eparated from the 

Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats.[7][8] It is surrounded by the Indian

states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the east and south, with the Arabian
Sea forming its western coast. It is India's smallest state by area and its fourth-smallest by
population. Goa has the highest GDP per capita among all Indian states,[9] two and a half times
as high as the GDP per capita of the country as a whole. [10] The Eleventh Finance Commission of
India named Goa the best-placed state because of its infrastructure, and India’s National
Commission on Population rated it as having the best quality of life in India (based on the
commission’s “12 Indicators”).[10]
Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is its largest city. The historic city of Margão in
Goa still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese, who first voyaged to the subcontinent
in the early 16th century as merchants, and conquered it soon thereafter, whereupon Goa
became an overseas territory of the Portuguese Empire, part of what was then known
as Portuguese India, and remained as such for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in
1961.[11][12] Goa’s official language, which is spoken by a majority of its inhabitants, is Konkani.
Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year because of its
white-sand beaches, active nightlife, places of worship, and World Heritage-listed architecture. It
also has rich flora and fauna because it lies on the Western Ghats range, a biodiversity hotspot.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Prehistory
o 2.2Early history
o 2.3Portuguese period
o 2.4Contemporary period
 3Geography and climate
o 3.1Geography
o 3.2Climate
 4Subdivisions
 5Government and politics
o 5.1Government
 6Flora and fauna
 7Economy
 8Demographics
o 8.1Population
o 8.2Languages
o 8.3Religion
 9Tourism
o 9.1Historic sites and neighbourhoods
o 9.2Museums and science centre
 10Culture
o 10.1Dance and music
o 10.2Theatre
o 10.3Konkani cinema
o 10.4Food
o 10.5Architecture
 11Media and communication
 12Sports
 13Education
 14Transportation
o 14.1Air
o 14.2Road
o 14.3Rail
o 14.4Sea
 15Sister states
 16See also
 17References
o 17.1Sources
 18Further reading
 19External links