Maharashtra

Maharashtra

There are 36 districts in Maharastra state. They are as follows:
1)Ahmednagar, 2)Akota, 3)Amravati, 4)Aurangabad, 5)Beed,

6)Bhandara, 7)Budhana, 8)Chandrapur, 9)Dhule, 10)Gadchirolli,

11)Gondia, 12)Hingoli, 13)Jalgaon, 14)Jalna, 15)Kolhapur,

16)Latur, 17)Mumbai, 18)Bandrs, 19)Nagpur, 20)Nanded,

21)Nandurbar, 22)Nashik, 23)Osmanabad, 24)Palghar,

25)Parbhani, 26)Pune, 27)Rajgad, 28)Ratnagiri, 29)Sangli,

30)Satara, 31)Sindhudurg, 32)Solapur, 33)Thane, 34)Wardha,

35)Washim, & 36)Yavatmal.

Maharashtra, state of India, occupying a considerable portion of the Deccan plateau within the western peninsular a part of the subcontinent. Its shape roughly resembles a triangle, with the 450-mile (725-km) western coastline forming the bottom . Maharashtra is bounded by the Indian states of Gujarat to the northwest, Goa to the southwest and by the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and, Karnataka to the south, Madhya Pradesh to the north,Telangana to the southeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, , and the Arabian Sea to the west.
`Maharashtra’s capital, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), is an island city on the western coast, Maharashtra is one of India’s biggest commercial and industrial centres, and it's played a big role within the country’s social and political life. Mumbai is also called as Gateway of India. Maharashtra may be a leader among Indian states in terms of agricultural and industrial production, trade and transport, and education. Its ancient culture, at one stage considerably obscured by British dominance, survives largely through the medium of a robust literary heritage. a standard literature in Marathi, the predominant language of the state, has actually played a crucial role in nurturing a way of unity among the Maharashtrians. Area 118,800 square miles (307,690 square km). Pop. (2011) 112,372,972.

Land Relief, drainage, and soils Maharashtra presents a posh range of physical diversity. To the west is that the narrow Konkan coastal lowland, which reaches its widest extent near Mumbai. Numerous minor hills dominate the relief. There are west-flowing streams, most of them but 50 miles (80 km) long. the most important , the Ulhas, rising within the Bhor Ghat, joins the ocean after an 80-mile (130-km) course. The Western Ghats (a range at the western fringe of the Deccan plateau; ghat means “pass” in Marathi) run almost continuously for 400 miles (640 km) north-south, with the foothills getting to within 4 miles (6.4 km) of the Arabian Sea . There are a couple of passes through which roads and railroads link the coast with the inside . The eastern slopes of the Ghats descend gently to the Deccan plateau and are sculptured by the wide mature valleys of the Krishna, Bhima, and Godavari rivers. Between the Narmada River valley within the north, the Krishna basin in the south, and therefore the western coast to as Far East because the city of Nagpur, the Ghats and therefore the triangular plateau inland are covered with extensive lava outpourings called traps. They reach a maximum thickness of some 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) near Mumbai. The differential erosion of lava has resulted in characteristic steppelike slopes, uniform crest lines, and a tabletop appearance of many hills in Maharashtra.
Around Nagpur, the Deccan Traps subside to undulating uplands (about 890 to 1,080 feet [270 to 330 metres] high) underlain by ancient crystalline rocks. The Wardha-Wainganga valley, part of the larger Godavari basin, trends southward and has many lakes. A major a part of Maharashtra is roofed in black soils derived from decomposed lava rocks that are commonly called “black cotton soils” (because cotton often is grown in them). Saline soils within the river valleys are the results of impeded soil drainage followed by intense evaporation.

Climate The climate is subtropical to tropical (depending on elevation) and characteristically monsoonal (i.e., wet-dry), with local variations. India’s southwest monsoonal rains break on the Mumbai coast usually within the first week of June and last until September, during which period they account for about four-fifths of the annual rainfall. Four seasons are normal: March–May (hot and dry), June–September (hot and wet), October–November (warm and dry), and December–February (cool and dry).
The Western Ghats and therefore the ranges on the northern borders greatly influence the climate and separate the wet Konkan Coast from the dry interior upland, a neighborhood called the Desh. Rainfall is extremely heavy in Konkan, averaging about 100 inches (2,540 mm), with a number of the wettest spots receiving up to 250 inches (6,350 mm), but rapidly diminishes to one-fifth of that quantity east of the Ghats. Rainfall increases again within the eastern areas, reaching about 40 to 80 inches (1,000 to 2,000 mm) within the extreme east.
The coastal regions enjoy equable temperatures; monthly averages at Mumbai are within the low 80s F (about 27–28 °C). A change of more than about 13 °F (7 °C) between day and night temperatures is unusual. Pune (Poona), above on the plateau, benefits from cooler temperatures throughout the year. within the interior, average summer temperatures reach the low 100s F (about 38–41 °C), and winter temperatures average within the low 70s F (about 21–23 °C). Plant and animal life Forests cover but one-fifth of the state and are confined to the Western Ghats, mainly their transverse ranges, the Satpura Range in the north, and therefore the Chandrapur region within the east. On the coast and adjoining slopes, plant forms are rich with lofty trees, variegated shrubs, and mango and coconut trees. The forests yield teak, bamboo, myrobalan (for dyeing), and other woods. Bamboo, chestnut, and magnolia are common. within the semiarid tracts, wild dates are found. Mangrove vegetation occurs in marshes and estuaries along the coast.
Wild animals include tigers, leopards, bison, and a number of other species of antelope. The Hyaena hyaena , wild hog, and Melursus ursinus are common. The peacock is indigenous The state’s abundant marine life within the waters off the western coast remains largely unexploited. People Marathas and Kunbis (descendants of settlers who arrived from the north about the start of the first century CE) make up the bulk of the rest of the people of Maharashtra. The state also features a significant population of these who were once called “untouchables” but are now officially classed as Scheduled Castes, most of whom sleep in rural areas.
Marathi, the official state language, is spoken by quite four- fifths of the population. Other languages spoken within the state are Gujarati, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Sindhi, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam, and English. There also are many local languages, including Konkani on the West Coast and Gondi, Varhadi, and Mundari within the eastern and northern forests. Maharashtra’s religious diversity reflects that of India as an entire . Hindus predominate, followed by Muslims and Buddhists. There are many Christians within the metropolitan areas. Jewish and Parsi (a religious minority adhering to Zoroastrianism) groups have settled mostly in urban areas; Parsis live mainly in Mumbai and its environs. Other religious minorities include Jainas and Sikhs, whose small communities are widespread.