Kozhikode (city)

Kozhikode Calicut
Metropolis
Clockwise from top right: Kozhikode Beach skyline, Mananchira, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, Hilite Mall, Calicut International Airport, Kakkayam hills.
Kozhikode
Coordinates: 11°15′N 75°46′E / 11.25°N 75.77°E / 11.25; 75.77Coordinates: 11°15′N 75°46′E / 11.25°N 75.77°E / 11.25; 75.77
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Kozhikode
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
• Body	Kozhikode Corporation
• Mayor	Thottathil Raveendran CPI(M)
• Collector	Sri. U.V.Jose IAS
• City Police Commissioner	S. Kaliraj Mahesh kumar IPS
• Member of Parliament	M. K. Raghavan
Area
• Metropolis	177 km2 (68 sq mi)
• Metro	518 km2 (200 sq mi)
Elevation	1 m (3 ft)
Population (2011)
• Metropolis	550,440
• Density	3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi)
• Metro	2,030,519
• Municipal corporation	550,440
Demonym(s)	Kozhikotukaran (male), Kozhikotukari (female), Kozhikotukar (plural)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	673 0xx
Telephone code	91 (0)495 , 496
Vehicle registration	KL 11, KL 18, KL 56, KL 57, KL 81
Sex ratio	1.093  ♀/♂
Literacy	96.8%
Website	www.kozhikode.nic.in

Kozhikode ([koːɻikːoːɖ] ( listen)), or Calicut, is a city in the state of Kerala in southern India on the Malabar Coast. Calicut is the largest urban area in the state and 192nd largest urban area in the world. The city lies about 275 kilometres (171 mi) west of Bangalore.

During classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. It was the capital of an independent kingdom ruled by the Samoothiris (Zamorins) in the Middle Ages and later of the erstwhile Malabar District under British rule. Arab merchants traded with the region as early as 7th century, and Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed at Kozhikode on 20 May 1498, thus opening a trade route between Europe and Malabar. A Portuguese factory and fort was intact in Kozhikode for short period (1511–1525, until the Fall of Calicut). The English landed in 1615 (constructing a trading post in 1665), followed by the French (1698) and the Dutch (1752). In 1765, Mysore captured Kozhikode as part of its occupation of the Malabar Coast. Kozhikode, once a famous cotton-weaving centre, gave its name to the Calico cloth.