Kerala is on the southernmost tip of India . It stretches along the coast of the Arabian Sea and is separated from the rest of the sub continent by the steep Western Ghats . The state lies between 80 18 ' and 120 48 ' north latitude and 740 52' and 770 22' east longitude. The breadth if the state varies from 32 kms in the extreme north and south to over 120 kms in the middle. Sorrounded by Karnataka in north and Tamilnadu in East, Kerala is one of the smallest states in India covering merely 1.3% of total area of the country. Physically the state can be divided in to three natural divisions, the sandy costal region with coconut groves, paddy fields, back waters and sea. The midland region made up of fertile reddish hills and valleys that grow most of Kerala's agricultural crops. Peaks extensive ridges and ravines of the Western Ghats , where sandalwood, tea, coffee, rubber and most of Kerala's exotic spices are grown. With a hundred percent literate people, world-class health care systems, lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates, Kerala is India's most advanced society. Kerala has had a commendable record in terms of the Physical Quality of Life Index. The major reason for this achievement is Kerala's focus on the service sector. About 37% of the total annual expenditure of the State is earmarked for health and education. Another reason for this is the existence of a larger network of hospital infrastructure under the Directorate of Health Services with 933 primary health centres and 5094 sub centres. Kerala is also India 's cleanest State. Kerala is made up of fourteen districts. Each of them have a distinct character. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala, famous for it's Kovalam beach which is rated as one of the top ten beaches of the world. The districts are the revenue divisions of the State. The districts are further divided into taluks and villages. Each district has a head quarters where the administrative offices function. On the basis of geographical, historical and cultural similarities, the districts are generally grouped into

North Kerala
(Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikkod, Malappuram)

Central Kerala
(Palakkad, Thrissur, Eranakulam, Idukki)

South Kerala
(Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam).