Keralam lacks major reserves of fossil fuels. However, there are moderate deposits of ilmenite (the principal ore of titanium), rutile (titanium dioxide), and monazite (a mineral consisting of cerium and thorium phosphates), all of which are found in beach sands. Other minerals include limestone, iron ores, and bauxite (the principal ore of aluminum). The state is especially known for its high-quality kaolin (china clay), which is used to make porcelain.
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Keralam has great hydroelectric potential, with some two dozen hydroelectric stations operating within the state. Several thermal plants supply additional energy, and in the late 20th century the state began to establish wind farms. Solar energy generation has also expanded in the state, particularly during the 2010s and 2020s. Despite its wealth of renewable resources for power generation, Keralam has continued to import some of its electricity from elsewhere in India.
Manufacturing, services, and labor
Aside from agriculture, manufacturing and service activities are important contributors to Keralam’s economy. Traditional cottage industries, such as weaving, the production of coconut fiber, and cashew processing, employ many workers in the manufacturing sector. Of the medium- and large-scale industries, food processing is the principal employer. Other major manufactures include fertilizers, chemicals, electrical equipment, titanium, aluminum, plywood, ceramics, and synthetic fabrics. Banking, finance, and other components of the services sector also employ a significant segment of the state’s workforce. Remittances from Malayali workers abroad, particularly in Gulf Arab states, account for a large share of the state’s revenue. Tourism and information technology have also emerged as key sectors. However, unemployment has remained acute, with the state’s high level of education among the jobless exacerbating the problem.
Transportation
Keralam has well-developed road and railway systems. It is connected with the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka by national highways. The state’s railway network is part of the Indian Railways’ Southern railway zone and runs the length of the state, connecting urban centers and linking Keralam with the rest of the country. The state has one officially designated major port in Kochi—the Cochin Port—and several minor ports, including the Beypore Port in Kozhikode, the Azhikkal Port in Kannur, and the Kollam Port, to handle coastal and foreign traffic. The Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram is India’s first deepwater port for container transhipment. Kochi also has major shipyard and oil refining facilities and serves as a district headquarters for the Indian coast guard and as a regional headquarters for the navy. Keralam’s inland waterways, including parts of the National Waterway 3, form a network for the movement of goods and people. More than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of inland waterways form the main arteries for carrying bulk freight to and from the ports. Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kochi, and Kannur have international airports, providing connectivity with domestic and overseas destinations. Urban transport infrastructure has expanded in the state, beginning in 2017 with the Kochi Metro, the city’s passenger subway system. In 2023 the Kochi Water Metro, a network of ferries in the city’s inland waterways, began operations (see transportation in India).
Government and society
Constitutional framework
The structure of the government of Keralam, like that of most other states, is determined by the Constitution of India. Appointed by the president of India, the governor is the head of the state and functions on the advice of the chief minister, who is the head of the Council of Ministers. The state has an elected unicameral Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) consisting of 140 members. The state’s High Court, located in Ernakulam (near Kochi), is headed by a chief justice; appeals from the High Court may go to the Supreme Court of India. Below the High Court are district courts, subdivisional courts, munsifs’ (subordinate judicial officers’) courts, and munsif-magistrate courts, in addition to family courts and other specialized courts.
At the local level Keralam is divided into 14 districts, which in turn are subdivided for revenue purposes into talukas (subdivisions) and villages. Keralam has also developed a strong system of local self-government, including panchayati raj institutions in rural areas and municipalities in urban areas. Since the mid-20th century the state has been characterized by a competitive multiparty system, with governments typically alternating between major political coalitions.
Health and welfare
The government of Keralam maintains a relatively high standard of health service, and the state is noted for its public health system. Government-supported health insurance plans cover large sections of the population, and free or subsidized medical treatment is offered in many hospitals, health centers, and dispensaries. Among the top priorities of government health schemes have been the establishment of health care facilities in rural areas, the promotion of family planning, prevention of blindness, and control of communicable diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis, and malaria. Keralam has a relatively low infant mortality rate and a high life expectancy rate compared with other Indian states. The state’s public health system has also received international recognition for its effective management of outbreaks of infectious diseases, including the Nipah virus and COVID-19.
Education
Keralam has one of the most advanced educational systems and one of the highest levels of literacy in India, with almost universal literacy among men and women. Elementary education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 14. There are primary, middle, and secondary schools, as well as polytechnic and industrial training institutes, arts and science colleges, and professional colleges. Keralam also has several universities, including the University of Kerala (1937) in Thiruvananthapuram, the University of Calicut (1968) in Kozhikode, Cochin University of Science and Technology (1971) in Kochi, and Kerala Agricultural University (1971) in Thrissur.
Cultural life
The cultural heritage of Keralam reflects extensive interaction with diverse communities from antiquity to the present. With an array of ancient Hindu temples with copper-clad roofs, later mosques with “Malabar gables” (triangular projections at the rooftops), and Baroque churches from the Portuguese colonial era, the state’s architecture offers a chronicle of the social, spiritual, and political history of the area. Other characteristic art forms of Keralam include intricate paintings on wood, thematic murals, and a remarkable variety of indoor and outdoor lamps (from which the state has earned the sobriquet “Land of Lamps”). The painter Ravi Varma (1848–1906), born near Thiruvananthapuram, was known for combining European painting styles with Indian themes and is one of the most celebrated figures in Keralam’s visual arts tradition.
Literature and learning, in both Tamil and Sanskrit, have flourished since the 2nd century ce; meanwhile, the Malayalam language, though an offshoot of Tamil, has absorbed much from Sanskrit and also has a prolific literature. Notable names in Malayalam poetry include classical poets such as Thunchath Ezhuthachan and Kunchan Nambiar and poets such as Kumaran Asan and Vallathol in the 20th century. In 1889 Chandu Menon wrote Indulekha, the first outstanding novel in Malayalam, for which he received a certificate from Queen Victoria. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, who produced hundreds of works before his death in 1999, has remained among the most widely read Malayali novelists. In the modern period, Malayalam cinema has gained national and international recognition for its realism and narrative experimentation, with directors such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Govindan Aravindan contributing to its development. Malayalam actors such as Mammootty and Mohanlal are widely recognized across India for their performances.
Most traditional dances of Keralam pertain to the great Indian epics—the Mahabharata and the Ramayana—or to the honoring of specific Hindu deities. In kathakali, the classical martial dance-drama of Keralam, male performers portray both male and female characters. By contrast, the mohiniyattam dancing, dating to early Tamil times, is traditionally performed by women. Keralam is also known for traditional martial arts such as kalaripayattu and contemporary cultural events such as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, an international exhibition of contemporary art held biennially in Kochi.