Malappuram (/mʌlʌppʊrʌm/) is a city in the southern Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 33.61 km2. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarters of Malappuram district. Divided into 40 electoral wards, city has a density of population of 1478 per km2. As per the 2011 census Malappuram Urban Agglomeration is the fourth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala state with a total population of 16,98,645. Malappuram, in malayalam, means 'On top of the hills'. Malappuram is situated 50 km southeast of Kozhikode and 90 km northwest of Palakkad.