Goa

Goa (???? in Devan?gar?) is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population after Sikkim, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. It is located on the west coast of India, in the region known as the Konkan, and is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the east and south. The Arabian Sea makes up the state's west coast. Panaji is the state's capital, and Vasco-da-Gama (Vasco) its largest town. Portuguese merchants first landed in Goa in the 16th century but soon after colonised it. The Portuguese colony existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed as part of India in 1961.

Flora and fauna

Forest cover in Goa stands at 1,424 km², most of which is owned by the government.{{ref|Economy2}} Most of the forests in the state are located in the interior eastern regions of the state. The Western Ghats, which form most of eastern Goa, have been internationally recognised as one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world. In the February 1999 issue of the National Geographic Magazine, Goa was compared with the Amazon and Congo basins for its rich tropical biodiversity.

Related Topics:
Forest - Km² - Western Ghats - February - 1999 - National Geographic Magazine - Amazon - Congo

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The important forests products are bamboo canes, Maratha barks, chillar barks and the bhirand. Coconut trees are ubiquitous and are present in almost all area of Goa barring the elevated regions. A large number of deciduous vegetation consisting of teak, sal, cashew and mango trees are present. Fruits include jackfruits, mangos, pineapples and blackberries.

Related Topics:
Bamboo - Maratha bark - Chillar barks - Bhirand - Coconut trees - Deciduous - Teak - Sal - Cashew - Mango - Jackfruit - Pineapple - Blackberries

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Foxes, wild boars and migratory birds are found in the jungles of Goa. The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas and parrots. Numerous types of fish are also caught off the coast of Goa and in its rivers. Crabs, lobsters, shrimps, jellyfish, oysters and catfish form some of the piscine catch. Goa also has a high snake population, which keeps the rodent population in control. Goa has many famous National Parks, including the renowned Salim Ali bird sanctuary. Other wildlife sanctuaries include the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Molem Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sancuary, Madei Wildlife Sanctuary, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary.

Related Topics:
Fox - Wild boar - Migratory - Avifauna - Kingfisher - Myna - Parrots - Crab - Lobster - Shrimps - Jellyfish - Oysters - Catfish - Snake - Rodent - National Parks - Salim Ali - Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary - Molem Wildlife Sanctuary - Cotigao Wildlife Sancuary - Madei Wildlife Sanctuary - Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary - Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary

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Goa has more than 33% of its geographic area under government forests (1224.38 sq.km.) of which about 62% has been brought under Protected areas (PA) of Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Park. Since there is a substantial area under private forests and a large tract under cashew, mango, coconut, etc. plantations the total forest and tree cover constitute 56.6% of the geographic area.

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