Goa is a tropical paradise that lies on the west coast of India bathed by the warm waters of the Arabian sea. It is unique in many ways but mostly due to its history and geography that have left an indelible mark on its people for generations.

Having been ruled by the colonial Portuguese for over 450yrs ( as compared to the rest of India that was ruled by the British for 250yrs) there is still visible a distinct Portuguese / European flavor that has permeated all aspects of Goa's life including its food, religion, language, festivals, dances and of course names. This becomes apparent as soon as you cross the border to Goa from India or elsewhere.

This unique blend of Indian and Portuguese culture is to a large extent what makes Goa and the "Goan" unique. Also unique is the fact that it is one of the few colonies that India ( an ex- colony itself) liberated in 1961 and this set the stage for reclaiming history.

Today at the dawn of the "age of Information Technology", as Goa enters the new millennium, it has plenty to write about in terms of achievements, some examples being- the highest per capita income in India, the highest per personal savings rate in India, the lowest infant mortality rate in India, one of the highest literacy rate in India and one of the highest standards of living as compared to the rest of India

Capital : The state capital is Panaji, in Ilhas taluka in North Goa.

Climate
Winter: Ranges from 21 0C
Summer: 35 0C
Goa receives rainfall from the South West monsoon winds between June and September. Rainfall received in 1998 was 3008 mm. This is also the tourist "OFF SEASON".

Population
Goa’s total population is around 1,169,793 (1991 census of India) The density of population is 316 per SqKms. Most of Goa's population is rural ( 690,041), a significant
population is however urban ( 479,752).
Hindus account for a little more than 64.68 per cent of the total population, Christians (Roman Catholics) nearly 29.86 per cent and Muslims 5.25 percent of the population.
The remaining 1.21 percent comprise of other religions including Buddhism, Jainism, Sikh etc. The scheduled castes amount to 2 per cent of the population. There are no
scheduled tribes in Goa.

Language English, Portuguese, Konkani, Hindi and Marathi. It has a literacy rate of 77%.


Location
The state of Goa is located between Latitudes 15 degrees, 48'00" N and between 14 degrees, 53'54" N and Longitudes 74degrees, 20'13" E and 73 degrees 40" 33" E. It is 1,022 meters above sea-level.

Area
It has a land area of 3702 Sq. Kms.
It has a coast line of 104kms

Rivers
The Goan landscape is bisected by two major rivers that open into the arabian sea; they are
a) The Zuari which is approximately 39 miles and
b) The Mandovi which is approximately 38.5 miles.
The other major rivers include the Tiracol, Chapora, Sal and the Talpona rivers. All the rivers originate in the Sayhadri ranges and flow westward into the Arabian sea and are
navigable throughout the year.
Overall Goa's inland waterways are about 250kms

Forests
One third of Goa is covered by forests, the actual number being 1424.38Sqkms. Of this the Government owns 1224.38Sqkms, the rest ( approx 200Sqkm ) is held by the
private sector.

Roads
For its size and topography, Goa is well connected with roads both locally and nationally via the National Highway system. The contributions are - National highways
224.00 Kms, the State highways 232.00 Kms, Major district roads 815.00 Kms, Village roads (surfaced) 2086.00 Kms and Village roads (un-surfaced) 1490.00 Kms.

Agriculture
Aracanut, Cashew, Coconut, Forest Produce, Rice, Millets and Sugarcane.

Airport
There is only one civilian airport at Dabolim near Vasco which caters to the domestic and international air traffic.