2. GOA
Goa is India’s smallest state by
area. Goa is India's richest state
with a GDP per capita 2.5 times
that of the country as a whole. It
was ranked ‘the best placed state’
by the Eleventh Finance
Commission for its infrastructure
and ranked on top for ‘the best
quality of life in India’ by the
National Commission on
Population.
3. GOA
Panaji is the capital, while Vasco
da Gama is the largest city. The
historic city of Margao still
exhibits the cultural influence of
the Portuguese, who first landed
in the early 16th century as
merchants, and conquered it soon
thereafter. The Portuguese
rule existed for about 450 years,
until it was annexed by India in
1961.
4. GOA
Goa is renowned for its
beaches, places of
worship and world
heritage architecture.
Goa is visited by large
numbers of international
and domestic tourists
each year. It also has rich
flora and fauna.
5. GOA – Etymology
(Development of Word)
In ancient literature, Goa was
known by many names such as
Gomanta, Gomanchala,
Gopakapattam, Gopakapuri,
Govapuri, Gove and
Gomantak. Mahabharat refers
present Goa as Goparashtra or
Govarashtra which means
‘Nation of Gaupalak’. So we
can presume that the word
Goa has come from word
Gauva (Cow). Some other
historical names for Goa
are Sindapur, Sandabur,
and Mahassapatam.
6. GOA – History
Goa's known history stretches
back to the 3rd Century BC,
when it formed part of the
Mauryan Empire, ruled by the
Buddhist emperor, Ashoka of
Magadh. Over the next few
centuries, Goa was ruled by
the Chalukyas of Kalyani.
They patronised Jainism here.
In 1312, Goa came under the
governance of the Delhi
Sultanate. The Vijayanagara
monarchs held on to the
territory until 1469. In 1510,
the Portuguese defeated the
ruling Bijapur kings.
7. GOA – History
Goa was under Portuguese
possession from 1510 to 1961.
After India gained
independence from the
British in 1947, Portugal
refused to negotiate with
India on the transfer of
sovereignty. On 12 Dec 1961,
the Indian Army commenced
with Operation Vijay resulting
in the annexation of Goa,
Daman and Diu into the Indian
Union Territory. On 30 May
1987, Goa was made India's
25th state.
8. GOA – Geography
Goa encompasses an area of
3,702 km². Most of Goa is a
part of Konkan. Goa has a
coastline of 101 km. Goa's
main rivers are Mandovi and
Zuari. The Mormugao harbour
on the mouth of the River
Zuari is one of the best
natural harbours in South
Asia. Goa has about 140
islands. Goa has more than
three hundred ancient tanks
and over a hundred medicinal
springs. The soil is rich in
minerals.
9. GOA – Geography
Goa has a hot and humid
climate for most of the year.
The monsoon rains arrive by
early June. Goa has short
winter between December
and February. The
temperature goes down to
around 21 °C. May is the
hottest, seeing temperatures
of over 35 °C. Goa's major
cities include Panaji, Vasco,
Mapusa, Margao and
Mormugao.
10. GOA – Flora n Fauna
Forest cover in Goa stands at
1,424 km2 located in the
interior eastern regions of the
state. The Western Ghats,
which form eastern Goa, have
been internationally
recognised as one of the
biodiversity hotspots of the
world. In the February 1999
issue of National Geographic
Magazine, Goa was compared
with the Amazon and
Congo basins for its rich
tropical biodiversity.
11. GOA – Flora n Fauna
Goa's wildlife sanctuaries
boast of more than 1512
documented species of
plants, over 275 species of
birds, over 48 kinds of
animals and over 60 genera of
reptiles. Rice is the main food
crop with main cash crops
Coconuts, cashew nuts and
fruits like pineapples,
mangoes and bananas. State
animal is Gaur, state bird is
Bulbul, and state tree is Asan.
Goa's forests are rich with
medicinal plants.
