Coordinates: 8°28′N 76°57′E / 08.47°N 76.95°E / 08.47; 76.95 Kerala (Malayalam: കേരളം?; Kēraḷaṁ) is an Indian state located in southwestern India. Neighbouring states include Karnataka to the north and Tamil Nadu to the south and east; to the west is the Arabian sea. Major cities include the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode.

The principal spoken language is Malayalam. A 3rd-century-BC rock inscription by emperor Asoka the Great attests to a Keralaputra. Around 1 BC the region was ruled by the Chera Dynasty, which traded with the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs.

Feudal Namboothiri Brahmin and Nair city-states subsequently gained control of the region. Early contact with Europeans gave way to struggles between colonial and native interests. On November 1st, 1956 the States Reorganisation Act made Kerala a state, formed by the merger of former state Travancore-Cochin with the Malabar district of former state Madras State.

The state is known for achievements such as a 91% literacy rate, among the highest in India. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country. Kerala is uniquely dependent on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community based mainly in Persian Gulf countries.

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