http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala
Kerala (help·info) or Keralam (Malayalam: കേരളം, Kēraḷam) is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act, and it combined various Malayalam speaking regions.
The state has an area of 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi) and is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the south and southeast and the Arabian Sea[note] towards the west. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city. Kochi and Kozhikode are other major cities.
Kerala is a popular tourist destination famous for its backwaters, yoga, Ayurvedic treatments[4] and tropical greenery. Kerala has the highest Human Development Index in India, comparable with that of first world nations but with a much lower per capita income.[5][6] The state has a literacy rate of 94.59 percent,[2] also the highest in India. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country.[7] Kerala has witnessed significant migration of its people, especially to the Persian Gulf countries during the Kerala Gulf boom, and is heavily dependent on remittances from its large Malayali expatriate community
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayalee
Malayali (also spelled Malayalee; Malayalam: മലയാളി, Malayāḷi ?; plural: Malayalikal) is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala. The Malayali identity is primarily linguistic, although in recent times the definition has been broadened to include emigrants of Malayali descent who partly maintain Malayali cultural traditions, even if they do not regularly speak the language. While the origins of the Malayali people are in the state of Kerala, significant populations also exist in other parts of India, the Middle East, Europe and North America. According to the Indian census of 2001, there were 30,803,747 speakers of Malayalam in Kerala,[5] making up 96.7% of the total population of that state. Hence the word Keralite is often used in the same context, though a proper definition is ambiguous.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali
Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി) is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century[1] and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.
