Kerala

Kerala

Kerala , state (2001 provisional pop. 31,838,619), 15,003 sq mi (38,858 sq km), SW India, on the Arabian Sea. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital. A wet tropical climate and coastal lowlands support cultivation of rice, coconuts, tapioca, and spices; the interior hills produce rubber, coffee, and tea. A densely populated state, Kerala was created in 1956 from the Malayalam-speaking former princely states of Cochin and Travancore and Malayalam-speaking areas formerly in Madras state (now Tamil Nadu). About 60% of the population is Hindu; Christians and Muslims each make up about 20% of the remaining inhabitants. Although Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India, it has suffered from economic underdevelopment and unemployment. In 1957, India's first Communist-led state administration was elected in Kerala. Maoist Naxalite groups have been active in the state. Kerala takes its name from the ancient Tamil kingdom of Kerala (Chera), which traded with the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans. Some coastal areas of Kerala were hard-hit by the Dec., 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami. The state is governed by a chief minister responsible to an elected unicameral legislature and by a governor appointed by the president of India.

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Kerala

Kerala State on the Arabian Sea, sw India; the capital is Trivandrum. One of India's smallest states, Kerala is the most densely populated. Fishing is important. Chief products include rubber, tea, coffee, coconuts, cashew nuts, ivory, textiles, teak, chemicals, and minerals. Area: 38,864sq km (15,005sq mi). Pop. (2001) 31,838,619.

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"Kerala." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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"Kerala." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Kerala.html

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Kerala

Kerala, India Keralaputra, Travancore‐Cochin A state created in 1956 when Malabar was added to Travancore‐Cochin, both princely states in their time. The name probably comes from the Tamil keralam ‘mountain range’, a reference to the Western Ghāts which cut the state off from the interior.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Kerala." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Kerala." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Kerala.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Kerala." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Kerala.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Kerala State: A social justice model.(India: Open for Business)(Cover Story)
Magazine article from: Multinational Monitor; 7/1/1995
Kerala: multiple improbabilities.(REPORTAGE: INDIA)
Magazine article from: World Policy Journal; 12/22/2011
The Kerala paradox.(social development in Kerala, India)(Report)
Magazine article from: Indian Journal of Economics and Business; 6/1/2009

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Kerala. (Image by Shiraspr, GFDL)