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