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. Kerala, India's
most advanced society : A hundred percent
literate people. World-class health
care systems. India's lowest infant
mortality and highest life expectancy
rates. The highest physical quality
of life in India. Peaceful and pristine,
Kerala is also India's cleanest State. |
