Kerala (English: / ˈ k ɛr ə l ə / ⓘ / KERR-ə-lə; Malayalam: [keːɾɐɭɐm] ⓘ), is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. [16] It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Canara, and Travancore.