Kerala

Because its long coastline makes it open to foreign influences, the state of Kerala is home to a unique culture. Various people groups and races have made significant contributions through the years. This has paved the way for a spirit of tolerance that still endures in the people of Kerala.

With an area of 15,000 square miles—approximately one percent of India's total land area—Kerala is the one of the smallest states in India. Its length stretches 360 miles along the Malabar Coast on the western side of the Indian peninsula. The width of this tiny state varies from 20 miles to 75 miles.

Kerala has three geographic regions-highlands, midlands and lowlands. The highlands contain major plantations for products such as tea, coffee, rubber and various spices. Cashews, bananas, rice, pepper, sugarcane and a variety of vegetables grow in the midlands. A major industry of Kerala's lowlands (coastal areas and backwaters) is the preparation of coconut fibers to make rope.

Kerala has a poor economy and has little food for its large population. This is due to the development of commercial agriculture (the selling of crops to those outside the community) at the expense of feeding the local people. For instance, there is a local shortage of rice, one of the staple foods in India.

Officially declared a state in 1956, Kerala enjoys the highest literacy rate (91%), longest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rate in India. Sadly, this state also suffers from the highest suicide rate in the country-28.4 people for every 10,000.

Historically, worship in Kerala centered around ancestral respect and the concept of a mother "war goddess." Mixed into Hindu rituals is the attribution of divinity to objects such as snakes, trees and stones. Religions currently practiced in Kerala are Hinduism (57.7%), Islam (23%) and Christianity (19.3%).

Called the "Rome of Christianity in Kerala," the highly developed town of Tiruvalla houses the head offices of Gospel for Asia and other organizations. This is the town where St. Thomas preached the Gospel and planted a church in 52 AD.