Cochin

Cochin, also Kochi, city and seaport in south-western India, in Kerala State on the Arabian Sea. Cochin lies at the northern end of a narrow neck of land about 19 km (12 mi) long and less than 1.6 km (1 mi) wide in many places, and is separated from the mainland by inlets from the sea and by the estuaries of rivers draining from the Western Ghats. Some of these backwaters are less than 60 cm (less than 2 ft) deep during the dry season (May to August), which makes them unnavigable and thus limits the activities of the harbour. At all times large vessels must anchor about 4 km (about 2.5 mi) offshore. A modern port complete with dry docks and repair yards is here; during its construction, spoil from the dredging was used to create Willingdon Island, which connects Cochin to other towns in the area. Cochin is the most important port on the Malabar Coast, and the centre of coconut oil production in the state; products made from coconuts are the most important in the city's export trade. Rice is imported. The major industries of Cochin are shipbuilding, sawmilling, fishing, and the manufacture of coir mats.

Cochin was the birthplace of the world-famous Kathakali dance drama about 500 years ago. The dramas, performed exclusively by male actors, tell the story of Indian mythological epics through dance and movement.

The Portuguese were the first European possessors of Cochin when they seized the town in 1500. Two years later the explorer Vasco da Gama built a factory there. The first European fort in India was constructed in Cochin in 1503. In 1577 at Cochin Jesuits published the first book printed in native Indian characters. The English settled in the city in 1634 but were driven out by the Dutch, who captured Cochin in 1663 and subsequently developed it as a centre of trade. During their conquest of India the British seized the town in 1795 but allowed the Dutch to run it until 1814, when it became a possession of the East India Company. In 1936 Cochin was placed under the direct administration of the British government in India and given the status of a major port. In 1947 Cochin became part of newly independent India and a key base of the Indian Navy. Population 1,355,406 (2001).