State of Kerala
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Kerala Kēraḷam |
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| State | ||
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A houseboat in the Kerala backwaters
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| Nickname(s): God's Own Country, Spice Garden of India, Land of Coconuts | ||
 Location of Kerala |
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| Coordinates (Thiruvananthapuram): 8°30′N 77°00′E / 8.5°N 77°ECoordinates: 8°30′N 77°00′E / 8.5°N 77°E | ||
| Country |
 India
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| Statehood | 1 November 1956 | |
| Capital | Thiruvananthapuram | |
| Districts | 14 | |
| Government | ||
| • Body | Government of Kerala | |
| • Governor | P. Sathasivam | |
| • Chief Minister | Pinarayi Vijayan (CPI (M)) | |
| • Chief Secretary | Nalini Netto IAS | |
| • Director General of Police | Loknath Behra IPS | |
| • Legislature | Unicameral (141 seats) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 22nd | |
| Highest elevation | 2,695 m (8,842 ft) | |
| Lowest elevation | −2.2 m (−7.2 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 33,387,677 | |
| • Rank | 13th | |
| • Density | 860/km2 (2,200/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Keralite, Malayali | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) | |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KL | |
| HDI |
 0.712 (High) |
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| HDI rank | 1st (2015) | |
| Literacy | 93.9% (1st) (2011) | |
| Official language | Malayalam | |
| Website | kerala |
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| 140 elected, 1 nominated | ||
| Animal |
 Indian elephant
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| Bird |
 Great hornbill
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| Fish |
 Pearl spot
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| Flower |
 Golden shower tree flower
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| Tree |
 Coconut tree
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| Population trend | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1951 | 13,549,000 |
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| 1961 | 16,904,000 | 24.8% | |
| 1971 | 21,347,000 | 26.3% | |
| 1981 | 25,454,000 | 19.2% | |
| 1991 | 29,099,000 | 14.3% | |
| 2001 | 31,841,000 | 9.4% | |
| 2011 | 33,388,000 | 4.9% | |
| Source: 2001 & 2011 Censuses of India | |||
Kerala (/ˈkɛrələ/), historically known as Keralam, is an Indian state in South India on the Malabar Coast. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Spread over 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 Lakshadweep Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Kerala is the thirteenth-largest Indian state by population and is divided into 14 districts with the capital and the largest city being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.
The region has been a prominent spice exporter since 3000 BCE. The Chera Dynasty was the first prominent kingdom based in Kerala, though it frequently struggled against attacks by the neighbouring Cholas and Pandyas. In the 15th century, the spice trade attracted Portuguese traders to Kerala, and paved the way for the European colonisation of India. After independence, Travancore and Cochin joined the Republic of India and Travancore-Cochin was given the status of a state in 1949. In 1956, Kerala state was formed by merging Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks of Kanyakumari district), and the taluk of Kasaragod (now Kasaragod District), South Kanara (Tulunad).
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