Goa, a tiny emerald land on the west coast of India, the 25th State in the Union of States of India, was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961. It was part of Union territory of Goa, Daman & Diu till 30 May 1987 when it was carved out to form a separate State.

Goa covers an area of 3702 square kilometers and comprises two Revenue district viz North Goa and South Goa. Boundaries of Goa State are defined in the North Terekhol River which separates it from Maharashtra, in the East and South by Karnataka State and West by Arabian Sea. Goa lies in Western Coast of India and is 594 Kms (by road) away from Mumbai city.

Goa, for the purpose of revenue administration is divided into district viz. North and South Goa with headquarters at Panaji and Margao respectively. The entire State comprises 11 talukas. For the purpose of implementation of development programmes the State is divided into 12 community development blocks. As per 2001 census, the population of the State is 13, 42, 998

North Goa comprises six talukas with a total area of 1736 sq. kms and South Goa, five talukas with an area of 1966 sq. kilometers. In all there are 383 villages of which 233 are in North Goa district and 15 in South Goa district. There are 44 towns of which 14 are Municipalities and remaining are census towns.

Terekhol (Tiracol), Mandovi, Zuari, Chapora, Sal and Talpona are the main rivers which weave their way throughout the state forming the inland waterways adding beauty and romance to the land besides being used to transport Goa's main export commodity of Iron and Manganese ore to Mormugao Harbour. Along the way to the coast these waterways form estuaries, creeks and bays breaking the sandy, palm-fringed coastline behind which lie the fishing villages among the coconut groves.

Panaji (Panjim) is the state capital located on the banks of the Mandovi river and Vasco, Margao, Mapusa and Ponda are the other major towns. Goa is serviced by an international/national airport located at Dabolim near Vasco. An intra-state and inter-state bus network also plays an important role in getting locals and visitors alike in and around Goa.

The vast green expanse of the Sahyadri mountain range ensures that Goa has an abundance of water. The sea and rivers abound in seafood - prawns, mackerels, sardines, crabs and lobsters are the most popular with the locals and the visitors.

Along with English which is widely spoken all over Goa, Konkani and Marathi are the state languages. The national language Hindi is also well understood in most areas around the state.

History

History records that Goa formed part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3 rd century BC. It was followed by the rule of the SATAVAHANAS of Kolhapur and then the BHOJAS who formed their capital at Chandor. From 580–750 AD the CHALUKYAS of Badami had their sway over Goa until the SILHARAS took control in 1086 AD.

Guhalla Deva of the Kadambas, originally from Mysore, consolidated his hold over Chandor in the 11 th century AD till the 13 th Century AD. On a pilgrimage to Somnath, a sudden storm threatened the Kadamba King and his armada, at the mouth of the River Zuari. Arab traders, who lived in a settlement by the riverside, rescued them and in gratitude, the Arabs were allowed to carry on their commercial activities in the kingdom.

As their kingdom prospered, the Kadamba rulers built a navy that was unbeatable in its time. Chandor, their capital, was now too small. They then moved to Goa Velha, where only the massive tank of the temple of Goddess Chamunda remains today. The monastery on the hill at Pilar houses the museum that has notable collections of this period.

Jayakeshi-I 1052–1080 AD proclaimed himself as Lord of the Konkan and Emperor of the Western Seas. On his death, Goa fell into the hands of the CHALUKYAS of Kalyani and later to the YADAVAS of Devgiri.

Muslims held sway from 1312-1370 AD over the Konkan region. However with the break up of the Tughlak Kingdom, it was the Bahamani Sultans who then controlled Goa.

Madhav Mantri, who headed the army of Harihara of Vijaynagar, reclaimed and ruled Goa as the Viceroy. He fortified its Ports and through these, Arab steeds were imported for use in the Vijaynagar army. In 1469, the Bahamani vizier Khwaja Mohammed Gawan of Gulburga laid a two-year siege of Goa's seaside forts and ended Vijaynagar's rule.

Yusuf Adil Shah, the adopted son of Gawan, moved his capital to Ela in OLD Goa in 1498. He later built himself a palace in Panaji, which today houses the Secretariat. His rule lasted for 12 years. On 25 th November 1510 he lost Goa for good to Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese, who had taken the city earlier in March that year. This Portuguese rule lasted for 450 years.

On 19 th December 1961, troops of the Indian union marched into Goa. By choice Goa remained a Union territory of the Indian Union for 26 Years and on 30th May 1987 Goa attained its Statehood. In August 1992, Konkani, the Mother tongue of Goa was included in the Indian constitution.