Gujarat
Area: 196,024 sq km.
Capital: Gandhinagar.
Language: Gujarati.
Districts: 25
Gujarat, lying in the west corner of India, is the tenth in population (1981). It is bounded on the north-west by Pakistan, on the north by Rajasthan, on the east by MP and on the south and south-east by Maharashtra.Physiography:
The State of Gujarat occupies the northern extremity of the western sea-board of India. The state comprises three geographical regions.
- The peninsula, traditionally known as Saurashtra. It is essentially a hilly tract sprinkled with low mountains.
- Kutch on the north-east is barren and rocky and contains the famous Rann (desert) of Kutch, the big Rann in the north and the little Rann in the east.
- The mainland extending from the Rann of Kutch and the Aravalli Hills to the river Damanganga is on the whole a level plain of alluvial soil.
The rainfall in the state, except in the arid zones of Surendranagar and north Gujarat, varies between 65 and 127 cm.As the Tropic of Cancer passes through the northern border of Gujarat, the state has an intensely hot or cold climate. But the Arabian sea and the Gulf of Cambay in the west and the forest-covered hills in the east soften the rigours of climatic extremes.
History:
On May 1, 1960, as a result of the Bombay Reorganization Act, 1960, the State of Gujarat was formed from the north and west (predominantly Gujarati speaking) portions of Bombay State, the remainder being renamed the State of Maharashtra.
Two more Harappan sites have been found in Moti Pipari village and surrounding areas in Radhanpur and Koliwada talukas in western part of the desert areas in north Gujarat bordering Pakistan. With these 50 Harappan sites are found in North Gujarat.
Gujarat consists of the following districts of the former State of Bombay: Banas Kantha, Mehsana, Sabar Kantha, Ahmedabad, Kaira, Pancha Mahals, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Dangs, Amreli, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Kachchh, Gandhinagar and Bulsar.
Administration:
Gujarat has a unicameral legislature, the Legislative Assembly.
The state is divided into 25 districts.
- Ahmedabad
- Amreli
- Banaskantha
- Bharuch
- Narmada
- Bhavnagar
- Gandhinagar
- Jamnagar
- Junagadh
- Porbandar
- Kheda
- Kuchchh
- Anand
- Mahesana
- Patan
- Panchmahals
- Dahod
- Rajkot
- Sabarkantha
- Surat
- Surendranagar
- Navsari
- Dang
- Vadodara
- Valsad
Gujarat ranks first in the country in the production of cotton and groundnut and second in the production of tobacco. Other important cash crops are isabgul, cumin, sugarcane, mangoes and bananas.
The chief food crops of the state are paddy, wheat and bajra. Jowar and maize are produced in local areas. Valsad has become India's first integrated horticulture district– which is expected to boost exports of vegetables, fruits and flowers from the country.
Gujarat has 19.66 lakh hectares of land under forest. Forest species available in the State are teak, Khair, Sadad and manual bamboos Gujarat has a dominant electronics industry. New industries, which are coming up, are chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, drugs and pharmaceuticals, dye-stuffs and engineering units of multiple types. In 1990-91 Gujarat ranked second after Maharashtra (22.7 per cent) in percentage share in gross value of output.
The state is a major producer of inorganic chemicals such as soda-ash and caustic soda as well as chemical fertilizers. It has the largest petro-chemical complex in the country. The dairy industry has made tremendous advance and the state accounts for nearly 63 per cent of infant milk produced in the country. In milk procurement, Gujarat (35 lakh litres) is first in India, followed by Maharashtra (21.5 lakh), Tamil Nadu (15 lakh) and Karnataka (14 lakh). Fish production 1994-95 was 7 lakh tonnes worth Rs. 852 crore.
Exploration and production of oil and natural gas in Ankleshwar, Cambay and Kalol and oil refinery at Koyali are other industrial achievements. Near Bharuch Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizer Company has achieved great success.
Ankleshwar industrial estate is humming with a number of industries. On the coastal areas of Saurashtra ship-breaking yards have taken shape at Alang and Sachana. Jamnagar, Porbander, Jafrabad, Bhavnagar, etc. are busy with new industries, trade and business. Between 1991 and '97, 5100 industrial projects with an investment of Rs. 207,150 crores were launched. Factories number 15,500 and SSIs 165,200.Gujarat is a major salt-producing state and its production forms as much as 60% of the country's output.Gujarat has the first position in the national project on biogas (28,000 plants in 1994-95). the first expressway of the nation is in Gujarat between Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
An IT city at Gandhinagar and a software tower at Ahmedabad are planned. Gujarat is endowed with one major port, 11 intermediate ports and 29 minor ports dotting its coastal boundary.
Universities:
- Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, Pin: 364 002
- Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad, Pin: 842 001
- Gujarat Agricultural University, Dantiwada, Pin: 385 506
- Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar, Pin: 361 008
- Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Pin: 380 009
- Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, Pin: 380 014
- The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodra
- North Gujarat University, Patna, Pin: 384 265
- Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Pin: 388 120
- Saurashtra University, Rajkot, Pin: 360 005
- South Gujarat University, Surat, Pin: 395 007.
Tourist Centres:
Gujarat has 4 national parks and 11 sanctuaries. The game sanctuary at Gir (the world's last habitat of the Asiatic lion), the sacred temples of Dwaraka and Somanath, Palitana, the picturesque mountain city of Jain Temples on about 2000 feet high Shetrunjaya hills, Udwada, the oldest place of the Fire temple of Parsees in India, the 5000-year-old archaeological finds at Lothal, the 11th century Sun Temples at Modhera, bird sanctuary at Nal Sarovar, architectural monuments of Indo-Saracenic style at Ahmedabad and the national shrine of Gandhiji at Sabarmati, are a few of the varied attractions. Labels: Gujarat
