User:Hypothal/sandbox

Administrative and political intro
Kerala is a state (province) in the southern part of India. The state was administratively formed in 1956 as part of the linguistic re-organisation of the states in the Union of India, by carving out Malayalam speaking regions. The state was the first to install a Communist Party led government elected through popular mandate.

Demography
As per Census 2011, the latest available, the population of Kerala is 34.8 million. (see main article [| Demographics of Kerala]). Based on religion, the population is 54.7% Hindu, 26.6% Muslim and 18.6% Christian.

Urban classification
The primary operative definition of “urban” in India is derived from population-based definitions established by the Census of India in 1961. A settlement is classified as Urban if it meets the following three criteria : Such settlements are called Census Towns, even though they might administratively be still under a Village Panchayat. (see [| Local Government in India]).
 * 1) A Minimum Population of 5000
 * 2) Population density of 400 persons per sqkm
 * 3) At least 75% of the Male working population is engaged in non-agricultural economic activities

In addition to the Census towns, states can declare settlement as Towns/Municipalities. While this is mostly done to convert census towns to proper municipal bodies, states can establish their own norms to define statutory towns.

The Kerala Municipalities Act does not prescribe any criteria for constitution of Municipalities. Municipalities were elevated to the status of Corporations on considerations of their importance and need for integrated development of the urban core and its neighborhood, density of population, income and demand for more progressive civic administration. However Government of Kerala, as per G.O MS 108/67/HLD dt.2nd March 1967 laid down the following standards for the constitution of new Municipalities.
 * 1) The locality should predominantly be urban i.e. at least 75% of the adult population of the area should be engaged in pursuits other than agriculture.
 * 2) The population of the locality should not be less than 20,000 and the density of population should not be less than 4000 per 2.59 sq.km. Except in hilly areas.
 * 3) Per capita revenue resources of the locality should not be less than Rs. 5.

Statutory declaration of municipalities in 2015
Kerala had constituted 28 new municipalities and 1 new corporation in 2015 as a result of the recommendations by the delimitation commission setup by the state government. This took the total number of statutory urban centers in Kerala to 93 (87 municipalities and 6 corporations) (see main article [| Municipalities of Kerala]. A recent delimitation commission constituted in 2018 ruled out any further formation of new civic bodies citing the financial strength of the incumbent grama panchayats.

Nature of urbanisation
Kerala has a unique Rural-Urban Continuum (RUC) settlement pattern in which the rural settlements seemingly flow into the urban settlements, without any distinct boundary. Similar types of urbanization and patterns of settlement systems are found in some of the South Asian countries like Indonesia, and is generally termed as “Desakota” (desa meaning village and kota meaning city in the local language). This is characteristically different from what is commonly called as periurban development.

History of urbanisation
Kerala, a state located on the southwestern coast of India, has a long history of urbanization. The region has been home to several major port cities, including Cochin and Kozhikode, which have served as important trade and cultural centers for centuries. One factor that has contributed to the urbanization of Kerala is its geographic location. The state is situated on the Arabian Sea, which has made it an important hub for trade and commerce since ancient times. This has attracted people from various parts of India and beyond, leading to the development of urban centers. The urbansiation in Kerala was less a result of concentration of industrial activity as with many other cities, but more resultant from the trade relations and important port towns which were connected to prominent maritime trade routes. These port towns were in turn fed by the agro-based rural industries in the hinterland.