Thalassery (IPA: [t̪laʃeɾi]) (formerly Tellicherry) is a commercial town on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kodagu (Karnataka).It is the largest populated municipality of North Malabar. The Europeans nicknamed the town "Paris" or in other words "The Paris of Malabar", as it was the sole French military base in Kerala in that era. Thalassery has been significant during the past 500 years in the development of Kerala. Thalassery municipality has a population just under 100,000. Thalasssery has an area of 23.98 square kilometres (9.26 sq mi). It is 22 km south of the district headquarters in Kannur town.