Capital : Thiruvananthapuram Principal Language : Malayalam
History and Geography
Kerala is in the extreme south-west of the Indian subcontinent. When independent India
amalgamated small states together Travancore and Cochin states were integrated to form
Travancore-Cochin state in July 1949. However, Malabar remained under the Madras province.
Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, Travancore-Cochin state and Malabar were united to
form Kerala state in November, 1956.
In between the high Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, the width
of the state varies from 35 km to 120 km. According to the geographical features, the state can be
divided into hills, valleys, midland plains and coastal belt. 44 rivers (41 west flowing and 3 east
flowing) cut across the state with their innumerable tributaries and branches. The backwaters
form an attractive and economically valuable feature of Kerala.
Agriculture
Kerala, the land of lush green paddy fields, cool coconut groves, fragrant spice garden,
dubbed as “God’s Own Country” is nestled in the southern tip of India. Fertile soil and warm
humid tropical climate make Kerala an ideal place for cultivation of a wide variety of crops
which included coconut, rice, rubber, banana, spices, fruits, vegetables, cashew nut, tubers,
coffee, tea, medicinal plants, arecanut, etc.
Industry
To transform Kerala into a vibrant entrepreneurial society with faster, inclusive and
sustainable economic growth in order to achieve global standards in every domain, the
government has taken steps to implement investor friendly industrial policy to enable
constructive investment in all sectors.
Irrigation
The surface irrigation constitutes major chunk of irrigation infrastructure. There are 18
dams intended for irrigation. Irrigation development is mainly centred on the development of
surface water resources mainly on the major and medium irrigation projects. In each Plan,
priority in allocation was given for the development of major and medium irrigation projects.
Rice is the major crop benefited through irrigation infrastructure. With the fast changes taking
place in the farm front with notable reduction in the area under rice cultivation, even the
distribution system already developed for gravity irrigation to service rice cultivation now
require realignment.
Drinking Water
Demand for water is increasing due to multitude of human activities in the country. The
primary responsibility of providing drinking water facilities in the country rests with the
respective state governments. In urban and rural areas of the state, 29 per cent and 71 per cent of
the population were covered.
Power
Power sector plays a vital role in all developmental activities in Kerala. Obviously power