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| ?കേരളം? · Kēraḷaṁ Kerala India | |
| Nickname: "God\'s Own Country" | |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | 38,863 km² (15,005 sq mi) |
| Capital | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Largest city | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Largest metro | Kochi metropolitan area |
| District(s) | 14 |
| Population • Density | 31,838,619 (12th) (2001) • 819/km² (2,121/sq mi) |
| Language(s) | Malayalam |
| Governor | R. L. Bhatia |
| Chief Minister | V.S. Achuthanandan |
| Established | November 1, 1956 |
| Legislature (seats) | Unicameral (141‡) |
| ISO abbreviation | IN-KL |
| Website: kerala.gov.in | |
 Portal: Kerala
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| ‡ 140 elected, 1 nominated | |
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Kerala ([\'keːɹəˌɭɐ] ; Malayalam: കേരളം?; Kēraḷaṁ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. To its east and northeast, Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; to its west and south lie the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives, respectively. Kerala nearly envelops Mahé, a coastal exclave of Pondicherry. Kerala is one of four states that compose the linguistic-cultural region known as South India. The principal spoken language is Malayalam, but other languages are also spoken.
First settled in the 10th century BC by speakers of Proto-South Dravidian, Kerala was influenced by the Mauryan Empire. Later, the Cheran kingdom and feudal Namboothiri Brahminical city-states became major powers in the region.Early history of Kerala. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on 2007-05-16. Early contact with overseas lands culminated in struggles between colonial and native powers. The States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood.
Social reforms enacted in the late 19th century by Cochin and Travancore were expanded upon by post-independence governments, making Kerala among the Third World\'s longest-lived, healthiest, most gender-equitable, and most literate regions.McKibben B. "The Enigma of Kerala: One state in India is proving development experts wrong", DoubleTake, 1995. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Though the state\'s basic human development indices are roughly equivalent to those in the developed world, the state is substantially more environmentally sustainable than Europe and North America.Douthwaite R (1999). The Growth Illusion: How Economic Growth has Enriched the Few, Impoverished the Many, and Endangered the Planet. New Society Publishers, pp. 310–312. ISBN 0-8657-1396-0. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Heinberg R (2004). Powerdown: Options And Actions For A Post-Carbon World. New Society Publishers, p. 105. ISBN 0-8657-1510-6. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Nevertheless, Kerala\'s suicide, alcoholism, and unemployment rates rank among India\'s highest.The extent of problem of Mental Health in the State. Kerala State Mental Health Authority. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country.India Corruption Study — 2005. Transparency International (June 2005). Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
The widely disputed etymology of Kerala is a matter of conjecture. In the prevailing theory, Kerala is an imperfect Malayalam portmanteau that fuses kera ("coconut palm tree") and alam ("land" or "location").Dobbie A (2006). India: The Elephant\'s Blessing. Melrose Press, p. 122. ISBN 1-9052-2685-3. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Another theory is that the name originated from the phrase chera alam ("Land of the Chera").George KM (1968). A Survey of Malayalam Literature. Asia Publishing House, p. 2. Natives of Kerala, known as Keralites or Malayalees, thus refer to their land as Keralam. Kerala\'s tourism industry, among others, also use the phrase God\'s Own Country.Vipin Gopal (1993). Kerala - God\'s Own Country. www.cs.cmu.edu. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
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According to a legend, Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu, threw his battle axe into the sea. As a result, the land of Kerala arose and was reclaimed from the waters.Aiya VN (1906). The Travancore State Manual. Travancore Government Press, pp. 210–212. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. During Neolithic times, humans largely avoided Kerala\'s rainforests and wetlands. There is evidence of the emergence of prehistoric pottery and granite burial monuments in the 10th century BC that resemble their counterparts in Western Europe and the rest of Asia. These were produced by speakers of a proto-Tamil language.Government of Kerala 2005. Thus, Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, ethnicity and culture; this common area was known as Tamilakam. Kerala became a linguistically separate region by the early 14th century. The ancient Cherans, whose mother tongue and court language was Tamil, ruled Kerala from their capital at Vanchi and was the first major recorded kingdom. Allied with the Pallavas, they continually warred against the neighbouring Chola and Pandya kingdoms. A Keralite identity—distinct from the Tamils and associated with the second Chera empire—and the development of Malayalam evolved between the 8th and 14th centuries. In written records, Kerala was first mentioned in the Sanskrit epic Aitareya Aranyaka. Later, figures such as Katyayana, Patanjali, Pliny the Elder, and the unknown author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea displayed familiarity with Kerala.Pliny\'s Naturalis Historia, Book 6, Chapter 26
The Knanaya Syrian Orthodox Valia Palli (St. Mary’s Church) in Thazhathangadi, Kottayam. Built in 1550 AD, it hosts an 8th-century Persian cross and Sassanid Pahlavi inscriptions.
