Kerala

The Indian state that lies along the western coast in a long narrow strip ending at the country’s tip and encompasses Malabar Coast. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum); other notable cities and towns include Kochi (Cochin) and Calicut. Kerala has a tropical climate and is becoming a popular tourist destination for foreigners. It is known, among other things, for its very high literacy rate and population density, as well as for its production of black pepper and dried ginger. The spice trade between the Kerala coast and the Mediterranean goes back to Roman times. Perhaps as a consequence, Kerala is home to people of many different origins and religions, from Syrian Christians to Muslims, from Roman Catholics to Hindus.