GEOGRAPHY OF GOA

India is a land of diversities in the planet earth. Geography of India is an essential subject to be
studied by every citizen of the country. As a nation, India occupies a significant position in the world. It is a
country known for its unique culture, history, heritage, natural resources and human capital. India is a union
of states. For administrative reasons, the country is divided into 28 states and 7 union territories. Each part
of India is unique in its geography, culture, language and socio-economic conditions.

Goa is one of the prominent states in India. The main objective of learning this lesson is to know
about its geographic setting, people, governance and contributions in the country. Thus, in this chapter the
following aspects highlighting the Indian state Goa are discussed in detail:

• The Physiographic Setting

• The Climate, Rainfall, Land cover and Religions
• The Administrative divisions, Population and Education
• Geology, Economic resources and Contributors
• Culture, History, Tourism and Unique features of the state as a whole

The Physiographic Setting:

Goa lies between the Northern Latitudes of 14°53′54″ and 15°40′00″ and Eastern longitudes of
73°40′33″ and 74°20′13″. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an
escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separates it from the Deccan
Plateau. Sonsogor, with an altitude of 1,167 meters (3,827 feet) is the Highest Point in the region. Goa has
a coastline of 101 km.

Goa, though famous for its beaches, is essentially a rugged hilly and mountainous tract with
narrow valleys and sandy linear plains along the coast. The Western Ghats run in a north-south direction
from Salginim to Surla ghat along the eastern margin of the territory. This segment of Sahyadri ranges are
clad with evergreen forests with altitude ranging from 600 m to over 800 m. The highest peak Mamai Devi
is 832 m height. In the western margin of the territory, there are long and narrow strips of sandy plains and
low flat topped laterite hills ranging in altitude from 50 m to 100 m.

Goa is home to some of the finest sea beaches in the country. The terrain is undulating with alternate
chain of hills and long, narrow valleys. The hills range in altitude from 250 m to 400 m. The Vagheri hill
near Valpoi, is located much to the west of the Western Ghats and is connected by a narrow link with the
Surla ghat. The eastern border of the state generally marks the water divide between easterly and westerly
flowing rivers.

Languages spoken in Goa are:

 Konkani – 57.13%
 Marathi – 22.57%
 Hindi – 5.70%
 Kannada – 5.54% and
 Others – 9.06%.
 The Climate, Rainfall, Land cover and Religions:

Lying in the tropical zone and sharing close proximity to the Arabian Sea Goa witnesses hot and
humid climate almost throughout the year. May is the hottest month of the year with maximum
temperatures scaling upto 35°C. However there are no climate extremities in the State. The monsoon rains
arrive by early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Monsoons are the Source of Goa's
annual rainfall which last till late September. Goa has a short winter season between Mid-December and
February. These months are marked by nights of around 21 °C (68 °F) and days of around 28 °C (84 °F)
with moderate amounts of humidity. Further inland, due to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few
degrees cooler.

The monsoon in Goa arrive early in June and is one of the best seasons to witness the ecstatic
beauty of Goa. With an annual rainfall of around 2,800 - 3,500 mm between the months of June and
September Goa is one of the most agriculturally blessed lands in the country.

The geographic area of the state is about 3,702 km² (0.11% of country), of which the forest forest
cover alone is about 1,224 km² (33.06 % of the state and 0.16 % of country). By land area Goa is 28th largest
in the country. The jungles of Goa are full of herbs and medicinal plants.

Hinduism and Christianity are the most popularly practiced religions in the state however other
religions like Islamism and Sikhism are also prevalent in the state. The percentage of different religions
prevalent in the state is:

 Hinduism: 65%
 Christianity: 30%
 Muslims: 3% and
 Sikhs: 2%.

The Administrative Divisions, Population and Education:

For Administrative purposes the State has been divided into 2 districts :

 North Goa district and

 South Goa District

Goa has a unicameral legislature consisting of a forty member Legislative Assembly, headed by a
Chief Minister who wields the executive power. The ruling government consists of the party or coalition
capturing the most seats in the state elections and enjoying the support of a simple majority of the House.
People of Goa are represented at the Union Government by 1 MP in the Rajya Sabha and 2 MPs in the Lok
Sabha.
Panaji the state capital located on the banks of the Mandovi River and Vasco-da-Gama, Margao,
Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns. The largest city of the state is Vasco-da-Gama.
Population:

The population of Goa is 1,457,723 and ranks 25th in the country. The population density of the State
is 394 persons per sq. km. The sex ratio of Goa is: 968 females to 1000 males. This ratio is higher than the
national average of 940 females to 1000 males. The state has a birth rate of 13.5% per 1000 people per year
and a death rate of 6.7%. The State’s literacy rate has shown a gradual increase from 82.01% in 2001 to
87.40% in 2011, with male literacy at 92.81% and female at 81.84%.

