Kochi (/ˈkoʊtʃi/ KOH-chee, Malayalam: [kotˈt͡ʃi] ⓘ), formerly known as Cochin (/ˈkoʊtʃɪn/ KOH-chin),[12] is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea.

[15] Nicknamed the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi was an important spice trading center on the west coast of India from antiquity.

[33][34] The city was ranked the sixth best tourist destination in India according to a survey conducted by the Nielsen Company on behalf of the Outlook Traveller magazine.

[41] Muziris, a port somewhere north of Kochi (mostly identified with Kodungallur in Thrissur district), was the centre of Indian spice trade for many centuries, and was known to the Arabs, Yavanas (Greeks and Romans) as well as Jews, Syrians, and Chinese since ancient times.

[3] Kochi rose to significance as a trading centre after the port Muziris around Kodungallur (Cranganore) was destroyed by the massive flooding of Periyar in 1341.

[48] The Portuguese arrived at Kappad Kozhikode in 1498 during the Age of Discovery, thus opening a direct sea route from Europe to India.

[12] Kochi hosted the grave of Vasco da Gama, the first European explorer to set sail for India, who was buried at St. Francis Church until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539.

Rama Varma XV, The Maharaja of Cochin, initiated local administration by forming town councils in Mattancherry and Ernakulam.

Kochi's proximity to the equator along with its coastal location results in little seasonal temperature variation, with moderate to high levels of humidity.

[76] From June to September, the south-west monsoon brings in heavy rains as Kochi lies on the windward side of the Western Ghats.

Major business sectors include construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, transportation/shipping, seafood and spices exports, chemical industries, information technology (IT), tourism, health services, and banking.

Petronet India has now almost completed Kochi LNG Terminal, for importing and storing natural gas, for energy and fueling needs.

Availability of cheap bandwidth through undersea cables and lower operational costs compared to other major cities in India, has been to its advantage.

The private operator NeST[118] is building a Special Economic Zone specifically for electronics hardware spanning an area of 30 acres (12 ha).

Spread over several panchayats like Rayamangalam, Vazhakulam, Asamannur, Vengola, Kottapadi, Koovappadi and many other places in the Perumbavoor municipality, the town is famous for Asia's Largest plywood industries.

KURTC and private buses operate frequent schedules to neighbouring areas of Nedumbassery, Perumbavoor, Aluva, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Cherthala and Poochakkal.

Development of road infrastructure not keeping pace with the increase in traffic is a major problem faced by Kochi, like most other parts of Kerala.

[155] As a result of successive waves of migration over the course of several centuries, the population of the city is a mix of people from all parts of Kerala and most of India.

[156] Kochi has a diverse, multicultural, and secular community consisting of Malayalis, Konkanis,[157][158] Gujaratis,[145] Bengalis,[159] Marathis,[160] Punjabis,[146][161] Tamilians, Kannadigas, Biharis, Anglo Indians and a few families of Jews among other denominations.

Prominent places of Christian worship include the St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral Basilica, Ernakulam, St. Francis Assisi Roman Catholic Cathedral, Ernakulam, Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam-Ernakulam, Santa Cruz Basilica Roman Catholic Cathedral, Fort Kochi, St. Antony's Shrine at Kaloor, St. George Forane Church, Edappally and appropriate to its multi-ethnic composition, Kochi celebrates traditional Kerala festivals like Onam and Vishu along with North Indian Hindu festivals like Holi with great fervour.

A merry making fest called the Cochin Carnival is celebrated at Fort Kochi during the last ten days of December.

[191][192] In recent times, it has attracted many patients from India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States looking for relatively inexpensive advanced medical care.

There are Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chinmaya Mission and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan run several quasi-private charter schools within the city limits, as well as in the suburbs.

The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) has set up its first satellite campus at Athulya building in InfoPark, Kochi.

[213] Palluruthy Relief Settlement is under Kochi Municipal Corporation and managed in association with Peoples Council for Social Justice.

[222][223] Major Malayalam newspapers published in Kochi include Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Siraj Daily, Madhyamam, Deshabhimani, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi, Janmabhumi, etc.

The rise of Kochi to the centre stage of the entertainment industry occurred coinciding with the economic boom of the last couple of decades.

[232][233][234][235][236] Due to these reasons, major section of film personalities including of actors, technical experts and other related workers reside in Kochi.

PVR with 9 screens is another national multiplex brand that has presence in Kochi and is based out of LuLu International Shopping Mall.

[249] The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex at Kadavanthra is a major indoor stadium, mainly used for conducting badminton, tennis and basketball tournaments.