Malappuram (District)

Malappuram ; District മലപ്പുറം ജില്ല
State	Kerala
Administrative headquarters :	Malappuram
Area :	3,550 km²
Residents :	4,110,956 (2001)
Population density :	1,158 inhabitants / km²
Website :	[1]

The Malappuram District ( Malayalam : മലപ്പുറം ജില്ല ) is a district in the southern Indian state of Kerala . The administrative seat is the eponymous city of Malappuram . Malappuram is the most populous district of Kerala and the only one with a Muslim majority.

geography

On the Kadalundi river

The Malappuram district is located in the northern half of Kerala and borders the Arabian Sea to the west, the Thrissur district to the south, the Palakkad district to the southeast , the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu ( Nilgiris district ) and the Wayanad district to the north to Kozhikode District .

The district area covers an area of 3,550 square kilometers and extends from the Malabar Coast in the west to the Nilgiri Mountains in the east, part of the Western Ghats , which form the natural border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The mountains in the district reach heights of up to 2,340 meters. Three major rivers flow through the district. From north to south these are the Chaliyar in the north, the Kadalundi and the Bharathapuzha .

The Malappuram district is divided into the six taluks Nilambur, Ernad, Tirurangadi, Perinthalmanna, Tirur and Ponnani.

history

The Malappuram area came under British rule in 1792 after the end of the Third Mysore War . The British incorporated the area into the Madras presidency as part of the Malabar district . During the British colonial period there were repeated revolts on the part of the Muslim population against the colonial power, which culminated in the Moplah uprising of 1921. After Indian independence, Malappuram came to the state of Kerala in 1956, which was formed from the Malabar district and the Travancore-Cochin Federation after the language borders of Malayalam . Malappuram has existed as an independent district since 1969. It was formed from parts of the Kozhikode and Palakkad districts, which in turn were created through the division of the old Malabar district.

population

Friday mosque in Ponnani

Traditional dwelling in Kaimalasseri in Malappuram

According to the 2011 census, the Malappuram district has 4,110,956 inhabitants. This makes it the most populous district of Kerala. The population density of 1,158 inhabitants per square kilometer is still above the already high mean of the state. The population growth is the highest of all districts of Kerala: Compared to the last census in 2001, the population has increased by 13.4 percent, while the population of all of Keralas grew by only 4.9 percent in the same period. 44.2 percent of the population of the Malappuram district live in cities. The degree of urbanization thus corresponds to the mean value for the state (47.2 percent). At 93.6 percent, the literacy rate is also close to the Kerala average (93.9 percent).

The Malappuram district is the only district in Kerala and in all of southern India with a Muslim majority: According to the 2001 census, 68.5 percent of the population profess Islam. Most of the rest of the population is Hindus (29.2 percent). Unlike in many parts of Kerala, Christians are only an insignificant minority with 2.2 percent.