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Goaगो�वा�

State of India

Seal

Location of Goa (marked in red) in India

Map of Goa

Coordinates (Panaji): 15°29′56″N 73°49′40″E 15.49889°N

73.82778°E Coordinates : 15°29′56″N 73°49′40″E 15.49889°N

73.82778°E

Country  India

Region Western India

Established 30 May 1987

Capital Panaji

Largest city Vasco da Gama

Districts 2

Government

 • Governor Mridula Sinha

 • Chief   Minister Laxmikant Parsekar (BJP)

 • Legislature Unicameral (40 seats)

 • Parliamentary

constituency2

 • High CourtBombay High Court – Panaji,

Goa Bench

Area

 • Total 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi)

Area rank 29th

Population (2011)

 • Total 1,457,723

 • Rank 26th

 • Density 390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)

Demonym(s) Goan, Goenkar,Govekar

Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)

ISO 3166 code IN-GA

HDI 0.779 (high)

HDI rank 3rd (2005)

Literacy 88.70% (3rd)

Official language Konkani

Website www.goa.gov.in

^* Konkani in Devanagari script is the sole official language but Marathi is also allowed

to be used for any or all official purposes.[1][2]

Goa i/ˈɡoʊ.ə/ is a state located in the western region of India, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. It is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Goa is one of India's richest states with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole.[3] 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 based on the 12 Indicators.[3]

Panaji is the state's 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. Goa is a former Portuguese province; the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.[4][5]

Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.