What does Goa quick facts include?
The quick facts about Goa include mainly the detailed information about almost every unique features and characteristics of the state, which one can refer to in order to acquire knowledge about the state.
What is the geographical location of Goa?
The state of Goa is geographically located in between the 14° 53' 54″ N and 15° 40' 00″ N latitudes and 73° 40' 33″ E and 74° 20' 13″ E longitudes.
Which country does this state belong to?
Goa, with its location along the coastal area of the Arabian Sea, is a part of the peninsular country of India.
Which are the neighboring states of Goa?
Goa is surrounded by Maharashtra towards its north and the state of Karnataka towards its south and east. The western side is bordered by the Arabian Sea.
When was the Goa state established?
The western state of Goa was established on 30th May, 1987, when it gained its independent statehood post being curbed out from the earlier Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.
Which is the capital of Goa?
The official name for the capital of Goa is Panaji, though in Konkani it is often pronounced as 'Ponnji'. The Portuguese name for it was 'Pongim', from which originated the other name by which it is known - Panjim. The name Panjim is used mostly by English speaking people. The capital of Goa lies on the banks of the Mandovi estuary, in the district of North Goa. Panaji means 'the land that does not flood'. Panaji, the capital of Goa, is built around a church facing a prominent square. Panaji has some beautiful Portuguese Baroque style buildings. The riverside too offers a fine view.
Panaji has a population of around 65,000. Panaji is Goa's third largest city after Vasco and Madgaon. The capital of Goa, Panaji, was earlier a small village on the riverfront. In 1843 the city was renamed Nova Goa (Portuguese for 'New Goa') when it officially replaced the city of Goa - which is now Old Goa - as the administrative seat of Portuguese India. The viceroy, though, had already moved to Panaji in 1759. Panaji became a state capital on Goa's elevation to statehood in May 1987.
The capital of Goa was once little more than a minor landing stage and customs house - protected by a hilltop fort, and surrounded by stagnant swampland. In 1843 it became the capital after the port at Old Goa had silted up, and its rulers and impoverished inhabitants had fled the plague.
Which is the largest city of Goa?
Vasco da Gama in South Goa is the biggest city of Goa.
Which are the other major cities of Goa?
Apart from the two cities mentioned earlier, the other major cities of Goa are:
What is the time zone followed in Goa?
Goa, being a part of the country of India follows the Indian Stand Time, The time zone followed in the state is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) + 05:30 hours.
What is the total covering area of Goa?
The Indian state of Goa covers a total area of around 3, 702 sq. km. or 1, 429.4 sq. mi. This state, being one of the smallest states of India, occupies 28th rank among the other states of the country in terms of total covering area.
What is the total population of Goa?
The population of Goa is around 1,169,793 according to the 1991 census of India (1.2 million). The density of population is 316 per sq km. Most of Goa's population is rural (59%).
A significant population is however urban (41%). Hindus account for a little more than 64.68 % of the total population, Christians (Roman Catholics) nearly 29.86 % and Muslims 5.25 % of the population.
The remaining 1.21 % comprise of other religions including Buddhism, Jainism, Sikh etc. The scheduled castes amount to 2 per cent of the population. There are no scheduled tribes in Goa.
The 2001 census of India, however, holds it at 1.4 million. Goa enjoys a literacy rate of 76 % as against the all India literacy rate of 52.2%.
Area And Population of Goa is given below:
| S.No | Category | Reference period |
North Goa | South Goa |
Total |
| 1. | Area (Sq. Kms.) | 2001 | 1736.0 | 1966.0 | 3702.0 |
| 2. | Total Population | 2001(P) | 7,57,407 | 5,86,591 | 13,43,998 |
| 3. | Density per sq. km. | 2001(P) | 436 | 298 | 363 |
| 4. | Male population | 2001(P) | 3,88,116 | 2,97,501 | 6,85,617 |
| 5. | Female population | 2001(P) | 3,69,291 | 2,89,090 | 6,58,381 |
| 6. | Rural population | 2001(P) | 4,17,174 | 2,57,955 | 6,75,129 |
| 7. | Urban Population | 2001(P) | 3,40,233 | 3,28,636 | 6,68,869 |
| 8. | Number of main workers | 2001(P) | 2,424,72 | 1,83,230 | 4,25,702 |
| 9 | Main workers participation rate to total population (%) | 2001(P) | 32.01 | 31.23 | 31.67 |
| a) | Male participation rate (%) | 2001(P) | 48.10 | 47.61 | 47.89 |
| b) | Female participation rate (%) | 2001(P) | 15.10 | 14.38 | 14.78 |
| 10. | Birth rate (per 1,000) | 2001 | 16.27 | 15.54 | 15.95 |
| 11. | Death rate (per 1,000) | 2001 | 8.46 | 6.18 | 7.46 |
| 12 | Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) | 2001 | 19.56 | 2.73 | 12.40 |
What is the literacy rate of the Goa state?
