LOCATION AND BOUNDARIES
The State of Karnataka is located within 11.5 degree North
and 18.5 degree North latitudes and 74 degree East and 78.5
degree east longitude. It is situated on a tableland where
the Western and Eastern Ghat ranges converge into the Nilgiri
hill complex, in the Western part of the Deccan Peninsular
region of India. The State is bounded by Maharastra and
Goa States in the North and North-West; by the Arabian Sea
in the West; by Kerala and Tamilnadu States in the South
and by the States of Andhra Pradesh in the East. Karnataka
extends to about 750 km from North to South and about 400
km from East to West.
AREA AND POPULATION
Karnataka's total land area is 1,91,791 sq.km, accounting
for 5.83 percent of the total area of the country (32.88
lakh sq.km) and ranks eighth among major States in terms
of size. As per 2001 Census, the State's population was
527 lakhs. Karnataka occupies Ninth place with regard to
population and the density of population as per 2001 Census
was 275 persons per sq. km which was lower than the all-India
density of 324.
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ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
Karnataka State has been divided into four Revenue divisions,
49 sub-divisions, 27 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies/Revenue
Circles for administrative purposes. The State has 27,028
inhabited and 2,362 uninhabited villages, 281 towns and
urban agglomerations. Bangalore is the sixth largest urban
agglomeration out of 23 metropolis, urban agglomerations
and cities in India. It is among the fastest growing cities
in the world.
MINERAL RESOURCES
Karnataka is endowed with fairly rich mineral wealth distributed
more or less evenly all over its territory. It has one of
the oldest Geological Survey Department in the Country,
started as far back as 1880. The State is endowed with rich
deposits of asbestos, bauxite, chromite, dolomite, gold,
iron ore, kaolin, limestone, magnesite, Manganese, ochre,
quartz and silica sand. It is also the sole producer of
felsite, moulding sand (63%) and fuchsite quartzite (57%).
Karnataka is the major gold producing
State in the Country with the two major mines located in
the districts of Kolar and Raichur. The gold mines at Kolar
and Hutti are producing about 3,000 kg of gold, about 84%
of countries production per annum. Karnataka is very rich
in Iron and Manganese ores. The iron-ores of Bellary-Hospet
region are considered to be one of the World's best iron
ores. The total reserve of high grade iron ore available
in the State are of the order of 1,000 Million tones.
Karnataka has earned international fame
for the Ornamental Granites with different hues. It has
granite rock's spread over 4200 Sq.kms.
WATER RESOURCES
Karnataka accounts for about six percent of the country's
surface water resources of 17 Lakh million cubic meters
(Mcum) About 40 percent of this is available in the east
flowing rivers and the remaining from the west flowing rivers.
There are seven river basins formed
by the Krishna, Cauvery, Godavari, West flowing rivers,
North Pennar, South Pennar & Palar.
CLIMATE
For Meteorological purposes, the State has been divided
into three sub-divisions namely (a) Coastal Karnataka (Dakshina
Kannada and Uttara Kannada Districts), (b) North Interior
Karnataka (Belgaum Bidar, Bijapur, Dharwad, Gulbarga and
Raichur Districts) and (c) South Interior Karnataka (the
remaining Districts of Bangalore Rural, Bangalore, Bellary,
Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Kodagu, Hassan, Kolar, Mysore,
Mandya, Shimoga and Tumkur Districts).
The State enjoys three distinct climates
varying with the seasons. The winter season from January
to February is followed by summer season from March to May.
The period from October to December forms the post-monsoon
season.
The period from October to March, covering
the post-Monsoon and winter seasons, is generally pleasant
over the entire State except during a few spells of rain
associated with north-east monsoon which affects the south-eastern
parts of the State during October to December. The months
April and May are hot, very dry and generally uncomfortable.
Weather tends to be oppressive during June due to high humidity
and temperature. The next three months (July, August and
September) are somewhat comfortable due to reduced day temperature
although the humidity's continue to be very high.
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RAINFALL
The annual rainfall in the state varies roughly from 50
to 350 cm. In the districts of Bijapur, Raichur, Bellary
and Southern half of Gulbarga, the rainfall is the lowest
varying from 50 to 60 cm. The rainfall increases significantly
in the Western part of the State and reaches its maximum
over the coastal belt. The South-West monsoon is the principal
rainy season during which the State receives 80% of its
rainfall. Rainfall in the winter season (January to February)
is less than one percent of the annual total in the hot
weather season (March to May) about 70% and in the post-monsoon
season about 12%.
FORESTS
About 38724 sq kms (or 20 percent of Karnataka's geographic)
are covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved
(28.611 sq. km) protected (3,932 sq. km), unclosed (5,748
sq. km), village (124 sq. km) and private (309 sq.km) forests.
The percentage of forests area to Geographical area in the
State is less than the all-India average of about 23%, and
33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy. The area under
forests in the neighboring States is as follows: Andhra
Pradesh 62 Lakh he (9% of the total area of the country),
Maharastra 54 lakh he (8%), Tamilnadu 22 lakh he (3%) and
Kerala 11 lakh he (2%).
Karnataka is known for its valuable
timbers from the evergreen forests in the Western Ghat region,
notably Teak and Rosewood, the richly ornate panels of which
adorn the beautiful chambers of the Two Houses of Karnataka
Legislature.
