Introduction to Maharashtra

One of the most industrialized states of India, it occupies the western and central parts of the country and extends over the Sahyadri mountains; a vast stretch of 720 kilometers of the Arabian sea coast providing it a beautiful backdrop.

The present state of Maharashtra was formed on May 1, 1960 on unilingual principle by carving it out of the erstwhile Mumbai state, which included the predominantly Marathi-speaking areas as the former princely state of Hyderabad as well as the Central Provinces and Berar.

Maharashtra is the third largest state and the second most literate state in the country, according to 1991 census.

Facts & Figures of Maharashtra

Geographical Information of Maharashtra

Location

Located in the northern center of peninsular India, Maharashtra is surrounded by the Arabian sea in the west, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the north, Madhya Pradesh in the east and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on the south. The state extends between the latitudes 15.6° North and 22.1° North and longitudes 72.6° East and 80.9° East.

Physical Features

As far as the geography of Maharashtra goes, much of the state consists of the high Deccan plateau, which is separated from the straight Konkan coastline by 'Ghats'. The Ghats are a succession of steep hills, periodically bisected by narrow roads, and which are often crowned by medieval forts. Given their altitude, it is not surprising that the Ghats are home to the state's hill stations.

One of the three major regions of the state is the Sahyadri range with an elevation of 1000 meters. The unique feature of this region is a series of crowning plateau.

Lying between the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri Range, Konkan is narrow coastal lowland, just 50 km wide and with an elevation below 200 meters.

The third important region is the Satpura hills along the northern border, and the Bhamragad-Chiroli-Gaikhuri ranges on the eastern border form physical barriers preventing easy movement. These ranges also serve as natural limits to the state.

Climate

The climate of Maharashtra is moderate, with variations in temperature ranging between 16°C and 35°C. July to September are the months when monsoon lashes this state with good rainfall. This does not mean that the whole state gets uniform rainfall; a large part of inner Maharashtra remains dry in comparison to other areas under the rain shadow of the Sahyadri.

Flora and Fauna

Total area under forest cover in Maharashtra is only 17%. Majority of the forests are in the eastern and Sahyadri regions of the state. Maharashtra has five national parks, three game reserves, and 24 wildlife/bird sanctuaries. These range from the Borivili National Park, surrounded by the Mumbai suburbs, to the Melghat Tiger Reserve, high up in the north of the state.

History of Maharashtra

The Mesolithic age forced these people to settle at one place and shift to agriculture for sustenance. They moved towards other river valleys from Tapi where first evidence of agriculture is found to be of around 1700 BC. Jorwe in the Ahmadnagar district has many evidences of the people residing in the region at that time. Between 1000 BC and 500 BC, the megalithic culture started to develop in this region. With the advent of the Iron Age in 500 BC, the gradual process towards urbanization started in this region and it was greatly helped by the many trade routes that connected it with north India.

The Chinese traveler Hiun Tsang visited this region