Kerala name is derived from two Malayalam words Kera and Alam. In Malayalam Kera means ‘coconut tree’ and Alam means ‘land’; thus, the meaning of Kerala is ‘Land of Coconuts’. Around 7.70 lakh hectares of cultivated area in the state are used for coconut plantation.
Kerala is known as the Spice Coast of India.
The state is bordered by Karnataka to the north and Tamil Nadu to the east and by the Arabian Sea to the south and west.
Kerala surrounds Mahe, a segment of the Puducherry, on the northwestern coast.
Kerala is the largest rubber producer in the country. The state is only accounting for producing more than 90% of the total rubber in the country.
Kerala is also known for its backwater stretches.
Somatheeram Ayurveda Hospital is the first of its kind in the world with a resort ambiance.
The first-ever church, mosque and synagogue in India were built in Kerala.
St. Thomas Church, Palayoor is located at Palayur in Thrissur district in Kerala. It was established in 52 AD by St Thomas. It is the first church in India.
Cheraman Juma Masjid is the first mosque to be built in India. It is situated in Kodungallur in the Thrissur district.
Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in India. It is located in Kochi, Kerala state. It was built in 1567.
Kerala is the most literate state in India. As per the 2011 census, the state has a literacy rate of nearly 93.91%. The Kerala Education Act introduced in 1958 gave a tremendous boost to the literacy rate in the state.
Kerala is the first state of India to receive rainfall by the southwest monsoon.
The state has the world’s richest temple, Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is known as the richest temple in the world. This temple has a whopping amount of precious assets in terms of gold and precious stones.
Kerala has the highest sex ratio in India. The state has a female to male ratio of 1084 females for 1000 males as per the 2011 census.
Kerala is the only state in India to have hospitals and banks in every village.
Kerala has a special bond with the Elephants. The elephants play an imperative role in religious processions and festivals.
In 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee declared Kerala as the first digital state of the country. The state has the largest telecom literacy rate in India.
Anamudi or Anai Mudi Peak of the Anaimalai range is the highest point on the Western Ghats. The peak is located in Ernakulam district and Idukki district of Kerala.
Kerala’s Cochin International Airport Ltd. is the first airport in the world that would be running fully on solar power.
Kerala is the first state in the country with 4 operational international airports at Cochin, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur.
As per information from the National Family Health Survey of 2015–16, Kerala has the highest institutional delivery rate of 99.8%. The figure implies that almost 100% of infants born are born in hospitals and medical institutions.
NH-66 is running parallel to Muzhappilangad Beach of Kerala, making it the longest drive-in beach in Asia.
The launch of the first sounding rocket from Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 21 November 1963, marked the beginning of the Indian Space Programme.
The world’s largest soil museum and the first soil museum in India was set up by the Department of Soil Survey and Conservation of Government of Kerala on 1 January 2014.