GEOGRAPHY – MODULE 3.
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GEOGRAPHY OF KERALA
• The south west edge of India.
• Western ghats range in the east and Arabian Sea in the west.
• Location: 8° 17’ 30” N and 12° 47’ 40” N
74° 27’ 47” and 77° 37’ 12” E
• Area – 38, 863 KM – 1.18%
• North to South distance – 560 KM.
• Coastal length – 580 KM.
• Longest river – Periyar River.
• Highest mountain range – Anamudi Hills.
PHYSIOGRAPHY
Highland Slope down from the western ghats
Rise to an average height of 900m with a number of peaks – over
1800m height.
48% - total land area of Kerala.
Known as – Cardamom Hills.
Anamudi – highest peak – 2695m.
Major plantation – tea, coffee, rubber, spices.
Midland Lying between the mountains and lowlands.
Made up of undulating hills and valleys.
16200 sq.km in area.
40% - total land area.
Lowland Covers total area of – 4000 sq. km.
12% - total land area of Kerala.
Made up of numerous shallow lagoons locally known as – Kayals.
Kuttanad region of Kerala – cultivation is done below the sea level.
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RIVERS AND BACKWATERS
• 44 rivers – 41 west flowing and 3 east flowing.
Periyar 244km
Origin – Sivagiri hills
End – kodungallur Kayal
Local name – Poorni, Poorna, Aluva Puzha.
Life line of Kerala.
Most number of dams are based of this river.
First Hydel Project – Muthirapuzha – 1940/
Bharathapuzha 209 km
Origin – Anamala
Other names – Kerala Ganga, Nila, Perar, Ponnani
Puzha.
Kuruthichal Project – Kunthipuzha.
Pampa 176 km.
Origin – Pulichimala
Ends – Vembanad Kayal.
Orther names – Baris, Dakshina Bhageerathi.
Perunthenaruvi Falls.
Chaliyar Origin – Elambaleri
Known for gold deposition.
Karimpuzha wildlife sanctuary
Ox bow lake – Chalakudy - Vintala
KAYALS
• 34 kayals in Kerala.
• Nine fresh waters.
• Most of the fresh water lakes at Thrissur.
• Largest – Vembanad lake; Smallest – Uppala Lake.
• Meppadi is in heart shape.
• Ramsar site – three in number
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Vembanad Sasthamkotta Ashtamudi
Vembanad 205 km.
Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha.
Pathiramanal island.
Thottapally Spilway – 1955.
Thanneermukkom Bund – 1975.
Ashtamudi Kollam
Eight leaf shape.
Kallada river discharge into Ashtamudi.
MINERAL DEPOSITS IN KERALA
Gold occurs in Kerala – as primary and placer deposits – Wayanad and Nilambur
regions.
Iron ore, magnetite, quartzite – identified in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.
Bauxite – Sooranad, Vadakkumuri, Adichanallur in Kollam district.
China clay – identified in Kundara, Kollam district.
Silica sand – coastal tract between Alappuzha.
INDUSTRIES IN KERALA
Coir Industry First coir factory in India – Darrah’s mail and company at Alleppey –
established in 1859 – James Darrah.
1954 – formation of coir board.
Coir Research Institute – Kalavoor.
2010 – Year of Coir.
Handloom Procurement and marketing of handloom fabrics – undertaken by –
Industry Hantax and Hanveev.
SURABI – Kerala state handicraft apex co-operative society.
Cashew Industry Largest produce of cashew nut – Kannur.
The agencies in cashew processing sector – KSCDC and CAPEX.
Rubber Industry First rubber factory in India – Travancore Rubber Factory.
Founded in 1953 Trivandrum.
RUBCO – Kerala state Rubber Cooperative Ltd – 1947 – office at
Kannur.
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
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Kerala has 11 national highways
NH 44 Old HN 1 – largest National Highway.
Srinagar to Kanyakumari.
NH 594 / NH 47 First national highway
NH66 Longest
Panvel to Kanyakumari
NH 966 B Shortest national highway
Kundannur to Wellington
NH 85 Kundannur to Tondi point
NH 183 Kottarakkara to Dindigul
NH 183A Bharanikavr to Vandipetta
NH 185 Adimali to Kumily
NH 544 Edapally to Salem
NH 744 Kollam to Thirumangalam
NH 766 Kozhikode to Mysore
NH 966 Feroke to Palakkad
NH 966A Vallarpadam to Kalamassery
WATERWAYS
NW 3 Kollam to Kozhikode
NW 8 Alappuzha to Changanassery
NW 9 Alappuzha to Kottayam
NW 13 Poovar to Jraimmanthwai – shortest
NW 59 Kottayam to Vaikom
TRANSPORT
Kerala developed good infrastructure in the field of transport.
Important cities and other places are well connected with roads and railway
networks.
Very high road density.
KSRTC –
• public sector.
• Responsible for the transport operation in Kerala.
• Wayanad – district with lowest number of vehicles followed by Idukki.
• Ernakulam - district with highest number of vehicles followed by
Thiruvananthapuram.
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Kerala State Transport Project Project of public work department.
KSTP Launched in 2002.
Aim – to improve state road network and inland
water transportation – IWT with the aid of World
Bank.
Kerala Transport Development To finance the transport service in Kerala.
Finance Corporation Established – in a non-banking financial
company.
National Highways Kerala has 11 national highways.
2.3% - total of India.
National Highway that passes through Kerala –
NH17, NH47, NH 49.
Total length of roads – 173592 km.
National transport planning and research centre
NATPC – established as unit of Kerala state
Electronic Development Corporation KELTRON.
Objective – promoting scientific research,
planning and development in different aspect of
transportation.
Railways 1050 km – total length of railway routes in Kerala.
Covers – 13 railway routes.
Gauge operation – both broad and meter gauge
lines.
Railway operations are controlled by three
divisions – Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad,
Madurai.
There are long distance trains in Kerala.
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POPULATION
• Population – 3.46 crores.
• Malappuram – most populated district.
• Wayanad – least populated district.
• Trivandrum – most densely populated district.
• Idukki – least densely populated district.
• Density is 859.
• Infant mortality rate – 7/1000.
• Kannur – highest sex ration.
• Idukki – lowest sex ratio.
• Literacy rate – 94% - male: 96.11 – female: 92.07.
• Life expectancy – 75.2/2021.
