About
Kerala
Kerala
is a green strip of land, in the South West corner of Indian peninsula. It
has only 1.1 8 per cent of the total area of the country but houses 3.43% of
the the country's population.
In 1956, when the states were
reorganized, Kerala was formed after tying the princely states of Travancore
and Cochin with Malabar, a province under Madras state.
Kerala may
be divided into three geographical regions: (1) High lands, (2) Midlands and
(3) Lowlands. The Highlands slope down from the Western Ghats which rise to
an average height of 900 m, with a number of peaks well over 1,800 m in
height. This is the area of major plantations like tea, coffee, rubber,
cardamom and other spices.
The Midlands, lying between the
mountains and the lowlands, is made up of undulating hills and valleys. This
is an area of intensive cultivation. Cashew, coconut, areca nut, cassava
(tapioca), banana, rice, ginger, pepper, sugarcane and vegetables of myriad
varieties are grown in this area.
It is a purified world in
Kerala, the land of trees. A big, spreading tree purifies as much air as a
room air-conditioner. And the former is never switched off. The prolific,
bustling, vegetation acts like a massive, biological, air-filtration plant
working round the clock, round the year. Hence spending days in Kerala
countryside is as if spending in an air- purified environ; some times better
than it. So is the rejuvenating effect of the lush greenery of the state.
The wanton growth of trees makes Kerala a herbarium. The four
month-long, copious monsoon and recurrent flurry make this land a perfect
nursery for all living beings. Loitering under the canopy of the foliage,
you will feel blossoming the dreams. Thus, on a sojourn in Kerala, away from
the rough and tumble of cities, you're breathing freshly purified air all
the time.
Another piece de resistance of Kerala is the meandering
rivers which criss-cross the state physique like blood veins. Besides, water
bodies tucked away in thick forests also enhance the amazing beauty of the
state. They fertilize the' land, turn waste into the wealth of the rich,
black, alluvial soil on which the agrarian state thrive.
The
Lowlands or the coastal area, made up of river deltas, backwaters and the
Arabian coast, is essentially a land of coconuts and rice. Fisheries and
coif industry constitute the major industries of this area.
Kerala
is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty-four rivers (41 west-flowing and 3
east-flowing} criss-cross the state physique along with countless runlets.
During summer, these monsoon-fed rivers will turn into rivulets especially
in the upper parts of Kerala.
Backwaters are an attractive,
economically valuable feature of Kerala. These include lakes and ocean in
lets which stretch irregularly along the Kerala coast. The biggest among
these backwaters is the Vembanad lake, with an area of 200 sq km, which
opens out into the Arabian Sea at Cochin port.
The Periyar, Pamba,
Manimala, Achenkovil, Meenachil and Moovattupuzha rivers drain into this
lake.The other important backwaters are Veli, Kadhinam kulam, Anjengo (Anju
Thengu),Edava, Nadayara, Paravoor. Ashtamudi (Quilon)
Flora:
Kerala has over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species. Among them include
endangered and rare species, flowering plants, fungies, lichens and mosses.
The state's forest wealth include tropical wet evergreen, semi-green and
tropical most deciduous. Teak, Mahagoney, Rosewood and Sandalwood are
common, the forests abound with orchids, anthirium, balsam, and medicinal
plants. banyan figs, bamboo as well as 40,000 years old grasslands.
Mangroves are seen in coastal areas and low, morass lands. So fertile is the
state, thanks to rivers and dams that are replenished by copious rain in
Western Ghats.
History
- Culture of Kerala
