Kannur district Facts for Kids

Kannur District is one of the 14 districts located on the west coast of Kerala, India. The town of Kannur is the main office for the district and gives it its name. The older name, Cannanore, is just the English way of saying the Malayalam name "Kannur".

Kannur District is surrounded by Kasaragod District to the north, Kozhikode district to the south, and Wayanad District to the southeast. To the east, you'll find the Western Ghats mountains, which form the border with the state of Karnataka. The Arabian Sea is to the west. This district was created in 1957.

Kannur is one of the most developed districts in Kerala, with over half of its people living in cities and towns. It has the second-largest city population in Kerala, after Ernakulam district.

This district is often called the "land of looms and lores." This is because of its many textile (loom) industries and its special traditional festivals. These festivals, called "lores," are held in temples. Kannur is also a big center for Theyyam, which is a unique ritual dance from northern Kerala. You'll see many small shrines, called kavus, scattered around the district. These shrines are connected to the Theyyam dance.

A new Kannur International Airport is being built. It will be Kerala's fourth international airport. It is located in Mattannur, about 26 kilometers from Kannur town.

People and Population
Images for kids
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People and Population

How Many People Live Here?

According to the 2011 census, Kannur district has a population of about 2,525,637 people. That's roughly the same number of people as in the country of Kuwait or the US state of Nevada. Out of all 640 districts in India, Kannur ranks 170th in population size.

Population Density and Growth

The district has a population density of about 852 people per square kilometer. This means a lot of people live in a small area. Between 2001 and 2011, the population grew by 4.84%.

Gender Balance and Education

Kannur has a very interesting sex ratio: for every 1000 males, there are 1133 females. This is the highest sex ratio of any district in India! The district also has a high literacy rate of 95.41%. This means most people can read and write.

City Living

In 2001, Kannur was the most urbanized district in Kerala. By 2011, it was the fourth most urbanized, after Ernakulam district, Thrissur district, and Kozhikode district. About 50.35% of the people here live in urban areas. The total urban population of Kannur district is 1,212,898. This is the second-largest urban population in Kerala, after Ernakulam.

Different Communities

In the 2001 Indian Census, most people in Kannur were Hindus (61.47%). Muslims made up 27.63% of the population, and Christians were 10.84%. A group called the Anglo-Indian community mostly lives in the Kannur Cantonment area and nearby places like Thillery and Camp Bazaar.

The district has many towns. In 2001, it had 45 towns, which was the highest in Kerala. By 2011, Thrissur district had 135 towns, while Kannur had 67.

Images for kids

Kannur Lighthouse
Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala
An old map of India from 1804. Notice that only Thalassery, Kozhikode, and Kochi are marked as cities in what is now Kerala.
Kolattiri Raja's minister Kuruppu's Arabic letter to Vasco da Gama (1524)
Matool ferry
Taluks (subdistricts) of Kannur
Payyambalam beach
Estuary of Anjarakandi River
Parassinikkadavu Muthappan Temple
A Masjid (Mosque) at Payyanur
The Kannur University
Theyyam dance from Kerala
Puliyoor Kali Theyyam at Mathamangalam
Madayi rock during February

Kannur district facts for kids

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