Claim: Kerala is a State of India.

| related =  -RCB- -RCB-    The Malayali or Malayalee are an ethno-linguistic group native to the Malabar region in the state of Kerala . The Union Territory of Lakshadweep also has the Malayalam language as their mother tongue . The Malayali community in the Malabar region of India has a history of immigrants to the region from various parts of the world -LRB- primarily from the Middle East , Portugal during Portuguese India , and Britain during the British Raj -RRB- . There is also a unique sub-culture owing to the tropical environment of the state .   According to the Indian census of 2011 , there are approximately 33 million Malayalis in Kerala , making up 96.7 % of the total population of the state . Hence the word Keralite is often used synonymously with Malayali . Although Malabari -LRB- from the Malabar region -RRB- is also a common usage as well . Malayala Nadu , Mala Nadu are literary terms , that means Kerala . As well as according to A. R. Raja Raja Varma , Malayalam was the name of the place , before it became the name of the language spoken by people of that place .