The Chera kings\' dependence on trade meant that merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala.Iyengar 2001, pp. 192–195.Iyengar 2001, pp. 303–307. Many, especially Jews and Christians, escaped persecution and established the Nasrani Mappila and Muslim Mappila communities.Milton J, Skeat WW, Pollard AW, Brown L (1982-08-31). The Indian Christians of St Thomas. Cambridge University Press, p. 171. ISBN 0-5212-1258-8. According to several scholars, the Jews first arrived in Kerala in 573 BC.De Beth Hillel, David (1832). Travels (Madras publication).Lord, James Henry (1977). The Jews in India and the Far East; Greenwood Press Reprint; ISBN. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Thomas the Apostle visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 AD to proselytize amongst Kerala\'s Jewish settlements.Medlycott, A E. 1905 "India and the Apostle Thomas"; Gorgias Press LLC; ISBN Thomas Puthiakunnel, (1973) "Jewish colonies of India paved the way for St. Thomas", The Saint Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India, ed. George Menachery, Vol. II. However, the first verifiable migration of Jewish-Nasrani families to Kerala is of the arrival of Knai Thoma in 345 AD.α[›]Mundadan AM (1984). Volume I: From the Beginning up to the Sixteenth Century (up to 1542), Church History Association of India, History of Christianity in India, Bangalore: Theological Publications. Muslim merchants (Malik ibn Dinar) settled in Kerala by the 8th century AD. After Vasco Da Gama\'s arrival in 1498, the Portuguese gained control of the lucrative pepper trade by subduing Keralite communities and commerce.Ravindran PN (2000). Black Pepper: Piper Nigrum. CRC Press, 3. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Curtin PD (1984). Cross-Cultural Trade in World History. Cambridge University Press, 144. ISBN 0-5212-6931-8.
Conflicts between the cities of Kozhikode (Calicut) and Kochi (Cochin) provided an opportunity for the Dutch to oust the Portuguese. In turn, the Dutch were ousted at the 1741 Battle of Colachel by Marthanda Varma of Travancore (Thiruvathaamkoor). Hyder Ali, heading the Mysore, conquered northern Kerala, capturing Kozhikode in 1766. In the late 18th century, Tipu Sultan, Ali’s son and successor, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company; these resulted in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. He ultimately ceded Malabar District and South Kanara to the Company in the 1790s. The Company then forged tributary alliances with Kochi (1791) and Travancore (1795). Malabar and South Kanara became part of the Madras Presidency.Superintendent of Government Printing (1908). Imperial Gazetteer of India (Provincial Series): Madras. Calcutta: Government of India, 22. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
Kerala saw comparatively little defiance of the British Raj. Nevertheless, several rebellions occurred, including the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar revolt,Emergence of Nationalism: Punnapra-Vayalar revolt. Department of Public Relations (Government of Kerala) (2002). Retrieved on 2006-01-14. and leaders like Velayudan Thampi Dalava, Kunjali Marakkar, and Pazhassi Raja earned their place in history and folklore. Many actions, spurred by such leaders as Sree Narayana Guru and Chattampi Swamikal, instead protested such conditions as untouchability; notable was the 1924 Vaikom Satyagraham. In 1936, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma of Travancore issued the Temple Entry Proclamation that opened Hindu temples to all castes; Cochin and Malabar soon did likewise. The 1921 Moplah Rebellion involved Mappila Muslims battling Hindus and the British Raj.Qureshi, MN (1999). Pan-Islam in British Indian Politics: A Study of the Khilafat Movement, 1918–1924, 445–447. ISBN 9-0041-0538-7.
