Goa's history stretches back to the 3rd Century BC, when, it formed part of the Mauryan Empire. It was later ruled by the Satyahanas of Kothapur at the beginning of the Christian era, and eventually passed to the Chalukyas of Badami, who controlled from 580-750 AD.
Over the next few Centuries it was ruled successively by the Shillaharas, the Kadambas and the Chalukyans of Kalyani. Goa fell to the Muslims for the first time in 1312, but the invaders were forced to evacuate it in 1370, by Harihara, whose capital was in present day Hampi.
They held Goa for nearly 100 years, and its harbours became important landing places for ships carrying Arabian horses to Hampi. In 1469 Bahmini Sultans of Gulbaga conquered Goa. When this dynasty broke up, the area passed to the Adil Shahas of Bijapur, who made Goa Velha their second capital. The old secretarial building in Panjim, is the former palace of Adil Shah, and it was later taken over by the Portuguese, as their official residence.
A fleet of four ships sailed out of the Tagus, in Portugal, on the 8th July 1497. Their departure accompanied by the tears shed by the crowds, and the chant of the priests was to have a colossal effect on this remote location on the Indian subcontinent.
Climate : Bordering the sea, Goa has equitable climate. However, the pleasant period to visit Goa is from mid-November to mid-April when day temperatures are around 30 degrees Centigrade. From mid-April onwards, the humidity increases to saturation till it condenses and precipitates as rain in June, which continues till end of August or a little beyond. If you enjoy rain and the attendant greenery, monsoon is an ideal time to come to Goa. There is that added bonus of discounts on room tariffs, etc. Besides, the air is free of dust and other impurities having been cleaned by the rain showers.
The humidity is at its highest in the summer and quite low from September to early March. The temperature ranges from a pleasant 20°C during winter to a warm 35°C in summer.
Area : The state of Goa covers an area of 3,702 sq. km.
Altitude : From sea-level at the coast to an altitude of 1,022 metres above sea-level at its highest point in the Sahyadri Ghats.
Boundaries : On the Eastern and Southern boundaries lies the state of Karnataka; on the Western side the Arabian Sea and the state of Maharashtra lies on the Northern side.
Highest Mountain : Sonsogad in the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats (3,827 feet).
Longest rivers :The Zuari (39 miles), and The Mandovi (38.5 miles)
Highways : Goa is connected by the National Highways - NH4A, NH17 and NH17A to the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Airport : The only airport is the Goa Airport at Dabolim near the town of Vasco-da-Gama and the Mormugao Harbour handles both the domestic and the international flights.
Clothing required : Tropical clothing throughout the year. Light woollens during December and January. Rainwear in the Monsoons.
Tourist Season : October to February is peak season while June to September is off season.
Languages Spoken : English is widely spoken and understood in urban areas and to a lesser extent in the rural areas. Konkani, the official language, is most commonly used in day to day life.
Marathi and Hindi, the national language are also understood by most of the population. Portuguese once very popular all over the state, has rapidly declined since liberation in 1961 and today is used mostly by the elderly generation.
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