Goa
Location of Goa (marked in red) in India
Map of Goa
Coordinates (Panaji): 15°29′56″N 73°49′40″E / 15.49889°N 73.82778°E / 15.49889; 73.82778Coordinates: 15°29′56″N 73°49′40″E / 15.49889°N 73.82778°E / 15.49889; 73.82778
Country	India
Region	Western India
Established	30 May 1987
Capital	Panaji
Largest city	Vasco da Gama
Districts	2
Government
• Governor	Mridula Sinha
• Chief Minister	Laxmikant Parsekar (BJP)
• Legislature	Unicameral (40 seats)
• Parliamentary constituency	2
• High Court	Bombay High Court – Panaji, Goa Bench
Area
• Total	3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi)
Area rank	29th
Population (2011)
• Total	1,457,723
• Rank	26th
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	IN-GA
HDI	0.779 (high)
HDI rank	3rd (2005)
Literacy	88.70% (3rd)
Official languages	Konkani
Website	www.goa.gov.in
^* Konkani is the sole official language but Marathi is also allowed to be used for any or all official purposes.[1][2][3]

Goa ⁱ/ˈɡoʊ.ə/ is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast. Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita two and a half times that of the country as a whole.^[4] It was ranked the best placed state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators.^[4]

Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is the largest city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the cultural influence of the Portuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants and conquered it soon thereafter. Goa is a former Portuguese province; the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961.^[5][6]

Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.