General informations about calicut

General Information • Area District - 2,345 sq. km, City - 30.61 sq. km • Population 2619941 • No. of Taluks 3 - Vadakara, Quilandi, Kozhikode • Famous for Sea Port, Timber Industry, Boat building yards, Temples, Mosques & Churches • Best Season September to May Geographical coordinates • Coordinates: Situated between North latitudes 11* 08'. • Altitude: 0 ft above mean sea level • Local Time: GMT plus five-and-half hours • Climate: Summer : 35(max) 22.5 (min) degree C Winter : 32(max) 22(min) degree C • Best Season to Visit is Sept to May.

Weather Trends • Winter: Mid Nov - mid Feb. slightlycold nights, pleasantly warm days. • Monsoon: Early June - early October. Rains. Warm and humid. Rain coat, plastic shoes or small boots advisable. • Post-Monsoon: Early Oct - early Nov. A little rain, but still warm. • Rainfall: 254 cm. (annual average) • Clothing: Tropical Clothing

Telecommunications • International dialing code: ++91 • Local area code for Calicut: 0495 • Communications: International direct dialing is available to most countries in the world. Fax, telex and Internet services are excellent.

For foreigners visiting India • Visa: The Foreigners' Registration Office in Dr Dadabhoy Naoroji Road, Mumbai 400001, handles visa extensions (up to the maximum stay of six months). • Phone +91-22-2620446 Customs (India) • Visitors may bring in the following free of duty: 2000 cigarettes; 400 cigars; 2kg tobacco; a reasonable quantity of perfume, up to a maximum of 2 liters of spirits and 2 liters of wine. • Currency: The Indian Rupee is the local currency. 1 USD = 47 Rupees (approximately) in July 1999. • Money exchange: Money can be exchanged at banks and most hotels. There are a number of money exchange centres offering competitive rates. • Credit cards: American Express, Diners, Visa, Access, Mastercard and other major cards are accepted at leading establishments

City Facts & Figures • Area District Area : 2,345 sq. km (as per Mal. Manorama, 1994) City Area : 30.61 sq. km Green Cover The total area under forests in Kozhikode district is estimated at 291.2268 sq.kms. i.e., Reserve Forests 86.1388 sq.kms. and Vested Forests 205.0880 sq.kms. • Population: City Pop. : 419, 531 District Pop. : 2,612,897 (as per Mal. Manorama, 1994) • Languages: Malayalam is the official language of the state of Kerala of which Calicut is a major city. Marathi and Hindi are the two main languages spoken. English is widely spoken and understood. Gujarati, and other Indian languages are also used by the largely cosmopolitan population. • Travel: Local Transport Calicut has a very good transport system. There are trains, yellow-and-black auto-rickshaws, buses and also private taxis for sightseeing. • Where to stay: Calicut has several hotels of different price range from 5-star deluxe to moderate motels. • Information/Tourist offices: The DTPC ( District Tourism Promotion Council ) conducts tours to several wonderful destinations in and around Calicut and to neighbouring places. The main tour programmes are: Enjoy Calicut city tours, District tours, Two day glorious Wynad, Land of palmyrs, Kannur-Bekal, Adventure and trekking tours. DTPC also owns transportation vehicles including Houseboats. For reservation and information, Contact: DTPC, Collectrate, Calicut - 20, Tel : 91-495-2371400.