It is formerly also known as Calicut. It is a coastal city in the South Indian state of Kerala. Once a time it was an important place for the spice trade centre and it is very close to Kappad Beach. In the year 1498 in this place, the very popular Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama landed here and he discovered India. Kozhikode city is one of the main marketing centres for pepper, coconut, coffee, rubber and many other commodities which are produced in Kozhikode and neighbouring districts of Wayanad, Malappuram and Kannur. As it is one of the major trade centers in Malabar the foreigners christened this region as "The noble emporium of Indian".