After India gained its independence in 1947, Travancore and Cochin were merged to form Travancore-Cochin on July 1, 1949. On January 1, 1950 (Republic Day), Travancore-Cochin was recognised as a state. The Madras Presidency was organised to form Madras State several years prior, in 1947. Finally, the Government of India\'s November 1, 1956 States Reorganisation Act inaugurated the state of Kerala, incorporating Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks, which were merged with Tamil Nadu), and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara.Plunkett, Cannon & Harding 2001, p. 24. A new legislative assembly was also created, for which elections were first held in 1957. These resulted in a communist-led government—one of the world\'s earliest—headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad.Plunkett, Cannon & Harding 2001, p. 24.Jose D. "EMS Namboodiripad dead", Rediff, Press Trust of India, 1998-03-19. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Subsequent social reforms favoured tenants and labourers.Cheriyan 2004, pp. 22–23.Cheriyan 2004, pp. 43–44. As a result, living standards, education, and life expectancy improved dramatically.
Landscape near Thekkady, Iddukki.
Kerala’s 38,863 km² landmass (1.18% of India) is wedged between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats—identified as one of the world\'s twenty-five biodiversity hotspotsSreedharan 2004, p. 5.—to the east. Lying between north latitudes 8°18\' and 12°48\' and east longitudes 74°52\' and 72°22\',Government of Kerala 2005b. Kerala is well within the humid equatorial tropics. Kerala’s coast runs for some 580 km (360 miles), while the state itself varies between 35 and 120 km (22–75 miles) in width. Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands (rugged and cool mountainous terrain), the central midlands (rolling hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). Located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Kerala lies near the centre of the Indian tectonic plate; as such, most of the state is subject to comparatively little seismic and volcanic activity.United Nations Development Programme. Map Showing Multi Hazard Zones in Kerala [map]. (2002) Retrieved on 2006-01-12. Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala’s terrain.
Eastern Kerala lies immediately west of the Western Ghats\'s rain shadow; it consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys. 41 of Kerala’s west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. Here, the Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad, where the Palakkad Gap breaks through to provide access to the rest of India. The Western Ghats rises on average to 1,500 m (4920 ft) above sea level, while the highest peaks may reach to 2,500 m (8200 ft). Just west of the mountains lie the midland plains composing central Kerala; rolling hills and valleys dominate.Government of Kerala 2005b. Generally ranging between elevations of 250–1,000 m (820–3300 ft), the eastern portions of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills include such formations as Agastyamalai and Anamalai.
.JPG/58px-Kollam (78).JPG)
A cheena vala (fishing net) in the Backwaters region of Kollam.
Kerala’s western coastal belt is relatively flat, and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Lake Vembanad—Kerala’s largest body of water—dominates the Backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is more than 200 km² in area. Around 8% of India\'s waterways (measured by length) are found in Kerala.Inland Waterways Authority of India 2005. The most important of Kerala’s forty four rivers include the Periyar (244 km), the Bharathapuzha (209 km), the Pamba (176 km), the Chaliyar (169 km), the Kadalundipuzha (130 km) and the Achankovil (128 km). The average length of the rivers of Kerala is 64 km. Most of the remainder are small and entirely fed by monsoon rains.Government of Kerala 2005b. These conditions result in the nearly year-round water logging of such western regions as Kuttanad, 500 km² of which lies below sea level. As Kerala\'s rivers are small and lack deltas, they are more prone to environmental factors. Kerala\'s rivers face many problems, including summer droughts, the building of large dams, sand mining, and pollution.
With 120–140 rainy days per year, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon.Chacko & Renuka 2002, p. 80. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. Kerala\'s rainfall averages 3,107 mm annually. Some of Kerala\'s drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm; the mountains of eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm of orographic precipitation, the highest in the state.
In summers, most of Kerala is prone to gale force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level and storm activity resulting from global warming.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 46.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 26.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 52. Kerala’s maximum daily temperature averages 36.7 °C; the minimum is 19.8 °C.Government of Kerala 2005b. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0–27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the highlands.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 65.
A blue tiger (Tirumala limniace) butterfly.
Much of Kerala\'s notable biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in the eastern hills. Almost a fourth of India\'s 10,000 plant species are found in the state. Among the almost 4,000 flowering plant species (1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala and 159 threatened) are 900 species of highly sought medicinal plants.Sreedharan 2004, p. 11.Government of Kerala 2004f, p. 141.
Petals of the gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba) flower curve upward into a claw-like shape; below, its stamens grow radially outwards.
