Resources

Resources for the State of Kerala are vast and from varied. Though Kerala has an Agrarian Economy, resources vary from Traditional Industries, Cash Crops, Fishing, to Valuable Minerals, Tourism. The geographical position of the State, Tropical climate, the presence of a large number of rivers all account for the vast resources.

The three geographical regions into which the state can be divided into accounts for its various types of resources. The Highlands which slope down from the Western Ghats is the area of plantations like Rubber, Tea, Coffee, Cardamom and other spices. The Hill Stations attract tourists from world-wide. Midlands lying between mountains and Low lands has Cashew, Coconut, Arecanut, Tapioca, Banana, Rice, Pepper, Ginger. The Low lands or the Coastal area made of Backwaters and the shores of the Arabian Sea accounts for Coconut cultivation, Fisheries, Coir Industry. Backwaters and Beaches play a major role in attracting tourists to the State. Banana, Vegetables, Tapioca, Rice are cultivated in a large scale in the State.

Kerala accounts for 92% of India's Rubber, 70% of Coconut, 60% of Tapioca and almost 100% of Lemon Grass Oil. Kerala is the single largest producer of crops like Banana and Ginger. Freshwater Prawns, Pearl-spot fish, Lobsters, Crabs, Clams and Oysters which has overseas demand are found in abundance in the Backwaters. Another resource from the Backwaters is the Lime Shell deposits, which helps flourish the White Cement Industry.

Kerala has a wide range of Minerals. The Beach sands of Kollam are rich in heavy minerals as Monozite, Ilmenite, Rutile, Ziricon and Silimanite. Graphic deposits can be found in many parts of the State. Deposits of Silica, Quartz Sand, Iron ore, Limestone, Bauxite, Borophite can also be found in the State. These rare minerals offer tremendous industrial possibilites for the State. China clay is found in many parts of the State which is suitable for manufacture of Porcelain. Inferior type of clay found in many places in the State is used for the manufacture for Tiles and Bricks.

Deposits of Minerals in the State - About 80 million tonnes of fine quality of China clay can be found in the State. The deposits of Silica and Quartz sand are estimated at around 75 million tonnes. About 79 million tonnes of Iron Ore, 25 million tonnes of Lime Stone, 11 million tonnes of Bauxite, 35 million tonnes of Ilmenite, three million tonnes of Rutile, one million tonnes of monozite and 0.7 million tonnes of borophite are the estimated deposits.

With the passage of time Traditional Industries have not faded away from the State. Coir, Handloom, Handicrafts, Bamboo form the major ones, flourishing and employing more than 1 million.

The Malampuzha, Peechi, Valayar, Chalakudy, Neyyar, Periyar Valley, Pamba, Gayatri, Mangalam, Vazhani, Cheerkuzhi, Pothundi, Chithirapuzha, Kanjirapuzha and Pazhassi are the major irrigation projects in the State. In the field of power generation Idukki, Sholayar, Sabarigiri, Kuttiadi, Pallivasal, Shengulam, Neriyamangalam, Perinagalkuthu, Panniyar are the major projects.
Say Kerala, Backwaters - a speciality of the State, Greenery, Lagoons, House boats, Hill Stations, Beaches, Waterfalls, Moderate Climate, and novel ideas as "Home-Stay" comes to the mind of the Tourists. The State is wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats and this position is a boon to the State, opening vast opportunities in Tourism. The State is identified as one of the world's 25 bio-diversity hotspots.

The presence of a large number of Rivers has made the state rich in Water resources which are being harnessed for Power Generation and Irrigation. The staple food of the State is Rice. Alappuzha district known as the "rice bowl" of the State occupies a predominant position in the cultivation of Rice. Tapioca is another important crop of the State, which is also cultivated on a large scale.