Goa, a tiny emerald on the west coast of India, with its natural Scenic beauty, abundant greenery, attractive beaches, historical temples and churches, colourful feasts and festivals, and above all warm and hospitable people with a rich cultural milieu, has today emerged as an ideal tourist destination worldwide.
Ensconced on the slopes of the Western Ghats, Goa is bounded on the North by Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra, on the East by Belgaum and on the South by Karwar Districts of Karnataka, and on the West by the Arabian Sea.
Spread over an area of 3702 Sq. Kms., and a maximum altitude of 1022 metres from the sea level, Goa has a tropical climate with a maximum rainfall of 130 to 140 inches between June and September. The population of Goa is around 1.4 Million.
Goa was liberated on 19th December 1961 along with overland pockets of Daman & Diu from 451 years Portuguese Colonial Rule, marking the culmination of the efforts of scores of Freedom Fighters, both Hindus and Christians, some of whom even laid down their lives in the struggle for freedom and was initially administered as a Union Territory. Goa later became the 25th State of the Indian Union when it was conferred Statehood on 30th May 1987.
Goa has today emerged as a symbol of secularism with harmonious co-existence prevailing between people of various faith irrespective of whether they are Hindus, Catholics or Muslims, imbibed with the spirit of “Sarva Dharma Sarva Bhava” or equal respect for all the religions.
The State of Goa has a 40 Member Legislative Assembly. Besides, Goa has 03 elected representatives in the Central Parliament. The Governor is the Head of the State who is advised by a Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. Both the Goa Legislative Assembly and the Government Secretariat are located on the Porvorim hillock overlooking the picturesque Capital City of Panaji. For administrative purposes, the State has been divided into two districts : North Goa and South Goa with headquarters at Panaji and Margao respectively, with six Talukas representing each district. The Official language is Konkani in Devnagiri script. However, use of English, Hindi and Marathi is also allowed.
