Malappuram district  Malappuram (), in the southern part of the former Malabar district, is a revenue district in the Indian state of Kerala, with a coastline of . The district headquarters give the district its name. It is the most populous district of Kerala, which is home to around 12.3% of the total population of the state. 44.18% of the district's population reside in the urban areas. The district was formed on 16 June 1969, spanning an area of about . It is the third-largest district of Kerala in terms of area. The district was formed by incorporating the southern parts of the erstwhile Kozhikode district and the northern parts of the erstwhile Palakkad district in 1969. The district comprises seven subdistricts- Ponnani, Perinthalmanna, Tirur, Eranad, Tirurangadi, Kondotty, and Nilambur. The eastern part of the district is hilly and the western part is a coastal region. The district is divided into 5 sub-micro regions. Four long rivers, a small river, and several tributaries flow through the district. The economy basically depends upon the emigrants. Though the revenue headquarters is Malappuram, the economy is mainly concentrated on the cities of Manjeri, Perinthalmanna, and Tirur. Malayalam is the most spoken language. The religions practiced in the district include Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. The district has contributed many writers, and religious and political leaders. During the early medieval period, it was the headquarters of two of the three major kingdoms that ruled Kerala. Perumpadappu in the Ponnani subdistrict was the hometown of the Kingdom of Cochin, which is also known as "Perumbadappu Swaroopam", and Nediyiruppu in the Kondotty subdistrict was the hometown of the Zamorin of Calicut, which is also known as "Nediyiruppu Swaroopam". The term, "Malappuram", which means "terraced place atop the hills", is derived from the geography of Malappuram, the district headquarters. The Stone Age history of the district is not well-known. However, the remains of some pre-historic symbols like Dolmens, Menhirs, and Rock-cut caves have been found from various places of the district, including Nilambur, Manjeri, etc. Rock-cut caves are seen in the places like Puliyakkode, Thrikkulam, Oorakam, Melmuri, Ponmala, Vallikunnu, and Vengara.