Maharashtra

A historical region of west-central India. It was controlled by the Muslim rulers of India from the early 14th to the mid-17th century and incorporated by the British into the province of Bombay in the 19th century. The Marathi-speaking section of the region became a separate state in 1960.

The mountains of the Western Ghats run parallel to the coast of the state, leaving a narrow strip known as the Konkan between the Arabian Sea and the interior plateau. There is a series of small ports along the coast in addition to Bombay. Beyond the Western Ghats is a vast plateau drained by the Tapi, Godavari, Bhima, Krishna, Wardha, and Vainganga rivers. The great Tapi trough, a fertile belt where cotton is cultivated, is there. The heaviest rainfall is along the coastal area, where it averages 80 to 120 in. (203�305 cm) a year. The climate in general is tropical. In the plateau areas, only 25 to 80 in. (64�203 cm) of rain fall annually, creating a semiarid climatic zone. Rice, grown in the coastal area, is the primary food crop, but it is supplemented by the production of grain sorghum and small millet. The state is rich in minerals; manganese, iron ore, bauxite, coal, and salt are mined. Industry, including the manufacture of textiles, electrical products, and chemicals, is mainly concentrated in Bombay, Pune, Aurangabad, and Nagpur.

Capital Mumbai
Largest city Mumbai 
Abbreviation IN-MH 
Official languages Marathi 
Density 314.42/km� 
Districts 35 
Time zone IST (UTC +5:30) 

Maharashtra is India's third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. It is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. Mumbai (Bombay), India's largest city, is the capital of Maharashtra.

Geography

Maharashtra encompasses an area of 308,000 km� (119,000 mi�), the third largest in India after Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra is bordered by the states of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Andhra Pradesh to the southeast, Karnataka to the south and Goa to the southwest. The state of Gujarat lies to the northwest, with the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli sandwiched between the borders. The Arabian Sea makes up Maharashtra's west coast.

The Western Ghats are a hilly range which runs parallel to the coast at an average elevation of 1,200 metres (4,000 feet)). To the west of these hills lie the Konkan coastal plains which are 50�80 kilometres in width. To the east of the Ghats lies the flat Deccan Plateau. The Western Ghats form one of the three watersheds of India of which many South Indian rivers originate from. To the north of the state, near the Madhya Pradesh border, lies the Satpura Range.

The Western Ghats form the source major rivers of South India, notable the Godavari and the Krishna, two major rivers of Deccan India. The rivers, along with their tributaries flow eastwards, irrigating most of central and eastern Maharashtra emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ghats are also the source of numerous small rivers which flow westwards emptying into the Arabian Sea. To the north of the state, the rivers Tapi and Narmada flow westwards, irrigating most of northern Maharashtra.

The plateau is composed of black basalt soil, rich in humus.

Economy

Maharashtra's is India's leading industrial state contributing 23% of India's industrial output. 64.14% of the people are employed in agriculture and allied activities. Major industries in Maharashtra include chemical and allied products, electrical and non-electrical machinery, textiles, petroleum and allied products. Other important industries include metal products, wine, jewellery, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, machine tools, steel and iron castings and plastic wares. Food crops include mangoes, grapes, bananas, oranges, wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, and pulses. Cash crops include groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and tobacco. The net irrigated area totals 33,500 square kilometres.

Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra houses the headquarters of almost all major banks, financial institutions, insurance companies and mutual funds. Within Mumbai is located Bollywood, the epicentre of India's Hindi film and television industry. The Bombay Stock Exchange, India's oldest and largest stock exchange is located in the city. After successes in the information technology in the neighbouring states, Maharashtra has set up software parks in Pune, Mumbai, and Nashik.

Divisions

Maharashtra is divided into thirty-five districts, which are grouped into six divisions: Aurangabad, Amravati, Konkan, Nagpur, Nashik, and Pune. These are official revenue divisions of government of Maharashtra.

Geographically, historically and according to political sentiments Maharashtra has five main regions: Vidarbha or Berar (Nagpur and Amravati divisions), Marathwada (Aurangabad Division), Kandesh or Northern Maharashtra (Nashik Division), Desh or Western Maharashtra (Pune division), and Konkan (Konkan Division).

Maharashtra has a long standing dispute with Karnataka on the sovereignty of the Belgaum district in northwest Karnataka. When India's states were drawn on linguistic grounds, Belgaum was merged into Karnataka, despite having a large Marathi-speaking population. Recently, the Maharashtra government took the matter to the Supreme Court. The verdict is still pending. Nonetheless, Maharashtra considers Belgaum to be a part of the state and recognises its residents as its own. Historically having been ruled by the emperors of the ancient kingdom of Karnataka, the present Maharastra also has a major Kannada-speaking population-group in its southern districts, as well as in the major cities of Bombay and Pune.