Area : Approximately 3,702 sq km.
Population : 13,43,998
Languages : Konkani and Marathi.
Capital : Panaji, a picturesque city on the banks of the river Mandovi, is one of the smallest state capitals in the country.

Literacy :
77% - one of the highest literacy rates in the country.

Location :
Goa is the smallest Indian state. Situated on the country’s west coast, Goa has a 105-km-long coastline. Maharashtra lies to its north and Karnataka to its south.

Important Places :
Margao, a thriving commercial metropolis, is the headquarters of South Goa.
Mapusa, has a popular Friday Market.
Vasco da Gama, named after the Portuguese seafarer, is a modern, well-laid-out city.
Mormugao, the country’s finest harbour on the west coast, is at the confluence of the Mandovi and Zuari rivers. The mechanical ore-handling plant at the harbour is the first of its kind in the country.
Velha Goa (or Old Goa) on the banks of the Mandovi, with its Portuguese-style churches and forts, is a World Heritage Site.
Ponda is famous for its temples.
Goa’s beaches, the Colva, Calangute and the Gasper Dias (Miramar) to name but a few, are known the world over for their scenic beauty.

Between the 3rd century B.C. and the 12th century A.D., Goa , a port-habitation on the river Mandovi, came under the sway of great dynasties like the Mauryas, Satavahanas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and the Kadambas. Of these, the Kadambas ruled the longest. In their 300 years of rule, they made Goa a great centre for maritime trade. Thereafter until the 15th century, Goa was ruled by the Yadava, Bahamani and the Vijayanagara kings.

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