Western India

West India (Western India) or the Western region of India consists of the states of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra along the west coastal line and Rajasthan on the North-west region (although Rajasthan is usually considered a part of North India), along with the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The region consists geographically of the predominantly arid to semi arid region of Saurastra, Kutch and Cambay (in Gujarat), Western ghats and Konkan along the west coast in Maharastra and Goa and the Deccan plains of the Vidarbha and Marathwada in Central eastern Maharastra. The Aravalli range are another geographical feature that are a part of northern Gujarat frontier.

This region is the economically most prosperous and developed region of India with respect to standards of living, infrastructure and education. Gujarat is a major milk producer with an established textile and oil exploration/production industry. While the city of Mumbai naturally dominates the economical figures of India & Maharastra, the state has a major sugar industry in the Vidarbha region while other agricultural products such as fruits (grapes and oranges) are the grown in Marathwada and the famous Alphonso Mangoes in the Konkan region.

The most widely spoken languages here are Marathi in Maharashtra and Goa, Gujarati in Gujarat and Konkani and Malvani along the Konkan Coast and Goa. Ganesha is a particularly important deity in this region. The people belong to the ancient Indo-Aryan stock though they are mixed with the Indo Greeks, the Indo-Scythians and the Huns.

Mumbai is the great metropolis of the region; but there are many other important cities, including Pune,Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Aurangabad and Nashik. Although Nagpur is an important city of Maharastra, the city is geographically more a part of central India.

See also