Kerala

**Kerala,**  officially **Keralam** **,** is a state in the Republic of India. It is in the south-west of the country. The west coast of the state is on the Arabian Sea. It is borderded by Tamil Nadu to the east and Karnataka to the north

The capital city of the state is Thiruvananthapuram, even though the city of Kochi is more densely populated. The area of Kerala is 15,005 mi² (38,863 km², which is bigger than Bhutan but smaller than Switzerland. In traditional Indian geography, it is part of South India.

There are 14 districts in Kerala. They are Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, and Wayanad. Sasipara a famous hill station in Kerala. It's elevation ranges, approximately.  1300m (4265 ft) Above sea level. 

## Language 
People in Kerala speak Malayalam. More than 90% of the people can read the language. English is also very popular in Kerala, with a large population of the state being able to communicate in an advanced level.  

## Culture 
Kerala is known for traditional arts, and people enjoy traditional, percussion-filled music. They also enjoy tribal ceremonies, martial arts, and sports such as soccer, cricket, and badminton. Kerala is popular for Kalaripayattu, a martial arts form and Kathakali, a Hindu performance art. Most of the people have access to the internet, TVs, newspapers, and books. The average amount of reading per week is about seven hours. The literacy rate is approximately 96.2%, making it the most literate region in India. Kerala, though filled with plenty of natural beauty, also has a large cityscape, filled with malls, busy streets, festivals, and nightlife, with Kochi being the most polular for the same. 

### Provincial symbols of Kerala

File:Great-Hornbill.jpg|Provincial bird of Kerala
File:IndianElephant.jpg|Provincial animal of Kerala
File:Starr 031209-0059 Cocos nucifera.jpg|Provincial tree of Kerala
File:Cassia-fistula.jpg|Provincial flower of Kerala

### Festivals

File:Theyyam of Kerala 3.jpg|Theyyam of Kerala.

The most famous festivals held by Keralites are Onam, the harvest festival and Vishu, the Malayalam Calendar New Year. In addition to these, temples as well as churches hold festivals in several days of the year. A common tradition in all these festivals is the hosting of the holy flag, which is brought down on the last day of the festival. Some temple festivals are called poorams, and the most famous one among these is 'Thrissur Pooram'. The main attractions of poorams are firecrackers, traditional dance forms like 'Theyyam, Kathakali, Chakyar Koothu etc.'. Festivals are locally known as *utsavams* .

### Tourism 
Kerala is one of the biggest tourist attractions in India, both for Indians as well as foreigners. It has beaches, hill stations and extensive backwaters. Kerala is also known for its diverse nature.

### Agriculture

File:Pepper091.jpg|Black pepper
File:Rubber trees in Kerala, India.jpg|Natural rubber
File:Coconut face.jpg|Coconut
File:Blue Hills and Tea Garden at Munnar Kerala.jpg|Tea
File:Coffee beans2.jpg|Coffee
File:Cashew apples.jpg|Cashew
File:Banana three in Réunion.jpg|Banana

## Related pages 
* 
*Malayalam

## References