Kerala, a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast, is home to 33 million inhabitants and boasts the country's highest literacy rates, human development index, and life expectancy, while also having one of the lowest poverty rates. It features nearly 600 kilometers of Arabian Sea shoreline and is renowned for its palm-lined beaches, earning the title of one of the ten “paradises of the world” by National Geographic Traveler and making it one of the most prominent tourist destinations in India. Equally notable is the state’s other geographic feature: the Western Ghats. At an average height of 1,500 meters, these mountains support diverse agricultural productions, including extensive tea, coffee, and spice plantations, underscoring Kerala's historical role as a major spice exporter since 3000 BCE, noted even by Pliny. By the 15th-century, Kerala’s spice trade attracted Portuguese traders, marking the beginning of European colonization in India. The Western Ghats are also recognized as one of the world's eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with forests older than the Himalayas and over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species.