The Land Kerala is a dramatic, narrow, leaf-shaped strip of land, flanked by the formidable Western Ghats on the east, and the Arabian Sea on the west.A land of unabashed wealth,its people are amongst the most progressive and literate of the Indian populace. This tropical spice garden has lured the Arabs, Chinese and Europeans for many centuries. Christianity and Judaism entered the subcontinent through the legendary white sand beaches of Kerala.

The region is also home to India’s only virgin tropical rain forest – the Silent Valley National Park, supporting an overwhelming range of life forms, many of which are highly endangered, and endemic to this part of the planet. The backwaters are a time capsule; a glimpse of a lifestyle reminiscent of an era gone by.

The climate of Kerala can be classified into roughly three categories – from March to May, when it is hot and humid, with March being the warmest month. This season is followed by the onset of the southwest monsoons that last till the end of October. The northeast monsoons take over the relay around this time and linger on till the month of February. The intensity of the northeast monsoons is more or less on the wane around December, leaving behind a spell of cool and comparatively dry weather.

It is not known if the region was inhabited during Neolithic times. Dolmens belonging to this period have been unearthed from Idukki district. The Edakkal Caves in Wayanad have carvings dating back to the stone age. A cave near the Edakkal Caves in Thovarimala Ezhuthupara, Wayanad district, known locally as "Ezhuthupara" also carries pre-historic carvings dating back many millennia.

According to legend, Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu, threw his battle axe into the sea; and from those waters, Kerala arose. Parashurama, surrounded by settlers, commanding Varuna to part the seas and reveal Kerala. Kerala finds mention in the annals of international trade from as early as 3000 BC, having established itself as the major spice trade centre of the world and traded with Sumer. Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language and culture; this common area was known as Tamilakam.

During the first century BC the region was ruled by the Chera Dynasty established by the Dravidian tribe Villavar, whose mother tongue and court language was the ancient Tamil. The capital of Cheras was Vanchi. The southern Kerala was ruled by the Pandyan Kingdom with their capital at Nelcynda. The merchants from China, West Asia and Roman Empire had trade links with Cheras. The Sangam literature from the period has descriptions of the Roman ships coming to Muziris, laden with gold as exchange for pepper. Kerala is represented as the eastern tip of the known world in Tabula Peutingeriana, the only known surviving map of the Roman cursus publicus.

The west Asian-semitic Jewish, Christian, and Muslim immigrants established Nasrani Mappila, Juda Mappila and Muslim Mappila communities. The Jews first arrived in Kerala in. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Thomas the Apostle visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 CE to proselytize amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements and convert them to Christianity. However, the year of his arrival is widely disputed due to lack of credible historical evidence.

There are broadly 44 rivers and streams in Kerala. Though tinier in dimension, compared to the major rivers of the country, they drain a surprisingly large quantity of water and sediments into the Arabian Sea.

This is due to the heavy rainfall and physical relief of the terrain of Kerala, which slants from the Western Ghats to the plains to finally merge with the Arabian Sea. A distinct characteristic of the rivers in Kerala is that they flow in an almost straight course, further facilitating drainage.

One of the important rivers in Kerala is the Periyar – the longest and the largest river in the state. The river is 244km long, and covers a drainage area of 5,398sq. km. Formed at a height of 1,853m, where a number of rivulets merge together in the Sivagiri Hills, the Periyar flows towards the north and later turns to the northwest, to finally lose itself in the backwaters at Munamban in Ernakulam District. Floods caused by the Periyar in 1341 completely destroyed the once important Cranganore Harbour. As a result, the Kochi Harbour gradually took over and became an important port in its own right. During Tipu Sultan’s incursion into Travancore through Aluva, the floods of 1789 forced him to retreat.

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