Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Karnataka


Karnataka
ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ
—  State  —

Seal
Location of Karnataka in India
Map of Karnataka
Coordinates (Bangalore): 12.970214°N 77.56029°E
Country India
Established1956-11-01
CapitalBangalore
Largest cityBangalore
Districts30
Government
 - GovernorHansraj Bhardwaj
 - Chief MinisterB. S. Yeddyurappa(BJP)
 - LegislatureBicameral (224 + 75 seats)
Area
 - Total191,791 km2 (74,050.9 sq mi)
Area rank8th
Population (2001)
 - Total52,850,562
 - Rank9th
 - Density275.6/km2 (713.7/sq mi)
Time zoneIST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 codeIN-KA
HDIincrease 0.600 (medium)
HDI rank25th (2005)
Literacy69.3% (18th)
Official languagesKannada, English, Hindi
Websitekarunadu.gov.in
Karnataka (Kannada: ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ [kəɾˈnɑːʈəkɑː]), the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973.
Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,976 square kilometres (74,122 sq mi), or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area, the ninth largest by population and comprises 30 districts. Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language.
The two main river systems of the state are Krishna and its tributaries (Bhima, Ghataprabha, Vedavati, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra) in the north, and the Cauveryand its tributaries (Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathi, Lakshmana Thirtha and Kabini) in the south. Both these rivers flow eastward and fall into the Bay of Bengal.
Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karuand nādu, meaning elevated landKaru nadu may also be read as Karu (black) and nadu (region), as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayaluseemeregion of Karnataka. The British used the word Carnatic (sometimes Karnatak) to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna River.
With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient and medieval India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic (Karnataka Music) and Hindustani traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of Jnanpith awards in India. Bangalore is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing.

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