Pathanamthitta district (), is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta: Adoor, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvalla and Major Towns of Konni, Kozhenchery, Ranni, and Mallappally.
According to the 2011 Census of India, the population was 1,197,412, making it the third least populous district in Kerala (out of 14), after Wayanad and Idukki. Pathanamthitta has been declared the first polio-free district in India. The district is 10.03% urbanised. The district spans 2,652 km², more than half of which is covered by forest.
Etymology
The district's name is a combination of two Malayalam words, and , which together mean 'array of houses on the river side'. The district capital is located on the banks of the river Achankovil.
History and formation
left|thumbnail|A map of the [[British Raj|British Princely state of Travancore published in 1871]]
It is presumed that the regions that form the district were formerly under the rule of Pandalam, which had connections with the Pandya kingdom. When Pandalam was added to the princely state of Travancore in 1820, the region came under Travancore administration. The Nedumpuram Palace near Thiruvalla belongs to Valluvanad Royal family. Pathanamthitta district, along with most parts of Alappuzha district, was part of the Quilon division of the Travancore Kingdom until 1949.
The district was formed on 1 November 1982 as a reward to K. K. Nair, who was the then Pathanamthitta MLA, by K. Karunakaran. The formation was done by incorporating various portions of the erstwhile Kollam, Alappuzha and Idukki districts. While the taluks Adoor, Konni, Pathanamthitta, Kozhencherry and Ranni were taken from Kollam district; Pandalam, Kulanada, Aranmula, Kumbanad, Parumala, Thiruvalla and Mallapally were taken from Alappuzha district; and Sabarimala from Idukki district.
Geography
Pathanamthitta is a landlocked district, located at , spanning over an area of . The district is bordered by the districts Kottayam and Idukki districts in the north, Alappuzha district in the west, Kollam district in the south. To the east it borders the Tenkasi district of the Tamil Nadu state. Devar Mala is the highest point in Pathnamthitta District.
The district can be divided into three natural geographical regions: the highland, the midland and the lowland. The highland stretches through the Western Ghats, where the hills are tall and covered with thick forests. Western Ghats maintains an average altitude of around 800 m. It descends to the smaller hills of midland in the centre and finally to the lowland. The lowland with its abundance of coconut trees, lies along the eastern borders of Alappuzha district. (western part of Tiruvalla Taluk)
Forest
Pathanamthitta district has a reserve forest area of . This is approximately 50% of the total district area. The forest area can broadly be classified as evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous. The forest is the main source of raw materials for wood based industrial units. Timber is the most important produce.
Rivers
Three important rivers flow through the district. These rivers originate from various mountains of the Western Ghats mountain range. The Pamba (), which is the third longest river in Kerala, has its origin in Pulachimala. The Achankovil river () originates from Pasukida Mettu, and Manimala river () originates from the Thattamalai hills. A small portion of Kallada river also falls in the southern border of the district. Pamba, Achankovil and Manimala rivers together drain more than 70% of the total area of Pathanamthitta.
Administration
District administration
The district headquarters is at Pathanamthitta town. The district administration is headed by the District Collector. He is assisted by five Deputy Collectors holding charges of general matters, revenue recovery, land acquisition, land reforms and election.
Pathanamthitta town is the administrative headquarters of the Pathanamthitta district. The district is divided into two revenue divisions for land revenue administration—Thiruvalla and Adoor. Each division is headed by a Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), who is either a Sub Collector (IAS) or an officer from the Deputy Collector cadre.
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- Taluks in the Adoor Revenue Division are:
There is a Lok Sabha constituency in Pathanamthitta: Pathanamthitta.
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Demographics
According to the 2011 census Pathanamthitta district has a population of 1,197,412, or the US state of Rhode Island. This gives it a ranking of 399th in India (out of a total of 640).
According to the Census of India 2001, the district had a population of 1,234,016 with a density of 467 persons per square kilometre. This is the lowest density in the State after Idukki and Wayanad. Schedule tribes and castes comprise 13% of the total population. The female to male ratio is 1094:1000, which is the highest among the districts in the State.