Its 9,400 km² of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km²), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km² and 100 km², respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km²). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested.Sreedharan 2004, p. 12. Two of the world’s Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km² of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century,Jayarajan 2004, pp. 6–7. much of Kerala\'s forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Kerala\'s fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: 102 species of mammals (56 of which are endemic), 476 species of birds, 202 species of freshwater fishes, 169 species of reptiles (139 of them endemic), and 89 species of amphibians (86 endemic).Government of Kerala 2004f, p. 141. These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinization, and resource extraction.Government of Kerala 2004f, pp. 142–145.
The Bengal Tiger inhabits Kerala\'s eastern forests.
Eastern Kerala’s windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. Here, sonokeling (Indian rosewood), anjili, mullumurikku (Erythrina), and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm (a type of climbing palm), and aromatic vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides).Sreedharan 2004, p. 12. Living among them are such fauna as Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Leopard (Panthera pardus), Nilgiri Tahr, Common Palm Civet, and Grizzled Giant Squirrel.Sreedharan 2004, p. 12.Sreedharan 2004, pp. 174–175. Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and crocodile. Kerala\'s birds are legion—Peafowl, the Great Hornbill, Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Cormorant, and Jungle Myna are several emblematic species. In lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as kadu (stinging catfish and Choottachi (Orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus; valued as an aquarium specimen) are found.Sreedharan 2004, p. 163–165.
Kerala\'s fourteen districts are distributed among Kerala\'s three historical regions: Malabar (northern Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), and Travancore (southern Kerala). Kerala\'s modern-day districts (listed in order from north to south) correspond to them as follows:
Moreover, Kerala\'s 14 revenue districts are further divided into 62 taluks, 1453 revenue villages and 1007 Gram panchayats.
Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry), is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) is the state capital and most populous city."World Gazetteer:India - largest cities (per geographical entity") Kochi is the most populous urban agglomeration"World Gazetteer: India - largest cities (per geographical entity") and the major port city in Kerala. Kozhikode and Thrissur are the other major commercial centres of the state. The High Court of Kerala is at Ernakulam. Kerala\'s districts, which serve as the administrative regions for taxation purposes, are further subdivided into 63 taluks; these have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records.
Like other Indian states and most Commonwealth countries, Kerala is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to state residents. There are three branches of government. The unicameral legislature, known as the legislative assembly, comprises elected members and special office bearers (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by assemblymen. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker. The Assembly is presided over by the Deputy Speaker whenever the Speaker is absent. Kerala has 140 Assembly constituencies. The state sends 20 members to the Lok Sabha and 9 to the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Parliament\'s upper house.
Like other Indian states, the constitutional head of state is the Governor of Kerala, who is appointed by the President of India. The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the de facto head of state and is vested with most of the executive powers; the Legislative Assembly\'s majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor. The Council of Ministers, which answers to the Legislative Assembly, has its members appointed by the Governor; the appointments receive input from the Chief Minister.
The judiciary comprises the Kerala High Court (including a Chief Justice combined with 26 permanent and two additional (pro tempore) justices) and a system of lower courts. The High Court of Kerala is the highest court for the state; it also decides cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.
The state\'s 2005–2006 budget was 219 billion INR.Budget at a Glance The state government\'s tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to 111,248 million INR in 2005, up from 63,599 million in 2000. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala as assessed by the Indian Finance Commissions reached 10,809 million INR in 2005, nearly double the 6,847 million INR revenues of 2000.Finance Commission (Ministry of Finance, Government of India) However, Kerala\'s high ratio of taxation to gross state domestic product (GSDP) has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, impacting social services.Memoranda from States: Kerala
Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF—led by the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF—led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M))). At present, the LDF is the ruling coalition in government; V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI(M) is the Chief Minister of Kerala and Oommen Chandy of [United Democratic Front (India)|UDF] is the Chief Opposition leader.
.jpg/58px-Cpmernakulam (40).jpg)
A CPI(M) rally in Ernakulam.