Goa stands at 3rd position with the state’s literacy rate of 87 %.
What is the official language of Goa?
Portuguese was the official language until Goa was liberated from the Portugal regime in 1961. In fact, the older generations can still speak Portuguese. However, post-liberation, the official Language of Goa is Konkani - which is written in the Devnagri script.
Marathi too is used for official purposes. Marathi is widely taught in schools too. However, Goa being a tourist hub, almost everyone in Goa can speak in English and Hindi.
So, the total number of languages spoken in Goa is English, Portuguese, Konkani, Hindi and Marathi. The other main languages spoken in the state are Kannada, Gujrati and Urdu.
How many districts are there in Goa?
The entire state of Goa is divided into 2 districts, which are as follows:
Which is the highest point in Goa?
The highest point of Goa is Sonsogor located at an altitude of 3, 827 feet or 1, 167 meters.
Which are the rivers flowing through the state?
The main rivers flowing through Goa are Chapora, Mandovi, Terekhol, Zuari and Sal. Apart from being some of India’s busiest rivers, the rivers Mandovi and Zuari along with the tributaries form the state’s lifeline by serving almost 69 % of the total area of Goa.
What is the type of climate in Goa?
Proximity to the Arabian Sea and its location in the tropical zone makes the state of Goa experience the tropical monsoon type of climate. The humid and hot climatic condition of Goa is mainly divided into three distinctive seasons, which are mentioned below:
How many parliamentary constituencies are there is Goa?
Goa has got 2 parliamentary constituencies.
What is the type of Legislature in Goa?
The type of Goa’s Legislature is unicameral with a capacity of 40 seats.
Which are the main religions of Goa?
Though Hinduism and Christianity cover most of the population of Goa, however other religions like Muslims and Sikhs even contributes to the religion of Goa. The percentage of different religions prevalent in the state is given below:
Which is the nearest airport to Goa?
Dabolim Airport, the sole airport of Goa is the nearest airport to the state. This civilian cum military airport connects the place to both national as well as international destinations. Goa being a Tourist destination, Flights to Goa are frequent. The airport is owned by the Indian Navy and is 30 kms away from Panaji. Flights to Goa from all major Cities of India are available as per traveller's convenience on different timings. Goa Is well connected to all the corners of India and here we mention the Goa Flight Details.
What is Goa famous for?
The state of Goa is known for its exotic sun-kissed sea beaches, adventure sports, beach carnivals as well as Portugese churches. These unique features of the place attract tourists from all over the world.
Why is Statehood Day celebrated in Goa?
Statehood Day is celebrated in Goa to commemorate the occasion when Goa gained statehood on August 12th, 1987; thus becoming India's 25th state. Statehood Day is officially celebrated on May 30 every year. The Statehood Day is a State holiday to celebrate Goa becoming the 25th state of the Indian Union. Goa was liberated 14 years after the Indian Independence and attained its Statehood 40 years after it became a part of mainstream India.The Shatehood Day also marks a momentous occasion of wish-fulfillment - an occasion when the long cherished dream of Goa becoming a State became a reality. Emerging from the mists of hoary antiquity, the fabled land of Lord Parshurama, after a history marked by war, conquests and alien domination, finally had its own glorious tryst with destiny on this red-letter day.
When is Liberation Day in Goa celebrated?
The Liberation Day in Goa is celebrated on December 19. It commemorates the day when the Indian Government seized power from the Portuguese colonizers in1961. The Portuguese were the first European power to arrive in India and the last to depart. They set foot in Goa in 1510 and left on 19 December 1961 - when they were driven away. In 1926, when Portugal came under grip of dictatorship, life of the common people became impossible to bear. So, the people of Goa began to rebel against their conquerors. Finally, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, the great Indian socialist leader, launched a movement for civil liberties at a public meeting in Margao, on 18 June 1946. this meeting set in motion a mass movement for freedom from the Portuguese rule.
The Government of India, with the help of peaceful negotiations with Portugal made attempts to solve the problem of Goa between 1947 and 1955. But all these attempts proved futile. From 1955 to 1961, the Goans and the Indian political parties organised public meetings and adopted resolutions condemning Portuguese rule. in this way the terrible conditions prevailing in Goa were made public. On 18-19 December 1961, the Government of India adopted a plan called Operation Vijay to liberate the Portuguese colonies in India.
Finally, all operations in Goa came to an end at 6:00 p.m., on 19 December 1961. The final formal surrender was received from the Portuguese Governor General, Vassalo De Silva. The documents of surrender were signed at 7:30 p.m. and Major General K.P. Candeth was appointed as the Military Governor of Goa. Thus within 40 hours of the start of the military operations, the last foreign holding in India was brought to an end.
This is how the Liberation Day in Goa came into being. From then on the Liberation Day in Goa is celebrated every year on the 17th of December in celebration of their well-earned liberty.