Education:

Goa University is the premier center of higher studies in the state and most of the colleges are
affiliated to it. There also many Medical and Engineering colleges in the State. There exists both private
and government engineering colleges in the state. BITS Pilani - Goa is also a renowned institute which
grants admission to the students on the basis of their performance in the all India aptitude test conducted
by the institute. Some of the colleges in Goa also offer courses in: arts, commerce, science, law,
architecture, dentistry, marine engineering, hotel management, fisheries and pharmacy. NCAOR and
NIO are the two national Oceanographic science institutes situated at Vasco and Punjim in Goa. Goa
Institute of Management established in the year 1993 is a famous B-School of the region. Students willing to
pursue their undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Portuguese may do it from the Goa University.

Geology, Economic Resources and Contributors:

Geologically the state constitutes the northwesterly extension of the granitoid - greenstone terrain
of Karnataka, comprising rocks of Precambrian age viz.,

 gneisses,
 migmatites
 granitoids
 granites
 schists
 meta-volcanics (both acid and basic)
 meta-greywackes
 banded ferruginous quartzites associated with manganiferous Phyllites/argillites
 limestones
 dolomites and
 thin bands of quartzite intruded by granite and mafic-ultramafic complex

Deccan trap is exposed on the NE border of Goa. Peninsular Gneisses are well exposed in Anmod
Ghat section along the Panaji-Ponda-Londa highway. The rocks of Peninsular Gneissic Complex and
Goa Group are intruded by mafic ultramafic complexes. Zuari and Mandovi are the biggest rivers of
Goa

Economy:

Goa is the richest state with it's GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole.
Goa is well endowed with economic mineral deposits, particularly iron and manganese ores. The insitu
reserves of about 967 million tonnes of the haemetite, 187 million tonnes of magnetite and 83.1 million
tonnes of manganese ore respectively constitute: 8%, 3.08% and 22.4% of the total resources estimated for
the country. Because of their proximity to the sea port, they are being mined extensively for export. Besides
iron and manganese, a number of deposits of bauxite, silica sand, low grade limestone, clays, low grade
chromite and quartzite are also extensively found in Goa.

Agriculture forms the major economic activity of the state. Rice is the major agricultural crop. The
other important crops are:
• Paddy
• Ragi
• Maize
• Jowar
• Bajra and
• Pulses

The important cash crops grown here are:

• Coconut
• Cashew nut
• Arecanut
• Mango
• Jackfruit
• Banana
• Pineapple etc

The important Forest products are:

• Bamboo sticks
• Bhirand

Fishing industry is another major Economic activity in the state and it employs several thousands of
people. But nowadays Traditional Fishing is replaced by large-scale mechanised trawling. The
popular sea foods and fishes found are:
• Lobsters
• Crabs
• Jellyfish
• Shrimp
• Catfish
• Oysters etc

The monsoon crops are called the Kharif or Sorod crops and the winter crops are called Rabi or
Vaingan crops. The main sources of irrigation for winter crops are the nallahs, rivers, streams, tanks,
wells, Canal etc. Sugar cane is also cultivated here. There is also a sugar factory in Goa. Cashew is an
important crop in Goa. 'Feni' an exhilarating drink is produced from cashew. There are a variety of mangoes
grown here. Some of the varieties of mango grown here are: Mancurade, Mussarade, Fernandine, Xavier,
Alfonsa, Colaco etc. The two varieties of jackfruit are grown here namely: Kapo and Rasal. The prime
vegetables grown here are: Brinjal, Lady`s fingers, Sweet potatoes, Chillies, Onions, Radish, Cucumber,
Pumpkins, Drumsticks, Breadfruit and different varieties of gourds.
Culture, History, Tourism and unique features of the state:

One of the youngest states of the Indian Union Goa was a colonially ruled state for many centuries,
and its history dates back to the 3rd century. The Goan culture consists of a mixture of the Portuguese and
Indian lifestyles. The Portuguese were known to be the most wonderful church constructors and so the
location is marked with innumerable churches besides the temples which were further constructed by later
civilizations. Music is considered to be an integral part of the lives of Goa inhabitants.