Kerala is one of the few regions in the world where communist parties are democratically elected in a parliamentary democracy. Compared with most other Indians, Keralites are well versed and keen participants in the political process; many elections are decided by razor-thin margins of victory. Strikes, protests, rallies, and marches are ubiquitous.Protest against frequent strikes. The Hindu. The Hindu (5 July 2005). Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
Since its incorporation as a state, Kerala\'s economy largely operated under welfare based democratic socialist principles. In recent years, the state has liberalised its increasingly mixed economy, allowing greater participation by the free market and foreign direct investment. Kerala\'s nominal gross domestic product (as of 2004–2005) is an estimated 89451.99 crore INR,"Kerala\'s GDP hits an all-time high", Rediff, Press Trust of India, 2006-03-09. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. while recent GDP growth (9.2% in 2004–2005 and 7.4% in 2003–2004) has been robust compared to historical averages (2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1%Mohindra 2003, p. 8. and 5.99%Government of Kerala 2004, p. 2. in the 1990s).Mohindra 2003, p. 8. Nevertheless, relatively few major corporations and manufacturing plants choose to operate in Kerala.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 49. This is mitigated by remittances sent home by overseas Keralites,Jobs Abroad Support \'Model\' State in India. New York Times (September 07 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-07. which contributes around 20% of state GDP.Hari, KS & KP Kannan (2002), "Kerala\'s Gulf Connection: Emigration, Remittances and their Macro Economic Impact (Working Paper 328)", Centre for Development Studies (Trivandrum). Kerala\'s per capita GDP of 11,819 INRRaman 2005. is significantly higher than the all India average,Mohindra 2003, p. 8. although it still lies far below the world average. Additionally, Kerala\'s Human Development Index and standard of living statistics are the nation\'s best.Varma MS. "Nap on HDI scores may land Kerala in an equilibrium trap", The Financial Express, 2005-04-04. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is often dubbed the Kerala phenomenon or the Kerala model of development,Tharamangalam 2005, p. 1.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 48. and arises mainly from Kerala\'s strong service sector.
Tea gardens near Munnar, Idukki district.
The service sector (including tourism, public administration, banking and finance, transportation, and communications—63.8% of statewide GDP in 2002–2003) along with the agricultural and fishing industries (together 17.2% of GDP) dominate Kerala\'s economy.Government of Kerala 2004, p. 2.Government of Kerala 2004c, p. 24. Nearly half of Kerala\'s people are dependent on agriculture alone for income.Government of Kerala 2005c. Some 600 varietiesSreedharan 2004, p. 5. of rice (Kerala\'s most important staple food and cereal cropBalachandran 2004, p. 5.) are harvested from 3105.21 km² (a decline from 5883.4 km² in 1990Balachandran 2004, p. 5.) of paddy fields; 688,859 tonnes are produced per annum.Government of Kerala 2005c. Other key crops include coconut (899,198 ha), tea, coffee (23% of Indian production,Joy 2004, p. 13. or 57,000 tonnesJoy 2004, pp. 6–7.), rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Around 1.050 million fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes (1999–2000 estimate); 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590 km coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.
Interior of the Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram.
Traditional industries manufacturing such items as coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Around 180,000 small-scale industries employ around 909,859 Keralites; 511 medium and large scale manufacturing firms are located in Kerala. A small mining sector (0.3% of GDP)Government of Kerala 2004c, p. 24. involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite.Government of Kerala 2005c. Home gardens and animal husbandry also provide work for hundreds of thousands of people. Other major sectors are tourism, manufacturing, and business process outsourcing. Kerala\'s unemployment rate is variously estimated at 19.2%Rajan & Zachariah 2005, p. 4. and 20.77%,Government of Kerala 2004, p. 4. although underemployment of those classified as "employed", low employability of many job-seeking youths, and a mere 13.5% female participation rate are significant problems.Nair 2004, p. 5.Nair 2004, p. 13.Government of Kerala 2004, p. 4. Estimates of the statewide poverty rate range from 12.71%Dhar A. "260 million Indians still below poverty line", The Hindu, 2006-01-28. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. to as high as 36%.Government of Kerala 2006, p. 1.
Kerala has 145,704 kilometers (90,539 mi) of roads (4.2% of India\'s total). This translates to about 4.62 kilometers (2.87 mi) of road per thousand population, compared to an all India average of 2.59 kilometers (1.61 mi). Virtually all of Kerala\'s villages are connected by road. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Kerala\'s road density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state\'s high population density. Kerala\'s annual total of road accidents is among the nation\'s highest.Kumar KG. "Accidentally notorious", The Hindu Business Line, 2003-09-22. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
India\'s national highway network includes a Kerala-wide total of 1,524 kilometers (947 mi), which is 2.6% of the national total. There are eight designated national highways in the state. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the 1,600 kilometers (994 mi) of roadways that compose the state highways system; it also oversees major district roads.Kumar VS. "Kerala State transport project second phase to be launched next month", The Hindu Business Line, 2006-01-20. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Kumar VS (2003). Institutional Strengthening Action Plan (ISAP). Public Works Department. Government of Kerala. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. Most of Kerala\'s west coast is accessible through two national highways, NH 47, and NH 17.
