About Goa

Francois Pyrard

17th Century French Traveller

‘Whoever has been in Goa may say that he has seen the choicest rarities of India, for it is the most famous and celebrated city, on account of its commercial intercourse with people of all nationalities of the East who bring there the products of their respective countries, articles of merchandize, necessaries of life and other commodities in great abundance because every year more than a thousand ships touch there laden with cargo’ ‘as for the multitude of people, it is a marvel to see the number which come and go every day by sea and land on business of every kind.One would say that a fair was being held every day for the sale of all sorts of merchandise.’

POPULATION

Goa’s population is 1458545 with 739140 Males and 719405 Females. The growth of 14.8 per cent, during 1991 to 2000, is lower than the 16.08 per cent recorded during 1981 to 1990.

The sex-ratio (number of females per thousand males) in Goa is 973 in 2011 compared to 967 in 1991.The density of population per sq km in Goa is 364 in 2001 as compared to 316 in 1991. North Goa has a much higher density (437) as compared to South Goa (300). The national figure is 324.

The literacy rate is 80 per cent. 83.3 per cent of the male and 76.4 per cent of the female population is literate.64.68 per cent of the population is Hindu, 29.86 per cent is Christian and Muslims are a minority of 5.25 per cent. Around 0.15 to 0.2 million of the total population of 13,43,998 are immigrants from around India who have settled down in Goa.

PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES

In major towns, English is widely used in writing and conversation.

On the other hand, Portuguese, the language of the colonial rulers and the official language till 1961 before liberation, notwithstanding the official patronage and a compulsory medium of study, failed to make a dent in the mind of the majority of Goans.

It remained only the language of the elite but alienated the masses. Thus just after the departure of the Portuguese, Portuguese lost all its favour and usage. However, very few – particularly the older or pre-liberation generation – still use Portuguese.

Thus Goa is a multi-lingual state, thanks to its diverse history of thousands of years, which has seen people of various regions, ethnic races and religions from India and abroad coming over to and settling in Goa, while influencing the local language.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Forests

The state has a total forest cover of more than 1,424 sq. km covering almost one-third of the total area. Forests provide important products namely bamboo, Maratha barks, chillar barks and bhirand. These are of great economic value for rural mass. Coconut trees are present in almost the whole of Goa except in the upper regions. Goa’s vegetation also includes cashew, mango, jackfruits and pineapples.

Minerals

Goa is rich in mineral resources. Major minerals include iron ore, manganese, ferro-manganese, bauxite and silica sand. Iron and manganese mining industries are the backbone of Goa’s economy.

Rivers

The major rivers flowing through the state are Mandovi, Zuari, Terekhol, Chapora and Betul. The other major rivers include the Tiracol, Chapora, Sal and the Talpona.