Kerala at a glance
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Kerala, a State in the Republic of India, has 14 districts or administrative divisions. The major cities are Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. There are three airports in the state which provide international and domestic connections. Here is some quick information on Kerala which will be useful for travellers visiting the State.

Location : Southwestern tip of India.
Area : 38,863 sq km.
Population : 31,84,1374
Capital : Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Language : Malayalam. English is widely spoken.
Religion : Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
Time : GMT +5:30
Currency : Indian Rupee
Climate : Tropical
Summer : February - May (24 - 33°C)
Monsoon : June - August (22 - 28°C)
October - November
Winter : November - January (22 - 32°C)

Kerala's history is closely linked with its commerce, which until recent times revolved around its spice trade. Celebrated as the Spice Coast of India, ancient Kerala played host to travellers and traders from across the world including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Almost all of them have left their imprint on this land in some form or the other - architecture, cuisine, literature.

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by forty-four rivers, Kerala enjoys diverse geographical features. From tall mountains and deep valleys to endless backwaters and an extensive coastline, Kerala has it all.

Bestowed with a pleasant and equable climate throughout the year, Kerala is a tropical land with the coast running down its entire length and the Western Ghats forming a protective barrier against the dry winds from up north. The monsoons (June-September & October-November) and summer (February-May) are the seasons markedly experienced here, while winter is only a slight drop in temperature from the normal range of 28-320C.

As the best way to maximize the positive impacts of tourism and minimize the negative ones, Responsible Tourism (RT) is gaining wide acceptance across the world today. Pioneering the concept of RT in India is Kerala. Kumarakom, in the State, has the pride of being of being the first place on the country to have successfully implemented RT.
This holistic form of tourism is helping travelers, the host population and the trade derives the greatest possible benefits from tourism, without causing any ecological or social damage. What is perhaps more remarkable is the fact that RT is providing better living conditions for the local community. Following the success of Kumarakom, RT is today being implemented in other tourist destinations across the State.