The western side is washed by the Lakshadweep Sea. According to the geographical features the State can be divided into hills and valleys , midland plains and coastal belt. A tropical paradise of waving palms and wide sandy beaches, this thin strip of coastal territory slopes down from the mountain ghats in a cascade of lush green vegetation. The presence of a number of lagoons and backwaters are yet another salient features of Kerala. Plantations and forests are ever green.
Agriculture forms the main occupation of the people .
About 42 per cent of the population depend upon agriculture for their livinghood. Rue and tapioca are important food crops. Kerala is a major producer of coconut, rubber, pepper, cardamom, cocoa, cashew, sugarcane, coffee, tea, ginger etc. It is rich in industrial potentialities and infrastructure facilities such as hydro-electric power, rich forests, rare minerals like ilmenite and monozite and efficient system of transport and communication. It represents only 1.18 percent of the total area of India but 3.43 per cent of the total population of India.