Kerala at a Glance

A coastline that stretches for 600kms, virgin beaches, lush greenery, a highly literate people, and a treasure trove of rich and varied art forms all make up the fascinating land of Kerala. Enclosed by the Arabian Sea, the Lakshadweep Sea, and the towering Western Ghats, this paradise on earth has something to offer to everybody. Located at the southernmost tip of India, Kerala has become one of the most sought after travel destinations in recent times. Kerala at a glance itself is inviting and alluring, tickling our knowledge buds to know more.

The state of Kerala has the highest percentage of literacy in India. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram. A very progressive state Kerala is very well connected by all modern transport facilities and is therefore easily accessible. A communist government is at the helm of affairs in the state. Kerala may be divided into fourteen Districts which fall under Kerala’s three prominent historical regions namely, Travancore (Southern Kerala), Kochi (Central Kerala), and Malabar (Northern Kerala).Malayalam is the official language of Kerala.

Location	:	Southwestern tip of India.
Area	:	38, 863 sq km.
Population	:	3,18,38,619
Capital	:	Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Language	:	Malayalam;English is widely spoken.
Religion	:	Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
Time	:	GMT +5:30
Currency	:	Indian Rupee
Climate	:	Tropical.
Summer	:	February - May (24 - 330C)
Monsoon	:	June - September (22 - 280C)
Winter	:	October - January (22 - 320C)
Names of Districts
Old		New
Trivandrum		Thiruvananthapuram
Quilon		Kollam
Alleppey		Alappuzha
		Pathanamthitta
		Kottayam
		Idukki
		Ernakulam
Trichur		Thrissur
Palghat		Palakkad
		Malappuram
		Wayanad
Calicut		Kozhikode
Cannanore		Kannur
		Kasaragod
Major Cities	:	Thiruvananthapuram,Kochi (Ernakulam district)and Kozhikode.
Taluks	:	61
Revenue Villages	:	1452
City Corporations	:	5
Grama Panchayat	:	991
Block Panchayat	:	152
District Panchayat	:	14
Population
Population	:	318.39 lakhs as per the latest 2001 Census (31.839 Millions)
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
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)
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) and operate 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 Building, Machine Tools, Electronics, Cables, Rubber.