala
Kerala (or Keralam) is a South Indian state in India.
| Capital | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Area | 38,863 km2 |
| Population - Total (2001) - Density |
31,838,619 819/kmē |
| Date of formation | November 1, 1956 |
| Latitude | 8°18'N to 12°48'N |
| Longitude | 74°52E to 72°22'E |
| Width | 35 - 120 km |
| Length | 580 km |
| Governor | R. L. Bhatia |
| Chief Minister | A.K. Antony |
| Table of contents |
|
2 Demographics 3 Geography 4 Politics 5 Arts 6 Social scene 7 Economy 8 History 9 Notable praises 10 List of famous Keralites 11 External links |
Administration
Kerala is divided into 14 districts. They are Alappuzha (Alleppey), Ernakulam , Idukki , Kannur (Canannore) , Kasargod , Kollam (Quilon) , Kottayam , Kozhikode (Calicut) , Malappuram , Palakkad (Palghat) , Pathanamthitta , Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) , Thrissur (Trichur) and Wayanad (Wynad).
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the state.
Demographics
More than 95% of the people in Kerala speak Malayalam.
The major religions followed in Kerala are Hinduism (57%), Islam (23%), and Christianity (19%). Kerala also has a tiny Jewish population, said to date from 587 BC when they fled the occupation of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The state has many famous temples, churches, and mosques. The synagogue in Kochi is the oldest one in India.
Kerala occupies a narrow strip of India's southwestern coast. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and the Western Ghats in the east.
Many places in Kerala have become tourist attractions. These vary from beaches to hill stations. Central Kerala's backwaters (inlets of the sea connected by canals) are major tourist attractions. One of the premier tourist attractions is Kovalam, which is 20 minutes by taxi from Thiruvananthapuram. Western tourists lounge on the beach while fishermen pull in their nets with the catch.
The states of Karnataka in the north and Tamil Nadu in the east are Kerala's immediate neighbours. A part of the union territory of Pondicherry, Mahe, also shares a land border with Kerala.
Kerala gained the distinction, in 1957, of having the first democratically elected Communist government anywhere in the world. Kerala has a reputation as being the most left wing state in India.
Following is the chronological list of Chief Ministers of Kerala
Kerala has a rich tradition in Arts, both classical and folk. In addition to the classical uppercaste art forms like Koodiyattom (UNESCO Human Heritage Art), Kathakali and Mohiniyaattam, Kerala has numerous folk art forms performed by non-uppercastes in various regions of the state. Both classical as well as folk art forms have become artefacts of the past as contemporary art forms weave their own identity according to the contemporary needs. Mimicry and Parody are two of the most important entertainments that are popular in Kerala now. Though at times very insensitive to women and subalterns, the mimicry artists dare to expose any luminary in Kerala's social life.
Malayalam Cinema is another form of creativity, and films from Kerala are very distinct from films made in Bollywood or Hollywood.
Kerala ranks highest in India with respect to "social development parameters" such as primary education and healthcare. Kerala was declared the world's first "baby-friendly state" under WHO-UNICEF's Baby Friendly Hospital initiative. The state is known for Ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine, which finds great market in the growing tourist industry now.
Literacy in Kerala, at higher than 90%, is the highest among Indian states. This is mainly due to the policies of earlier governments, which made these services available free of cost to Keralites who would not otherwise have access to them. Kerala has a traditional calendars of its own, which are used by respective communities, but only for religious functions. Ironically, Kerala is also noted as the state with the highest suicide rate in India.
Kerala has its own form of Martial arts, Kalaripayattu.
Onam is declared the State festival, but Keralites celebrate many other religious and secular festivals.
Kerala's economy can be best desribed as a socialistic welfare economy.
However, Kerala's emphasis on social welfare also resulted in slow economic progress. Kerala possesses few major industries, and its per capita GDP is lower than the nation's average of 360 USD per year (1998). Remittances from Keralites working abroad, mainly in the Middle East, make up over 60% of the state's GDP.
Agriculture is the most important economic activity. Coconut, Tea and rubber are grown extensively. Coir (Coconut fiber), Cashew, and Spice are among the most important products.
Tourism, too, plays an important role in the state's economy. Kerala is a popular tourist destination both for domestic & foreign travellers. Kerala has great beaches (Kovalam , Varkala), serene hill stations, national parks (Thekady and Munnar) and beautiful inwaters Kumarakom.
People have lived in the region now known as Kerala since ancient times. Regional identity developed in the 14th century with the development of the Malayalam language.
Vasco da Gama's voyage to Kerala from Portugal in 1498 was largely motivated by Portuguese determination to break the Kerala Muslims' control over the trade between local spice producers and the Middle East. He established India's first Portuguese fortress at Cochin (Kochi) in 1503 and from there, taking advantage of rivalry existing between the royal families of Calicut and Cochin, managed to destroy the monopoly.
The dispute between Calicut and Cochin, however, provided an opportunity for the Dutch to come in and finally expel the Portuguese from their forts. The British moved into the area in the form of the British East India Company and were firmly established in Kerala by the beginning of the seventeenth century. Tipu Sultan attempted to encroach on British-held territory in 1792, but he was defeated and the British remained in control until independence.
The Portuguese were surprised to discover, when they arrived in Kerala in 1498, that Christianity was already established. The history of christianity in Kerala dates back to the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle in A.D. 52, and to the establishing of a Christian-Jewish community by a contingent of Syriac-Nasranis who arrived in 192 via Baghdad. The ancient Syrian-christians lived alongside the Cochin Jews. (see Saint Thomas Christians)
Modern day Kerala was created in 1956 from Malabar, which had been part of the Madras Presidency, and from Travancore and Cochin. The latter two were princely states which had been ruled by maharajas, both being somewhat unique among their kind in that they had concerned themselves with the education and provision of basic services to the residents of their territories.
Following are few notable praises/sayings about Kerala and Malayalis
Geography
Politics
Arts
Social scene
Economy
History
Notable praises
List of famous Keralites
External links