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Goa (/ˈɡoʊə/;[11] Konkani: [ɡõːj]; Portuguese: [ˈɡoɐ] ⓘ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats.[12][13] It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the east and south, with the Arabian Sea in the west. It is India's smallest state by area and fourth-smallest by population.[14] Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is its largest city.[15] Goa's official language, which is spoken by a majority of its inhabitants, is Konkani.
The Portuguese, who first voyaged to the subcontinent in the early 16th century as merchants, conquered it soon thereafter, whereupon Goa became an overseas territory of the Portuguese Empire, part of what was then known as Portuguese India, and remained as such for about 456 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.[16][17] The historic city of Margão or "Madgaon" in Goa still exhibits the cultural influence of the colonisation.
Goa is the most developed small state and has the 2nd highest GDP per capita among all Indian states,[7][18] two and a half times as high as the GDP per capita of the country as a whole.[19] The Eleventh Finance Commission of India named Goa the best-placed state because of its infrastructure, and India's National Commission on Population rated it as having the best quality of life in India (based on the commission's "12 Indicators").[19] It is the second-highest ranking among Indian states in the human development index and is the only Indian state to be ranked as "very high" on the index.[20]
Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year because of its white-sand beaches, active nightlife, places of worship, and World Heritage-listed architecture. It also has rich flora and fauna because it lies very close to the North Western Ghats rainforests, one of the rare biodiversity hotspots of the world. The North Goa district attracts a significantly higher number of tourists compared to South Goa, largely due to the greater availability of restaurants, hotels, and a diverse nightlife scene. In contrast, South Goa is known for its relatively pristine beaches and is home to the majority of ultra-luxury resorts, appealing primarily to wealthier tourists seeking a more secluded and upscale experience.[21]
- ^ Nadaf, F M (April 2019). "Geographical Diagnosis of Goa's Tourism beyond Sun and Sand". Online International Interdisciplinary Research Journal.
- ^ "Indian Districts by Population, Sex Ratio, Literacy 2011 Census". Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "The Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987" (PDF). indiacode.nic.in. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Languages of Goa". Department of Information and Publicity. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023.
- ^ "The Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987 (Act No. 5 of 1987) [14-4-1987]" (PDF). Secretary to the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Goa Budget 2025–26". Government of Goa. 2025. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ^ a b "MOSPI State Domestic Product, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India". 15 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "India: Subnational HDI". Global Data Labs. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "Appendix-A: Detailed tables, Table (7): Literacy rate (in per cent) of persons of different age groups for each State/UT (persons, age-group (years): 7 & above, rural+urban (column 6))". Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (July 2023 – June 2024) (PDF). National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. 23 September 2024. pp. A-10.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ "Census 2011 (Final Data) – Demographic details, Literate Population (Total, Rural & Urban)" (PDF). planningcommission.gov.in. Planning Commission, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ "Goa". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 30 September 2024. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ "Goa - state, India". Britannica. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ Henn, Alexander (2014). Hindu-Catholic Encounters in Goa: Religion, Colonialism, and Modernity. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press. p. 1. ISBN 9780253013002. OCLC 890531126. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Which are the Largest and Smallest States in India in Terms of Area?". Answers. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ^ "International Indian Ocean Science Conference(IIOSC)-2022".
- ^ "Liberation of Goa". Government Polytechnic, Panaji. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
- ^ Pillarisetti, Jagan. "The Liberation of Goa: an Overview". The Liberation of Goa:1961. bharat-rakshak.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
- ^ Kincaid, John; Aroney, Nicholas (2017). "The Supreme Court of India". Courts in federal countries : federalists or unitarists?. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 225. ISBN 9781487514662. OCLC 982378193.
- ^ a b India Finance Commission (2005). Reports of the finance commissions of India: First Finance Commission to the Twelfth Finance Commission: the complete report. New Delhi: Academic Foundation. p. 268. ISBN 978-81-7188-474-2.
- ^ "HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
- ^ "Times of India – South Goa vs North Goa".
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