 Goa consists of 62 miles (100 km) of coastline, extends 40 miles (64 km) inland, and also includes the offshore island of Goa. Goa's eastern part is dominated by the Sahyadri Hills of the Western Ghats, which rise to 3,392 feet (1,034 m) at Sonsagar.
The hills give way in the west to an undulating area dissected by rivers, and the coastal plain itself consists of beaches fringed with coconut palms. The climate is tropical, with abundant rainfall. Goa's two largest rivers are the Mandavi and the Zuari, which together encircle the offshore island of Goa. That island's apex (called the cape) is a rocky headland that separates the harbour of Goa into two anchorages.
Goa covers an area of 3702 square kilometers and comprises two Revenue district viz North Goa and South Goa. Boundaries of Goa State are defined in the North Terekhol river which separates it from Maharashtra, in the East and South by Karnataka State and West by Arabian Sea. Goa lies in Western Coast of India and is 594 K ms (by road) away from Mumbai city.
Goa, for the purpose of revenue administration is divided into district viz. North and South Goa with headquarters at Panaji and Margao respectively. The entire State comprises 11 talukas. For the purpose of implementation of development programmes the State is divided into 12 community development blocks. As per 2001 census, the population of the State is 13,42,998.
Administratively the State is organised into two districts North Goa comprising six talukas with a total area of 1736 sq. kms. and South Goa comprising five talukas with an area of 1966 sq. kilometers. In all there are 383 villages of which 233 are in North Goa district and 150 in South Goa district. As per the 2001 census, there are 44 towns of which 14 are Municipalities and remaining are census towns.
A very striking feature of Goa is the harmonious relationship among various religious communities, who have lived together peacefully for generations.
The allure of Goa is that it remains quite distinct from the rest of India and is small enough to be grasped and explored in a way that other Indian states are not.
Goa has enjoyed a prominent place in the travellers' lexicon since the heady days of the 1960s, but the (in)famous hippies have now been replaced by backpackers, Indian visitors and package tourists on two-week jaunts from Europe. The locals are relaxed and friendly, and skirts outnumber saris.
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