12. GOA – Economy
Goa is one of India's richest
states with the highest GDP
per capita and 2.5 times of
India as a whole. Tourism is
Goa's primary industry: it
handles 12% of all foreign
tourist arrivals in India.
Goa has two main tourist
seasons: winter and summer.
In winter, tourists from
abroad (mainly Europe) come
to Goa to enjoy the splendid
climate. In summer, tourists
from across India come to
spend the holidays.
13. GOA – Economy
The land away from the coast
is rich in minerals and ores
and mining forms the second
largest industry. Mining in Goa
focuses on ores of iron,
Bauxite, manganese, clays,
limestone and silica.
The Marmagao Port handles
more than 30 million tonnes
of cargo per year, and
accounts for over 39% of
India's Iron Ore exports. The
leader in this industry is Sesa
Goa owned by Vedanta
Resources.
India’s first floating port in Goa
14. GOA – BEACHES
Goa's 105 km coastline is
endowed with lovely beaches.
ARAMBOL is a lovely, serene
beach. BENAULIM in South
Goa, is long stretch of white
sand. MIRAMAR is a lovely
golden beach girdled with
palm trees facing Sea. DONA
PAULA is an idyllic and
picturesque picnic spot
commands a fine view of the
Zuari estuary and Mormugao
Harbour. COLVA is 6 kms from
Margao. Here land, sea and
sky blend in natural harmony.
15. GOA – BEACHES
CALANGUTE is also known as
BAGA BEACH. It is Queen of
Goa's Beaches and the most
popular holiday resort in Goa
known for scenic splendour.
Excellent accommodation
facilities are available,
particularly at the Tourist
Resort. VAGATOR is a lovely
palm-fringed beach with the
Chapora Fort in the back
ground situated on the Kalsua
along the Chapora river basin.
16. GOA – BEACHES
BOGMALO about 13 kms from
Vasco town, crossing Dabolim
airport, the beach of Bogmalo
is a popular picnic spot.
AGONDA is a small
picturesque and secluded
beach where a number of
nature lovers go for peace of
mind. PALOLIM is one of the
most enchanting beaches in
Goa and relatively deserted
with the backdrop of Western
Ghats situated in the
Southern most Taluka of
Canacona.
17. GOA – Basilica Church
The Basilica of Bom (Good)
Jesus is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. It holds the
mortal remains of St. Francis
Xavier. 'Bom Jesus' (literally,
'Good or Holy Jesus') is the
name used for the infant
Jesus. It is considered as one
of the best examples of
baroque architecture in India.
It is more than 400 years old.
18. GOA – Se Cathedral
Acclaimed as one of the largest
churches in Asia, the Se
Cathedral church is a memory of
the Portuguese era in Goa. The
church was dedicated to St.
Catherine of Alexandria as the
Portuguese led by Alfonso de
Albuquerque conquered Goa on
the St. Catherine's day
(November 25) in 1510. Even
though the original mud and
stone structure was built in that
year itself, the present Se
Cathedral church came up in
1652, after 80 years of
painstaking craftsmanship.
19. GOA – Church of Mary
Immaculate Conception
Established in 1541, the Church
of Mary Immaculate Conception
is one of the earliest churches
built in Goa. Located at the
heart of Panaji, this majestic
church is a prominent landmark
of the city. The great bell at the
Church is acclaimed as the
second largest bell in the world.
It is known as the Bell of the
Inquisition. It was shifted to the
Mary Immaculate Church in
1841, after Panaji became the
capital of Goa.
20. GOA – Manguesh Temple
Sri Manguesh Shiv temple at
Mangueshi in Ponda Taluka, the
most prominent among temples,
is situated along the National
Highway-4A about 23-km from
Panaji. It is famous for its
pristine glory, which attracts
thousands of visitors every year
and is gifted by the Welcome
Gate, an elegant lamp tower, a
"Noubatkhana" overlooking the
temple tank and the "Agrashalas"
on three sides. the structure
visitors see today dates from the
1700s.
