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GOA INFORMATION

Goa, state in western India, formerly part of Portuguese India, bordered on the north by Maharashtra state, on the west by the Arabian Sea, and on the south and east by Karnataka state. Goa is India's smallest state, covering an area of 3,702 sq km (1,429 sq mi).

Goa is situated on the Malabar Coast and has sandy beaches and a tropical climate. Inland, Goa becomes hilly, stretching to part of the Western Ghats. About one-quarter of the state is covered by forest. The climate is generally warm, with average January temperatures ranging from 19° to 29° C (66° to 84° F), and average June temperatures ranging from 25° to 33° C (77° to 91° F). Goa experiences a monsoon season from June through September; it accounts for four-fifths of the state's average annual rainfall.

Goa had a population of 1,169,793 at the time of the 1991 census, giving it an average density of 316 persons per sq km (819 per sq mi). Since then it has grown to 1,343,998 (2000). Panaji has been the capital since 1843. The population of Goa includes native inhabitants, Portuguese descendants, and the descendants of marriages between the two groups. Goa's official language is Konkani, although English, Hindi, and Marathi are also spoken. Most of the native inhabitants are Hindu, while many of the Portuguese descendants are Christians. In 1991, 76 percent of the population was literate. Goa University (founded in 1985) is located in the town of Taleigao.

Goa's known history stretches back to the 3rd century BC, when it formed part of the Mauryan Empire. It was later ruled by the Satavahanas of Kolhapur, around 2000 years ago it was passed on to the Chalukya Dynasty, who controlled it between 580 to 750. Over the next few centuries Goa was successively ruled by the Silharas, the Kadambas and the Chalukyas of Kalyani, rulers of Deccan India.

In 1312, Goa came under the governance of the Delhi Sultanate. However, the kingdom's grip on the region was weak, and by 1370 they were forced to surrender it to Harihara I of the Vijayanagara empire. The Vijayanagara monarchs held on to the territory until 1469, when it was appropriated by the Bahmani sultans of Gulbarga. After that dynasty crumbled, the area fell to the hands of the Adil Shahis of Bijapur who made Velha Goa their auxiliary capital. In 1510, the Portuguese defeated the ruling Bijapur kings with the help of a local ally, Timayya, leading to the establishment of a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa).