wayanad District is a district in the north-east of Kerala state, India with headquarters at the

town of Kalpetta. The district was formed on 1 November 1980 as the 12th district in Kerala by

carving out areas fromKozhikode and Kannur districts. The district is 3.79% urbanised, with only

one municipal town of Kalpetta.

Wayanad district is in the southern tip of the Deccan Plateau. Part of the Western Ghats is in the

district. In the centre of the district hills are lower in height while the northern area has high hills.

The eastern area is flat and open.

The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra

evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad.[1] The Folk etymology of the word says it is a

combination of Vayal (paddy field) and Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. There

are many indigenous tribals in this area.[2]

It is set high on the Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m.[3][4]

It is the least populous district in Kerala.[5]

Unlike all other 13 districts of Kerala, in Wayanad district, there is no town or village named same

as the district (i.e., there is no "Wayanad town").

Wayanad is the only district in Kerala that borders both the neighboring

states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Wayanad borders Kozhikode, Kannur,

and Malappuram districts in Kerala; Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu; andChamarajanagar, Mysore,

and Kodagu (Coorg) districts in Karnataka.