Google Map Of Gujarat

• Official Website: http://www.gujaratindia.com/
• Established: 1 May 1960
• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Largest City: Ahmedabad by population, Surat by area
• Districts: 26 total
• Government Body: Governor - Dr. Kamla Beniwal, Chief Minister - Narendra Modi
• Legislature: Unicameral (182 seats)
• Parliamentary Constituency: 26
• High Court: Gujarat High Court
• Area Total: 196,077 km2 (75,705.8 sq mi)
• Area Rank: 7th
• Population 2011: 60,383,628
• Population Density: 308/km2 (797.6/sq mi)
• Time Zone: IST (UTC+05:30)
• UN/LOCODE: NA
• ISO 3166 code: IN-GJ
• Vehicle Registration: NA
• HDI: 0.621 (medium)
• HDI Rank: 14th (2005)
• Literacy: 69.8% (6th)
• Official Languages: Gujarati, Hindi, English

History of the name:

Gujarat derives its name from the word Gujarratta meaning, land of the Gurjars. The Gurjars were originally from Punjab who traveled southwards and settled in some parts of western India which came to be known as Gujarat. They ruled the area during the 8th and 9th centuries.

Population:

As per the 2011 census the population of Gujarat stands over 6 crores which is the 10th most populated state in the Indian union.

• The population growth rate of 22.48% for Gujarat is higher than the national average.
• Gujarat is one of the fastest growing urbanized states of India.

Geography:

The state borders Pakistan to the north-west and several Indian states on other sides. The Dangs region of Gujarat has the largest forest area of the state.

• An interesting fact is that, outside of Africa, Gujarat is the only natural habitat of lions.
• Several of the major mountain regions of India have their presence in Gujarat, such as – Aravalli, Sahyadri, Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
• Although the Sabarmati river covers the longest area in the State, Narmada is the biggest river followed by the Tapi.

Climate:

The climate of Gujarat is generally very arid and dry. It gets a little bit of rain during the monsoon season. A distinct trait of the weather is that the northern region is very dry and arid while the southern part is more humid and moist due to the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Cambay. The Rann of Kutch in the north has barren dry land while Saurashtra in the south has tropical kind of conditions.

History of the State:

Gujarat’s history began with the Indus Valley civilization, but its first glorious period began with the Solanki dynasty in the 10th century. Their reign ended when the Solanki’s were conquered by the Muslim ruler Mahmud of Ghazni.

• It remained under Mughal rule until the Marathas took over eastern and central Gujarat in the 18th century.
• The Portuguese were the first European power to arrive in Gujarat. The British then took over control from the Portuguese.

Demographics:

Gujarat was formed in 1960 out of 17 northern districts of the former state of Bombay.

• Currently Gujarat consists of 26 districts.
• Population density is about 300 per square km.
• Gujarati is the official state language spoken by 71% of the Hindus while the other 29% speak Hindi.
• 89% of the population is Hindu while Muslims make up over 9% of the population.

Economy:

Gujarat is one of the most industrialized states of India.

• It accounts for approximately 30% of India’s stock market capitalization.
• It is the world largest producer of castor and cumin along with the largest producer of processed diamonds and third largest denim producer.

Culture:

The multi-culturalism of Gujarat is very evident in the elements of its vibrant and dynamic culture.

• It is due to the communities of the Gadhavis and Charans that the originality of folk arts and music has been kept alive.
• The renowned folk dances of Gujarat include Garba, Rasaka, Tippani and Padhar-Nritya,

Cuisine:

Since most of the natives of Gujarat are vegetarians, Khichdi and Chaas form the staple diet of the state.

• Roughly the cuisine can be divided by four regions, South, North, Kathiwad and Kutch.
• The contrast can be seen in the fact that Rotlis are prepared petal soft, while Khakras are crunchy and bone dry. Both these have nearly all the same ingredients.

Festivals:

Gujarat celebrates over 3500 festivals in all.

• Navrathri is the most colorful and popular festival.
• A lot of the festivals are days of fasting, penance and austerity. Examples of these are - Gauri Puja, Janmashtami, Nag Panchami and Ganesh Chaturthi. Muslims celebrate their festivals such as Id and Muharram.

Religion:

About 90% of the Gujarati population adhere to a strict and conservative form of Hinduism. Krishna being the main deity. Muslims constitute about 9% of the population while Jains form about 1%. Also, Gujarat is the birthplace of the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism.