Kerala

The Kerala (French Transliteration: Kérala ) - is a State south of the India. Located at the south-west of the Indian peninsula, it belongs, culturally and linguistically with the India of the South. One speaks there a language which, essentially, is specific to the State: the Malayalam; it belongs to the Langues dravidiennes, prevalent in the area.

Kerala is modest dimensions, but densément populated. Its growth population growth is however weakest of India. Kerala is the Indian State of which the Indice of human development the most is raised, the rate of elimination of illiteracy exceeds the 90% and the life expectancy reaches 73 years. However, suicide rates and of alcoholism are raised there, as well as unemployment.

History

The area is populated since highest antiquity. The Romains made already trade with Kerala. The regional identity is formed at the 14th century when the Malayalam is different clearly from the Tamoul.

One of the reasons of the voyage of Vasco de Gama since the Portugal towards Kerala in 1498 is to break Moslem control on the trade of the spices between the local producers and the the Middle East. It makes build the first Portuguese Indian ground fortress with Cochin (Kochi) in 1503, then fascinating advantage of the fights between the râjas of Calicut and Cochin, undertakes to destroy this monopoly. This fight between Calicut and Cochin, finally makes it possible to the Dutchmen to intervene, then to expel the Portuguese of their forts. The English who end up being present in the zone via the English Compagnie of the Indies Orientales are firmly installed in Kerala at the beginning of the 17th century. Tipû Sâhib tries to regain, in 1792, of the territory on that held by the British, but without success.

The Portuguese are surprised, when they arrive at Kerala, to find there Christian. History of this community date of arrival in 52 of holy Thomas, then it will be increased Christians syriaques come from Baghdad in 192. This Christian community speaks the Malayalam and its members are called themselves Nazaréens. It still is very influenced by the Judaïsme and it has relations with Nestoriens of the island of Soqotra.

The modern State of Kerala is created in 1956 starting from the Malabar which was part of the Présidence of Madras, Travancore and of Cochin. These two last were princely States directed by maharajas which had the characteristic to be concerned with education and wellbeing of their subjects.

In 1987, Kerala counted to 60% hindouists, 20% of Christians and as many Moslems. With its 25 million inhabitants for 38  815 km ², this state had the strongest population density of India but also the strongest rate of elimination of illiteracy (70% against 30% on average for the worldwide).

Geography

Kerala consists of a narrow strip of land along the western southern part of India. It is bordered by the Mer of Oman in the west by the Western Ghâts in the east.

Many places of Kerala became tourist attractions, since the beaches among most beautiful of India to the stations of mountain. In the center of the State, the Backwaters - lagoons connected by channels and communicating with the sea - are a major tourist destination, characteristic which they share with the beach of Kovalam, located at a score of minutes in the taxis since the capital, Thiruvananthapuram .

The States of the Karnataka in north and the Tamil Nadu in the east are the immediate neighbors of Kerala. The district of Mahé, part of the territory of Pondichéry is wedged in Kerala.

Kerala is divided of 14 districts: Alappuzha (Alleppey), Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur (Canannore), Kasargod, Kollam (Quilon), Kottayam, Kozhikode (Calicut), Malappuram, Palakkad (Palghat), Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Thrissur (Trichur) and Wayanad (Wynad). Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of the State, its name is often used in its colonial form of Trivandrum . The principal cities are: Kozhikode or Calicut, Cochin

Economy

The economy of Kerala is mainly agricultural. The Coconut, the The and the Café are cultivated in an intensive way like the rubber, the Anacardier and the spices which at all times were a richness of the area. The spices generally cultivated in Kerala are the Poivre, the Cardamome, the Vanille, the grooves and the Nutmeg.

Policy

Kerala is one of the most stable States politically of India and with the characteristic to have democratically elected in 1957 a government Communiste. The State with the reputation to be one of on the left of the country. Its citizens are very implied in the political life and their participation is much more important than in the remainder of the country.

Currently (2006), the political life is dominated by two alliances: the United Democratic Face with the capacity and control by the Left the Congress and the Left Democratic Front leads by the CPI (M) .

V.S.Achuthanandan is Chief Minister of Kerala.

Demography

Birth rate is high while death rate is weak; thus the natural rate of increase is high (53%). That is strictly higher than the natural rate of increase in the other States of India.

Culture

One of the Ballet dancings of India, the Kathakali, is originating in Kerala, just like the Kalaripayat, one of oldest martial arts in the world. On this subject, " should be seen absolutely; The eye above the puits" , the documentary film of Johan van der Keuken.

Books on Kerala

The child of the Kerala, Patrick Lowie

New faces of the heart, Anita Nair

" The god of small the riens" 1997, of Arundhati Roy

Tourism

There is still the Thiruvathira and Mohiniyatem.

See too

Related articles

  • Christian of saint Thomas
  • Onam, the festival of the harvests of Kerala

External bonds

  1. Site of the government of the State of Kerala
  2. Photographs of Kerala
  3. Keliswiss an social organization and cultural in Switzerland
  4. Voyage of Kerala

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Simple: Kerala

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