ABSTRACT
The State of Kerala lies in southern India, on the western shores of the tip of the peninsula. Karnataka lies to the north-east and Tamil Nadu to the east; just south of Kannur (Cannanore) is a small enclave of the Union Territory of Pondicherry, around the small port of Mahe, while another territory, Lakshadweep, is offshore. Kerala, the ‘land of the Cheras’, was formed as the home of the Malayalam language on 1 November 1956, by uniting most of Travancore-Kochin with the Malabar Coast District and the Kasaragod Taluk of South Cannara District. The state has an area of 38,863 sq km (15,010 sq miles).
