Kerala | History, Map, Capital, & Facts | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Kerala, southwestern coastal state of India. It is a small state, constituting only about 1 percent of the total area of the country. Kerala stretches for about 360 miles (580 km) along the Malabar Coast, varying in width from roughly 20 to 75 miles (30 to 120 km). It is bordered by the states of Karnataka (formerly Mysore) to the north and Tamil Nadu to the east and by the Arabian Sea to the south and west; it also surrounds Mahe, a segment of the state of Puducherry, on the northwestern coast. The capital is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).

Although isolated from the Indian interior by the mountainous belt of the Western Ghats, Kerala has been exposed to many foreign influences via its long coastline; consequently, the state has developed a unique culture within the subcontinent, not only with a diverse religious tradition but also with its own language, Malayalam. Also notable is the high social status that continues to be accorded to women of Kerala, owing to the former strength of a matrilineal kinship system. Area 15,005 square miles (38,863 square km). Pop. (2011) 33,387,677.

Land

Relief and drainage

Kerala is a region of great natural beauty. In the eastern part of the state, Anai Peak (8,842 feet [2,695 metres]), the highest peak of peninsular India, crowns the Western Ghats. Descending from the rocky highlands westward toward the coastal plain is a stretch of farmlands, with different crops cultivated at different elevations. Along the coast, a linked chain of lagoons and backwaters form the so-called Venice of India. Among the more important rivers that flow to the Arabian Sea are the Ponnani (Bharatapuzha), Periyar, Chalakudi, and Pamba.

Climate

The climate of Kerala is equable and varies little from season to season. Throughout the year, daily temperatures usually rise from the low 70s F (low 20s C) into the 80s F (27 to 32 °C). The state is directly exposed to the southwest monsoon, which prevails from July through September, but it also receives rain from the reverse (northeast) monsoon, which blows in October and November. Precipitation averages about 115 inches (3,000 mm) annually statewide, with some slopes receiving more than 200 inches (5,000 mm).

Plant and animal life

The watery coastal zones of Kerala are interspersed with coconut palm groves, while much of the Western Ghats and riverine areas are covered with rainforests and monsoon forests (tropical deciduous forests). Rolling grasslands are typical of the upland region. This diverse natural environment is home to an extraordinary array of wildlife. Mammals include sambar deer, gaurs (wild cattle), Nilgiri tahrs (wild goatlike animals; Hemitragus hylocrius, or, by some classifications, Nilgiritragus hylocrius), elephants, leopards, tigers, bonnet monkeys, rare lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus), and Hanuman and Nilgiri langurs (Semnopithecus entellus and Trachypithecus johnii, respectively). King cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) are among the notable reptiles, while peacocks and hornbills are common birds. The state has several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, among which the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is the largest.

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People

Population composition

The Malayalis are a group of people of mixed ethnic heritage who speak Malayalam, a Dravidian language; they constitute the majority of the population of Kerala. Most Malayalis are descendants of the early inhabitants of India, the so-called Dravidians (speakers of Dravidian languages), who were driven southward between about 2000 and 1500 bce when the Aryans (speakers of Indo-Aryan languages) descended into the Indian subcontinent. Over the millennia, there has been much exchange between the two groups. Elements of Indo-Aryan ancestry remain strongest among the Nambudiri, a prominent caste of orthodox Hindus. Also living in Kerala is a significant minority of Tamils, a neighbouring people of Dravidian ancestry.

More than half of Kerala’s residents, including most of the Malayalis, follow Hinduism. About one-fourth of the population practices Islam, with the Moplah (Mapilla) people of the Malabar Coast constituting the state’s largest Muslim community. Christians, who account for nearly one-fifth of the population, belong broadly to the Syrian Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches as well as to various Protestant denominations. Regardless of their sect, these indigenous Christians share a common set of early Christian traditions unique to the Malabar Coast. They are referred to collectively as St. Thomas (Mar Thoma) Christians in allusion to the tradition that St. Thomas the Apostle first evangelized the region. Kerala also has tiny Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jewish communities; there is an ancient synagogue in Kochi.

Kerala is one of the most densely populated states in India. While only about one-fourth of the population was reported as urban in the early 21st century, such statistics are deceptive because of the close proximity of rural houses, especially in the coastal plain. Indeed, in parts of the state there are densely populated rural equivalents of urban megalopolises. The major urban centres and industrial complexes include Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kollam (Quilon), Alappuzha (Alleppey), Thrissur (Trichur), and Thalassery (Tellicherry).

Economy

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

Agriculture is the state’s main economic activity. Commercial plantings on less than half of the total land under cultivation earn a sizable amount of foreign exchange but have necessitated the importation of food for local consumption. Kerala’s principal cash crops are rubber, coffee, and tea, which are cultivated in plantations on the slopes of the foothills, as well as areca nut, cardamom, cashew nut, coconut, ginger, and pepper. The major food crops are rice, pulses (e.g., peas and beans), sorghum, and tapioca. Commercial poultry farming is well developed.

The forests yield valuable timbers such as ebony, rosewood, and teak. In addition, Kerala’s woodlands supply industrial raw materials such as bamboo (used in the paper and rayon industries), wood pulp, charcoal, gums, and resins. The state is also a national leader in fish production. Sardines, tunas, mackerels, and prawns are among the principal products of the industry.