The Malayali are people who inhabit the South Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and have the Malayalam language as their mother tongue. Malayali community in India has a history of immigrants to the region from various parts of the world, as well as a unique sub-culture owing to the tropical environment of the state. According to the Indian census of 2011, there are approximately 33 million Malayalis in Kerala, making up 96.7% of the total population of the state. Hence the word Keralite is often used synonymously with Malayali, though a proper definition is ambiguous.