Kerala is situated on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India, and is one of four states that comprise the linguistic-cultural region known as South India.

Kerala is divided into three parts, namely, the eastern highlands, rugged and cool mountainous terrain; the central midlands, rolling hills; and the western lowlands, the coastal plains. Most of the state is subject to comparatively little seismic and volcanic activity. Canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers crisscrossed through the western part of Kerala; however, most part of the state is flat. The state experiences mainly wet and maritime tropical climate heavily influenced by the seasonal heavy rains. Kerala harbours significant biodiversity including flowering plants and medicinal plants and a large part is covered by tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.