The
Indian state of
Kerala borders with the states of
Tamil Nadu on the south and east,
Karnataka on the north and the
Arabian Sea coastline on the west. The
Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near
Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the
Palakkad Gap. When the independent India amalgamated small states together Travancore and Cochin states were integrated to form Travancore-Cochin state on 1 July 1949. However, Malabar remained under the Madras province. The
States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood.