Back Kerala ACE Kerala Afrikaans Kerala GSW ኬረለ Amharic केरल ANP كيرلا Arabic كيرالا ARZ কেৰেলা (ৰাজ্য) Assamese Kerala AST केरल AWA
Kerala | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A houseboat in the Kerala backwaters | |
| Nickname: | |
 Location of Kerala in India | |
| Coordinates: 10°00′N 76°18′E / 10.0°N 76.3°E | |
| Country | India |
| Region | South India |
| Previously was | Travancore–Cochin Malabar district South Canara |
| Formation | 1 November 1956 |
| Capital | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Districts | 14 |
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of Kerala |
| • Governor | Rajendra Arlekar |
| • Chief minister | Pinarayi Vijayan (CPI(M)) |
| • Chief secretary | Sharada Muraleedharan, IAS |
| State Legislature | Unicameral |
| • Assembly | Kerala Legislative Assembly (140 seats) |
| National Parliament | Parliament of India |
| • Rajya Sabha | 9 seats |
| • Lok Sabha | 20 seats |
| High Court | Kerala High Court |
| Area | |
• Total | 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 21st |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 560 km (350 mi) |
| • Width | 70 km (40 mi) |
| Elevation | 900 m (3,000 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 2,695 m (8,842 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | −2.7 m (−8.9 ft) |
| Population (2025)[5] | |
• Total | 36,111,000 |
| • Rank | 13th |
| • Density | 890/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 79.42% |
| • Rural | 20.58% |
| Demonym(s) | Keralite, Malayali |
| Language | |
| • Official | Malayalam, English[6] |
| GDP | |
| • Total (2025-26) |  $167.90 billion (nominal) $707.26 billion (PPP) |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Per capita | $4,650 (nominal) $19,586 (PPP) (11th) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL |
| Vehicle registration | KL |
| HDI (2023) | 0.798 High[8] (2nd) |
| Literacy (2024) | 95.3%[9] (4th) |
| Sex ratio (2025) | 1084♀/1000 ♂[10] (17th) |
| Website | kerala |
| Symbols of Kerala | |
 | |
| Foundation day | 1 November |
| Bird | Great hornbill[11] |
| Butterfly | Papilio buddha[12] |
| Fish | Green chromide |
| Flower | Golden shower tree[11] |
| Fruit | Jackfruit[13] |
| Mammal | Indian elephant[11] |
| Tree | Coconut Tree[11] |
| State highway mark | |
 | |
| State highway of Kerala SH KL1 – SH KL79 | |
| List of Indian state symbols | |
Kerala[a] is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, which unified the country's Malayalam-speaking regions into a single state. Covering 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), it is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Laccadive Sea to the west. With 33 million inhabitants according to the 2011 census, Kerala is the 13th-most populous state in India. It is divided into 14 districts, with Thiruvananthapuram as the capital. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and, along with English, serves as an official language of the state.
Kerala has been a prominent exporter of spices since 3000 BCE. The Chera dynasty, the first major kingdom based in the region, rose to prominence through maritime commerce but often faced invasions from the neighbouring Chola and Pandya dynasties. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, paving the way for European colonisation in India. After Indian independence in 1947, Travancore and Cochin acceded to the newly formed republic and were merged in 1949 to form the state of Travancore-Cochin. In 1956, the modern state of Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks), and the Kasargod taluk of South Kanara.
Kerala has the lowest positive population growth rate in India (3.44%); the highest Human Development Index, at 0.784 in 2018; the highest literacy rate, 96.2% in 2018; the highest life expectancy, at 77.3 years; and the highest sex ratio, with 1,084 women per 1,000 men. It is the least impoverished and the second-most urbanised state in the country. The state has witnessed significant emigration, particularly to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, and its economy relies heavily on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate population. Hinduism is practised by more than half of the population, followed by Islam and Christianity. The culture is a synthesis of Aryan and Dravidian traditions, shaped over millennia by influences from across India and abroad.
The production of black pepper and natural rubber contributes significantly to the national output. In the agricultural sector, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices are important crops. The state's coastline extends for 595 kilometres (370 mi), and 1.1 million people depend on the fishing industry, which accounts for around 3% of the state's income. The economy is largely service-oriented, while the primary sector contributes a comparatively smaller share. Kerala has the highest media exposure in India, with newspapers published in nine languages, primarily Malayalam and English. The state is one of India's leading tourist destinations, known for its backwaters, beaches, Ayurvedic tourism, and tropical greenery.
- ^ "About Kerala". Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Kerala Physiography | Geographical location | Kerala | Kerala". Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Anamudi – Peakbagger.com". www.peakbagger.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Kuttanadan.com : Explore the Rice Bowl of Kerala". Kuttanadan Website. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ Population Projections for India and States, 2011–2036. July 2020. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "President Withholds Assent to Kerala Government's Malayalam Language Bill". The Wire. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "MOSPI State Domestic Product, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India". 15 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "India: Subnational HDI". Global Data Labs. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "Appendix-A: Detailed tables, Table (7): Literacy rate (in per cent) of persons of different age groups for each State/UT (persons, age-group (years): 7 & above, rural+urban (column 6))". Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (July 2023 – June 2024) (PDF). National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. 23 September 2024. pp. A-10.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
pc-census2011was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d "State Symbols of India". ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas. 1 December 2017. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ Jacob, Aneesh. "'Budha Mayoori' to be named Kerala's state butterfly". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^ "Jackfruit to be Kerala's state fruit; declaration on March 21". The Indian Express. PTI. 17 March 2018. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
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