GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Second most populous state (11.23 Crore) Third largest state in India 308,000 km Bicarmel legislature (vidhan sabha,vidhan parishad) 48 LS seats ;19 RS seats literacy rate is well above the national average at 82.9% Historic three regions: Western Maharashtra, Vidharbha and Marathwada,khandesh,Desh ,konkan Important cities: Mumbai,pune,nagpur,nashik,amravati,aurangabad Important parties: NCP , AIC , Shivsena largest road network in India at 267,452 kilometers Three international airports; Three major ports at Mumbai Languages: Marathi,Hindi,Kannada,Urdu,Telugu The belgaum conflict ; The pawar factor

SOCIETY & CULTURE

Known for their pride in culture and language Has the financial capital of India and thus highly urbanized Houses different religions including Parsi, judaism,zoroastranism though Hindu is the majority population Shivaji -widely considered as folk hero Ganesh chathurthi is celebrated with lot of enthusiam Aakasha eekadshi Regional music gondhal lavani Also known for its Bollywood industry Ajantha,ellora and elephant caves are worlds cultural heritage centres Also known for Ambedkar,Hazare,Savitribhai phule.Anadbhai joshi,Tendulkar,Ambani

ECONOMY & BUSINESS ( A RICH STATE OR STATE OF RICHES????)

Constitutes 25 % of countrys industrial output and 23.2% of Nations GDP Maharashtra is the second most urbanized state with urban population of 42% of whole population 64 percent of population indulged in Agriculture Known for its economical inequality Over 41% of the S&P CNX 500 conglomerates have corporate offices in Maharashtra Mumbai is considered Indias financial capital and houses BSE Indias popular stock exchange Major industries -chemical and allied products, electrical and non-electrical machinery, textiles, petroleum and allied products. Generates 40 % of national revenue Has the largest road network in India ; three major airports and three major seaports Ralegan siddhii,a village in Ahmednagar district is considered a model of environmental conservation

INTRODUCTION
Goa is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. It a is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city.

Goa is a former Portuguese colony, the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.

Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.

Socio-cultural Aspect
The tableau of Goa showcases religious harmony by focusing on the Deepastambha, the Cross, Ghode Modni followed by a chariot.

The Goan Carnival and new year celebration is known to attract a large number of tourists.
Traditional Goan art form are Dekhnni, Fugdi, Corridinho, Mando, Dulpod and Fado. The rhythm is obtained from the local folk dances while the music is harmonized. Natak, Tiatr and Zagor are the chief forms of Goa's traditional performance arts. Rice with fish curry is the staple diet in Goa. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni. Konkani in the Devanagari script the sole official language of Goa.

Goans are peaceful, friendly and fun loving people who love rest. The life style in Goa reflects a unique blend of East and West and the Goans usually comprise of a predominantly Hindu and a Christian population and a small Muslim community.

Economic and Political Aspects

Goa recorded 2nd highest Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth of 13.95 % Tourism is Goa's primary industry, it handles 12% of all foreign tourist arrivals in India. The coast is rich in minerals and ores and mining forms the second largest industry. The main occupation of the people of Goa is Fishing and provides employment for about forty thousand people.

Goa has a unicameral legislature consisting of a forty member Legislative Assembly, headed by a Chief Minister who wields the executive power. Goa is now notorious for its political instability having seen fourteen governments in the span of the fifteen years between 1990 and 2005.

The Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the two largest