State at a Glance
Kerala is situated on the South Western coast of India,, almost in the equatorial region. God’s Own country as we call it , is a tropical paradise with Arabian sea on the west and the Western Ghats on the East. It lies between North latitudes 8o18’ and 12o48’ and East longitudes 74o52’ and 77o22’ and has an area of 38,863 sq.km.. The state has a coast of 590 km and the width of the state varies between 11 and 121 kilometres.
Climate
Climate : Wet tropical climate
Temperature: 34o C (Max) 22o C (Min) in coastal & midland areas ,29o C (Max) 18o C (Min) in Highlands
Average Rainfall: 2923 mm. Kerala averages some 120–140 rainy days per year
Rivers:
Kerala is blessed with 44 rivers (41 are west flowing and three are East flowing . All of them originate in the Western Ghats . the West flowing reach the Arabian Sea and the East flowing fall into the Bay of Bengal . The Major rivers are Valapattanam river (110 Kms.), Chaliar (69 Kms.), Kadalundipuzha (130 Kms.), Bharathapuzha (209 Kms.), Chalakudy river (130 Kms.), Periyar (244 Kms.), Pamba (176 Kms.), Achancoil (128 Kms.) and Kalladayar (121 Kms.)
Mythology says, Keralam (Land of Coconut) was retrieved from the sea by Lord Parasuram by throwing his battle axe The stone age carvings in Edakkal caves indicate human settlement in Kerala as early as 5000 BC. Since 3000 BC, the spice trade from Kerala established around 3000BC and was one of the main drivers of the world economy Kerala had direct trade relations with Arabs , Egyptians Phoenicians and Chinese and indirect trade with Roman empire and Greece through Arabs .Every major religion in the world made its presence in Kerala . They co existed with the Hindu faith. Buddhism and Jainism established right from the early days. Islam was brought by Arabs. Apostle Thomas came to Kerala in AD 53 and established Christianity, well before it came in Europe. We also sheltered Jews and Parsees In 1498, Vasco De Gama of Portugal landed in Kerala to establish a sea route for spice trade. Then followed the Dutch , the French and finally the British During the Colonial period , Kerala was divided into Princely states of Travancore and Cochin and the British Malabar . Post Independence, these three regions were unified and the present State of Kerala was officially formed on the 1st of November 1956
Population Statistics (2011 Census)
| Total |
3.34 cr |
| Urban |
1.59 cr (47.7%) |
| Rural |
1.74 cr (52.3%) |
| Density |
860 per sq km |
| Sex Ratio |
1084 |
| Literacy |
94 % |
| Decadal growth of Population |
4.9 % against national rate of 17.6 %Two districts, Pathanamthitta & Idukki have negative growth |
Social Indices
The rulers of Kerala gave importance to Social reforms , Education and Health in their administrative priorities. In “ The Discovery of India” Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru has said “ the Princely states of Travancore , Cochin , Mysore and Baroda were much advanced in education than the British India . In Travancore popular education began to be organised in 1801 compared to England where it started in 1870.Public health is also better organized in Travancore. Women play an important part in public service and activities in Travancore” (Page 307, The Discovery of India )
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Kerala has 6 social development indicators that set it apart from other states in the Country
1. High literate population (93.91 %)
Female literacy rate of 91.98% is also the highest in the country.
2. Low infant mortality rate (12 per 1000 births )
It is comparable with developed countries like the US .But the low birth rate in Kerala is currently seen as a concern
3. High life expectancy - 74.9 years
(72 for men and 77.8 for women).
4. Human Development Index
0.790 which is the highest in India,
5. Poverty Rate of 7.05% ,
It is just below Goa while the national rate stands at 21.92%.
6. Sex ratio
1084 women for every 1000 men
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