The Malayali people (also spelled Mayalee people) are the native speakers of the Malayalam language. They originate from the south of the current Indian state of Kerala. Sometimes they are called Keralites. There are about 39 million people who speak Malayam as their first language. 34 million of these live in India, about 1 million in the United Arab Emirates. About 55% are Hindus, about 27% are Muslims, and about 19% are Christian.