Basic information

| Item | Details | |---|---| | Official Name | Kerala | | Common Name | Kerala | | Native Name(s) | കേരളം (*Kēraḷam*, Malayalam) | | Nicknames | God's Own Country; Land of Coconuts | | Motto | _Data not readily available for this location._ | | Geographic Level | State | | Country | India | | State/Province | Kerala | | Capital | Thiruvananthapuram | | Government Type | Parliamentary representative democratic state within the Republic of India | | Date Founded | 1 November 1956 (formation of the modern state of Kerala) | | Time Zone | Indian Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30) | | Latitude | Approximately 8°18'N to 12°48'N | | Longitude | Approximately 74°52'E to 77°22'E | | Elevation | Varies from sea level on the Arabian Sea coast to over 2,600 m in the Western Ghats | | Total Area | 38,863 sq km | | Population | 33,406,061 (2011 Census of India); current population is higher but exact updated official total varies by source | | Population Density | About 859 people per sq km (2011 Census) | | ZIP/Postal Codes | Uses Indian PIN codes; ranges vary by district | | Area Codes | Multiple STD telephone codes by city and district | | Official Languages | Malayalam; English is also used for official purposes | | Currency | Indian Rupee (INR) | | Demonym | Keralite |