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.
Geography
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.
Development
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.
Languages and ethnicity
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.
Culture
Major Cities
Mumbai is the biggest metropolis of the region; but there are many other important cities, including Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Panaji and Nashik. Although Nagpur is an important city of Maharastra, the city is geographically more a part of central/north India.
See also
.svg){kind=small} | This Indian location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |