Goa: State in India

Out of the many states within India; Goa is the one that intrigued me the most. Goa is located on the western coast of India and within the state it's separated into two districts – North Goa and South Goa. It is the 25th state in the Union of States in India. The history of Goa is very mysterious because no one knows fully knows how the state began. One legend says that a mythical sage created the area by ordering the seas to recede. Legends are just stories from ancient times and as time goes by we start to learn at least some of the truth. The first settlers of Goa were the Brahmins who were called Saraswats; they got their name because they originally resided on the banks of the River Saraswati. Goa was being ruled by the Portuguese when on December 19, 1961, Goa was liberated by the Indian Army and made an Indian Union Territory. It became a state in 1987.

The climate of Goa is summed up in one word, as coastal. This means that majority of the weather patterns happen along the coastline. The climate of Goa is usually warm and humid for majority of the year because it is in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea. In the hottest month of the year, which would be May, the day-time temperature reaches up to 95o F. Also, added to the heat is the high humidity. Then almost without warning, around early June, the

monsoons arrive with sudden downpours and tropical thunderstorms. The coldest it gets during those months are 68o F. From October through February the weather is near perfect with clear cloudless skies and warm days. I would visit Goa during those months so I would be able to fully take in the beauty of that state and country. The total area of Goa is 3702.0 sq. kilometers and within that area there are 1.4 million people, as of the 2001 census of India. The official language was Portuguese until Goa was liberated in 1961 so many of the older generation is still able to speak it. Post-liberation, the official language is Konkani but Marathi is also used for official purposes and is widely taught in schools. Goa is such a tourist spot so everyone in Goa can speak English and in Hindi. So the total number of languages an average person in Goa can speak is four or five, as in English, Hindi, Konkani, Marathi and/or Portuguese. Goa's state literacy rate is 87% and the state stands at 3rd compared to all