Apart from the local Konkani music and songs from different parts of the country, one can even
hear Portuguese music and the popular trance of Goa which is assumed to wind away into the listener's
heart. Music is at every step in Goa from the soul relaxing sound of the church bells in the early hours in
the morning, to the Mando songs in the evening. On the other hand, dance is known to be an additional part
of the Goan lifestyle which represents a sturdy colonial persuasion. Some of the famous dance forms of
Goa consist of the:

• Dekni
• Kunbi
• Morulem and
• Zagor

People:

The inhabitants of Goa are a jovial group of individuals who trust in living life completely with fun
and rejoice. The laws of the state treat all religions equivalent whereas women are provided ideal status
similar to men in every sectors of life. The outgoing women wear western outfits compared to men who
carry themselves with a specific degree of machine and prefer sports activities such as football and bull
fighting. Also, the people of Goa are extremely friendly and happy-go-lucky. The citizens of Goa are of
various faiths and create various cultural backgrounds, where, they come together to make the life of Goa
easy going with an intention of better living.

Other than the lifestyle of Goa, the inhabitants residing over there are also recognized for their
colorful trends. With an advancement in trend, the traditional outfits are been tagged by designer labels.
While on a trip to Goa, one can purchase few of the excellent textile as well as embroidery work from
different locations of the country. Food and cooking is prepared from different ingredients in Goan
traditional style. In the coastal area, the Goan cuisine includes wide range of seafood like: fish, mussels,
prawns, crabs, oysters and various others. Also, the food cooked here is made in coconut oil.

History:

In 1498, Vasco da Gama became the first European to set foot in India through a sea route, landing
in Kozhikode in Kerala, followed by an arrival in what is now known as 'Old Goa'. The Portuguese arrived
with the intention of setting up a colony and seizing complete control of the spice trade from other
European powers. Later, in 1510, the Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the ruling
Bijapur kings on behalf of a local sovereign, Timayya, leading to the establishment of a permanent
settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa). The Portuguese intended it to be a colony and a naval base, distinct
from the fortified enclaves established elsewhere along India's coasts.
 An interesting development of the 18th century in Goa is the Conspiracy of the Pintos in 1787
which was inspired by the French Revolution. This was the first ethnic rebellion against Portuguese rule in
Goa. After India gained independence from the British in 1947, Portugal refused to accede to India's request
to relinquish their control of its exclave. After arbitration by the United Nations General Assembly in the
1950s, the Indian army moved in, uniting the colony with India. Most nations later recognised the
annexation, and Portugal recognised it after its Carnation Revolution in 1974. In 1987, the Union Territory
was split, and Goa was elevated as India's twenty-fifth state.

Tourism and Unique features of the state:

The Tourist season in Goa begins in late September and carries on through early March. The
weather in these months is usually dry and cool. After that the weather gets fairly hot around May and by
end of June, Goa receives the full blast of the Indian monsoon with sudden downpours and tropical
thunderstorms. However it is also during the monsoon that Goa is probably at its most beautiful, with
greenery sprouting all around. Tourism and Goa are synonymous with each other. The Indian state of
Goa, also known as 'the pearl of the east', is known for its Gothic churches, age-old ruins, palm-fringed
beaches, coconut groves, ferry rides, and bubbly folk music. With its 131-km-long coastline, Goa is an
important tourism destination in every tourist's itinerary.

Goa is one of India's special tourism places, a State seemingly blessed with fabulous weather, even
more fabulous beaches, delightful people, good food, hill-top forts, little white-washed churches,
soaring Portuguese-era cathedrals, a unique cultural legacy-small wonder, therefore, that Goa is one of
India's prime tourism and holiday destinations. Bom Jesus Basilica is another famous attraction in Goa.
Fort Aguada too is a major tourist attraction. Recently a Wax Museum on the Indian history, culture and
heritage has also been opened in Old Goa.

The Major tourist attractions in Goa are: Fort Aguada & Candolim, Mapusa, Margao, Old Goa,
Panjim, Ponda, Vasco-de-Gama.