Kerala, the southern most State of India lies in between 8°18' and 12°48' latitude and 74°52' and 72°22' longitude. The total geographic area of the State is 38,86,300 ha. To its east and north-east, Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; to its west lies the Arabian Sea and to its south the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives, respectively.