Where is Karnataka?

Karnataka lies in the southwestern region of India. It was initially known as the State of Mysore but renamed Karnataka in 1973. The Arabian Sea surrounds it to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north. Karnataka also shares borders with Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the south. Its land borders touch all the four south Indian states. The formation of Karnataka as a state took place on November 1, 1956.

What is the Geography of Karnataka?

Karnataka spreads across a total area of 191,791 km2 (74,051 sq mi). It ranks 6th in terms of total area amongst the states and union territories in India. Its population recorded 61,130,704 (as per the 2011 census). The population density of the state was 320/km2 (830/sq mi) (as per the 2011 census). Karnataka is in the 8th rank in terms of population in the country.

The rivers in Karnataka are a source of drinking water and household works. The state has many rivers. Some of the prominent rivers of Karnataka are- Mahadayi River, Kaveri, Tungabhadra River, and Krishna.

It has several major dams, but some of them are prominent like Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, Tungabhadra Dam, and Vani Vilasa Sagara.

The state has several incredible mountain peaks such as Mullayanagiri Peak, Baba Budangiri Range, Kudremukh Peak, Tadiandamol Peak, and many more. Mullayanagiri peak is the highest mountain peak in the state. Its height is 1930 meters.

The state is divided into four physiographic regions: the Northern Karnataka Plateau, the Central Karnataka Plateau, the Southern Karnataka Plateau, and the Coastal Karnataka region.

The recorded forest area of the state is 38,575 sq km in 2019. The proportion of forests in the state is- 4,501 sq km of very-dense forest, 21,048 sq km of moderately-dense forest, and 13,026 sq km open forest.

It is home to several species of mammals such as tigers, leopards, sloth bear, gaur, barking deer, etc. Several kinds of birds are also spotted in Karnataka like Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar whistling thrush, yellow-throated bulbul, and peregrine falcon.

The state tree of Karnataka is Indian sandalwood; white lotus is the state’s flower. Besides this, the state has declared the Indian elephant as the official state animal, and the Indian roller is the state bird of Karnataka.

What is the Climate of Karnataka?

The state has a tropical monsoon type of climate. It experiences hot and heavy rainfall during the monsoon season from June to September. The climate of the state is variables that range from arid to semi-arid in the plateau region, Western Ghats’ weather is sub-humid to humid tropical. At the same time, coastal plains experience the humid tropical monsoon. The winter season starts from December and ends in February, while winter is generally pleasant in Karnataka.

March to June is the summer season of Karnataka while temperature during this period in the state remains in the range of 82°F (28°C) and 111°F (44°C). The average winter temperature in the state remains between 90°F (32°C) to 68°F (20°C).

The state receives average annual rainfall around 1248 mm, while the coastal region of Karnataka gets an average annual rainfall of about 3456 mm. December and April are the coldest and hottest months, respectively, in the state.

What is the Economy of Karnataka?

Karnataka’s economy mainly depends on the industry, IT, and agriculture. The state’s economic growth is stupendous in the country. The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of the state stood at about Rs 15.88 trillion (US$ 226.06 billion) in 2019-20.

It is famous for several industries such as- aerospace, textile and garment, biotech, and heavy engineering, and many more. Overall merchandise exports from the state jumped to US$ 17.36 billion in 2018-19 and US$ 12.94 billion in April-December 2019.

The state is home to the IT sector. It is considered the fourth-biggest technology cluster in the world. The state has several operational IT/ ITeS SEZs and software technology parks. Electronics and computer software exports from the state reached US$ 77.9 billion in 2018-19 and touched US$ 42.5 million during 2019-20 (till November 2019).

Agriculture is the lifeline of the rural people in Karnataka. The state produces several crops such as rice, millet, and sugarcane. Apart from this, it also produces cotton, cashews, cardamom, grapes, while coffee and tea plantation takes place on the cool slopes of the Western Ghats in the state. The state is the primary producer of coffee in the country.

What is the Transportation System of Karnataka?

Karnataka has a well-developed transportation system. The state is well-connected with the entire country.

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has been providing an excellent interstate and across the state bus services. National Highways are the lifeline of the state. The prominent National Highways that pass through the state are-National Highway 50, National Highway 66, National Highway 67, National Highway 69, and many more. The state has several major state highways like KA SH 16, KA SH 17, KA SH 18, so on.

The railway network in the state is superb, which comes under the Southern and Western railway zones. The South Western Railway (SWR) lies in Hubballi, Karnataka, which is one of the railway zones in India. Currently, the country has 18 railway zones.

The airline network connects Karnataka well. The state has several remarkable airports. It has both international and domestic airports. some of the major airports of the state are- Kempegowda International Airport, Mangalore International Airport, Belagavi Airport, Hubballi Airport, and many more.

What are the Popular Tourist Attractions in Karnataka?

Karnataka is a remarkable place for tourists in India. Tourists like to see hill stations, beaches, temples, etc. and the state is replete with all such things.

Coorg is the most popular hill station in Karnataka, dubbed as Scotland of India. Coorg is known for the production of coffee as well. Tourists can enjoy a lot in Coorg. Apart from this, visitors should pay a visit to several other places such as Bijapur, Shimoga, Badami, Halebidu, and many more to see some incredible ancient monuments along with the state’s natural beauty and modern buildings. Karnataka is a state where tourists can enjoy every bit of their time.

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