General Information
Air Travel: There are 03 international airports in the state. They are at Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Nedumbassery (Kochi) operates international flights and domestic flights.

Road and Rail : The state is well interconnected by rail and road.

Seaports :
      Major: Kochi / Cochin Port
      Minor: Beypore (Kozhikode), Alappuzha, Kollam

Major Beaches: Kovalam, Varkala, Alleppey, Marari, Cherai, Fort Kochi, Kappad and Bekal beaches.

Major Wild Life Sanctuaries: Thekkady (Periyar), Parambikkulam, Wayanad, Silent Valley, Aralm, Peechi-Vazhani, Chimani, Shenduruny, Idukki, Chinnar, Peppara, Neyyar.

Bird Sanctuary: Thattekad, Kumarakom

Major Hill Stations: Ponmudi, Peerumade, Thekkady, Munnar and Wayanad.

Farm / Cash Crops: Rubber, Coffee, Tea, Spices, Pepper, Cashew, Coconut, Arecanut and rice.

Names of Districts: Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram, Quilon or Kollam, Alleppey or Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Trichur or Thrissur, Palghat or Palakkad, Malappuram, Wayanad, Calicut or Kozhikode, Cannanore or Kannur and Kasaragod

The Ancient history of Kerala is deeply shrouded in the mists of tradition. The most popular legend would have it that the land crust that forms the State of Kerala was raised from the depths of the ocean. The legend goes like this. Parasurama, a Brahmin avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, had waged an epic series of vengeful wars on the Kshatriyas. Came a moment when Parasurama was struck by remorse at the wanton annihilation he had wrought. He offered severe penance atop the mountain heights. Furthermore, in a mood of profound atonement, the sage heaved his mighty axe into the midst of the distant ocean. The waves foamed and frothed as a prawn-shaped land extending from Gokarnam to Kanyakumari surfaced from the depths of the sea to form the present State and hence the sobriquet - "Gods own Country".

Culture & Civilization
Keralites have enriched the Indian Cultural Heritage and helped the cause of national integration, and have been placed in places of honor in the globe. Kerala culture is in fact, an integral part of the Indian culture. Kerala like the Indian sub continent claims to have a culture the history of which runs into the dim recesses of antiquity. Kerala's culture is a composite and cosmopolitan culture to which several people and races have made their significant contributions. The gradual evolution of this culture led to the emergence of a spirit of tolerance and sociable outlook, which still persists among the people of Kerala. Its history unfolds the romantic and fascinating story of a unique process of cultural synthesis and social assimilation. In response to every challenge Kerala has demonstrated through the ages its genius for adaptation and fusion of old traditions and new values in every sphere of human thought and endeavour.

The culture of Kerala has persisted through the ages precisely for the reasons of antiquity, unity, continuity and universality of its nature. In its widest sense it embraces the highest achievements of the human spirit in every sphere of life. Thus, in its totality, it represents the quintessence of the collective achievements of a people in the fields of religion and philosophy, language and literature, art and architecture, education and learning as also economic and social organizations. In fact, all through its history the genius Kerala has blossomed forth in all its vigor and vitality and has helped its people to reach the peak of excellence in all their endeavors.

Legends apart,the First set of natives who left their footprints on the soil of Kerala can be identified at present only with reference to their burial practices. Though records are lacking, a reasonable assumption is that they spoke an archaic form of Tamil. They constructed strange burial monuments in granite, literate and pottery, most of which are strikingly similar to the megalithic monuments of West Europe and Asia. These monuments are, however, younger than their counterparts in the rest of Asia. Historians have postulated a time bracket between 10th century BC and 5th century AD for these people. It is clear from the grave relics, including iron tridents and daggers that the megalithic builders had long emerged out of the Stone Age into the Iron Age without passing through a bronze age. In fact, there is very little evidence of the old and the new stone ages in Kerala. It is quite possible that the Mauryan invaders, who reached the Mysore borders in their conquest southwards, encountered the megalith making tribes who lived in hill forts and controlled the surrounding countryside. Fortunately, a whole corpus of ancient Tamil literature known to scholars by the name of Sangham literature has been preserved. It is believed that during the period of Asoka the Great, the southern most tribes were just emerging from the tribal status of civilization. Contacts with the more advanced Mauryan world could have accelerated the pace of political and social movement among the Cheras and the minor chieftains of Kerala.