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With the Sahyadri Ghats hovering protectively to its East, the Arabian Sea lapping on at its long western coastline and its rivers criss-crossing midlands at country side, Goa is indeed a land of many flavors and fragrances.
Area - 3702 sq. kms.
Population - 14 lacs
Altitude - Sea level to 1022 meters
Location - Between latitude 15 48'00" N and 14 53'54" N and Longitudes 74 20'13"E and 73 40'33" E.
Neighboring Cities - Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra towards the North, Belgaum at the East, Karwar district of Karnataka on the South and on the West by the Arabian Sea.
Major Rivers of Goa - Tiracol, Chapora, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal and Talpona.
Main Beaches of Goa - Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Vagator, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Sinquerim are the major beaches on the Northern stretch of Goa while Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim and Palolem are towards the Southern stretch. The Eastern side of Goa is densely forested where most of the Wild Life Sanctuaries are located. Goa is a multi-lingual state, thanks to its checkered history of thousands of years, which has seen people of various regions, ethnic races and religions from India and abroad settling in Goa and influencing the local language. Konkani is the mother tongue of the Goans, while Marathi too is widely spoken. The multi-religious fabric of Goan society shines brightly, imbibed with the spirit of "Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava" (Equal Respect for All Religions). The major religions are Hinduism and Christianity, together accounting for more than 95% of the population, while Islam, Buddhism and other religions account for the rest. Unlike the common perception, Goa is not a Christian majority state, but on the contrary a Hindu majority state. Usually the climatic conditions of Goa are temperate, except during the monsoon, which lasts from June to September. Thanks to the coastal Konkan region and the backdrop of Western Ghats, the weather of Goa is pleasant and sunny. There are no extremes in temperature and no clear demarcations from one season to the other, except for the monsoons.
The average temperature varies between 23°C - 32°C. The average rainfall is approximately 250cms, the average daily hours of sunshine is nine to ten hours in summer and three to five hours during the monsoon.
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