The state has major international airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode that link the state with the rest of the nation and the world. The Cochin International Airport at Kochi is the first international airport in India that was built without Central Government funds, and is also the country\'s first publicly owned airport."The three airports in Kerala can be in business without affecting each other", Rediff, 1999-12-06. Retrieved on 2007-11-11. The backwaters traversing the state are an important mode of inland navigation. The Indian Railways\' Southern Railway line runs throughout the state, connecting all major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. Kerala\'s major railway stations are Trivandrum Central, Kollam Junction, Ernakulam Junction, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Shoranur Junction, and Palakkad.
Most Keralites, such as this fisherman, live in rural areas.
The 31.8 millionOffice of the Registrar General 2001b. of Kerala’s compound population is predominantly of Malayali Dravidian ethnicity, while the rest is mostly made up of Indo-Aryan, Jewish, and Arab elements in both culture and ancestry (both of which are usually mixed). Kerala is also home to 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis (1.10% of the populace), who are mostly concentrated in the eastern districts.Kalathil 2004, p. 10.Kalathil 2004, p. 12. Malayalam is Kerala\'s official language; Tamil and various Adivasi languages are also spoken by ethnic minorities.
A Malayali woman wearing a sari
Kerala is home to 3.44% of India\'s people; at 819 persons per km², its land is three times as densely settled as the rest of India.Office of the Registrar General 2001. Kerala\'s rate of population growth is India\'s lowest,Government of Kerala 2004c, p. 26. and Kerala\'s decadal growth (9.42% in 2001) is less than half the all-India average of 21.34%.Government of Kerala 2004c, p. 27. Whereas Kerala\'s population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991, the population stood at less than 32 million by 2001. Kerala\'s coastal regions are the most densely settled, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated.Government of Kerala 2005b.
Women compose 51.42% of the population.Venkitakrishnan & Kurien 2003, p. 26. Kerala\'s principal religions are Hinduism (56.1%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19%).Office of the Registrar General 2004. Remnants of a once substantial Cochin Jewish population also practice Judaism. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism.Heller P (4 May 2003). "Social capital as a product of class mobilization and state intervention: Industrial workers in Kerala, India": 49–50. University of California. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
Rural women processing coir threads.
Kerala\'s society is less patriarchical than the rest of the Third World.Lindberg 2004, pp. 18–19. Gender relations are among the most equitable in India and the Third WorldGovernment of Kerala 2004r, p. 366, despite discrepancies among low caste men and women.Lindberg 2004, p. 1. Certain Hindu communities (such as the Nairs), Travancore Ezhavas and the Muslims around Kannur used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris and the Ezhavas follow makkathayam, a patrilineal system.Government of Kerala 2002b.
Kerala\'s human development indices—elimination of poverty, primary level education, and health care—are among the best in India. Kerala has the second highest literacy rate (89.9%) among Indian states after Mizoram Template:Http://www.nfhsindia.org and life expectancy (73 years) is among the highest in India. (2001). "Kerala: Human Development Fact Sheet". United Nations Development Programme. Literacy is 88% among females and 94% among males according to the 2001 census. Kerala\'s rural poverty rate fell from 69% (1970–1971) to 19% (1993–1994); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 36% between the 1970s and 1980s.Mohindra 2003, pp. 8–9. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6% respectively.Deaton A (2003-08-22). "Regional poverty estimates for India, 1999-2000" (PDF): p. 6. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. (2003) "EFA (Education for All) Global Monitoring Report" (PDF): p. 156. UNESCO. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Kutty VR (2000). "Historical analysis of the development of health care facilities in Kerala State, India" (PDF). Health Policy and Planning 15 (1): 103–109. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. This focus was maintained by Kerala\'s post-independence government.Brenkert & Malone 2003, p. 48.
Kerala\'s healthcare system has garnered international acclaim. UNICEF and the World Health Organization designating Kerala the world\'s first "baby-friendly state". Representative of this condition, more than 95% of Keralite births are hospital-delivered.Kutty VR (2004). in Nair PRG, Shaji H: Why low birth weight (LBW) is still a problem in Kerala: A preliminary exploration (PDF), Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development, Thiruvananthapuram: Centre for Development Studies, p. 6. ISBN 81-87621-60-5. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. Aside
