Coordinates: 12°58′13″N 77°33′37″E / 12.970214, 77.56029
Karnataka (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ, pronounced [kəɾˈnÉ‘ËʈəkÉ‘Ë] (help·info)) is a state in the southern part of India. It was created on November 1 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as the State of Mysore, it was renamed Karnataka in 1973.
Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. The state covers an area of 191,791 km² (74,051 sq mi) or 5.83% of the total geographical area of India. It is the eighth largest Indian state by area, the ninth largest by population and comprises 29 districts. Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language.
Though several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka, the generally accepted one is that Karnataka is derived from the Kannada words karu and nÄdu, meaning elevated land. Karu nadu may also be read as Karu (black) and nadu (region), as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayaluseeme region of Karnataka. The British used the word Carnatic (sometimes Karnatak) to describe both sides of peninsular India, south of the Krishna River.[See Lord Macaulay\'s life of Clive and James Tallboys Wheeler: Early History of British India, London (1878) p.98. The principal meaning is the western half of this area, but the rulers there controlled the Coromandel Coast as well.]
With an antiquity that dates to the paleolithic, Karnataka has also been home to some of the most powerful empires of ancient India. The philosophers and musical bards patronised by these empires launched socio-religious and literary movements which have endured to the present day. Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. Writers in the Kannada language have received the most number of Jnanpith awards in India. Bangalore is the capital city of the state and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development that India is experiencing.
History
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The history of Karnataka can be traced back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region. Evidence of neolithic and megalithic cultures have also been found in the state. Gold discovered in Harappa was found to be imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilization in 3000 BCE.[S. Ranganathan. THE Golden Heritage of Karnataka. Online webpage of the Department of Metallurgy. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.][Trade. The British Museum. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.] Prior to the third century BCE, most of Karnataka was part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan empire of Emperor Ashoka. Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka. The decline of Satavahana power led to the rise of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadambas and the Western Gangas, marking the region\'s emergence as an independent political entity. The Kadamba Dynasty, founded by Mayurasharma, had its capital at Banavasi;[From the Talagunda inscription (Dr. B. L. Rice in Kamath, 2001, p30)][Moares (1931), p10] the Western Ganga Dynasty was formed with Talakad as its capital.[Adiga and Sheik Ali in Adiga (2006), p89][Ramesh (1984), pp. 1-2
]
These were also the first kingdoms to use Kannada in administration, as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription and a fifth-century copper coin discovered at Banavasi.[From the Halmidi inscription (Ramesh 1984, pp. 10–11)][Kamath (2001), p10] These dynasties were followed by imperial Kannada empires such as the Badami Chalukyas,[The Chalukyas hailed from present-day Karnataka (Keay 2000, p168)][The Chalukyas were native Kannadigas (N. Laxminarayana Rao and Dr. S. C. Nandinath in Kamath 2001, p57)] the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta[Altekar (1934), pp. 21–24][Masica (1991), pp. 45-46] and the Western Chalukya Empire,[Balagamve in Mysore territory was an early power centre (Cousens 1926, p10, p105)][Tailapa II, the founder king was the governor of Tardavadi in modern Bijapur district, under the Rashtrakutas (Kamath (2001), p101)] which ruled over large parts of the Deccan and had their capitals in what is now Karnataka. The Western Chalukyas patronised a unique style of architecture and Kannada literature which became a precursor to the Hoysala art of 12th century.[Kamath (2001), p115][Foekema (2003), p9]
At the turn of the first millennium, the Hoysalas gained power in the region. Literature flourished during this time, which led to the distinctive Kannada literary metres and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture.[Kamath (2001), pp132–134][Sastri (1955), pp. 358-9, p 361][Foekema (1996), p14][Kamath (2001), pp. 122-4] The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under its rule. In the early 14th century, Harihara and Bukka Raya established the Vijayanagara empire with its capital, Hosapattana (later named Vijayanagara), on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in the modern Bellary district. The empire rose as a bulwark against Muslim advances into South India, which it completely controlled for over two centuries.[Kamath 2001, pp. 157–160][Kulke and Rothermund (2004), p188]
In 1565, Karnataka and the rest of South India experienced a major geopolitical shift when the Vijayanagara Empire fell to a confederation of Islamic sultanates in the Battle of Talikota.[Kamath (2001), pp. 190-191] The Bijapur Sultanate, which had risen after the demise of the Bahmani Sultanate of Bidar, soon took control of the Deccan; it was defeated by the Moghuls in the late 17th century.[Kamath (2001), p201][Kamath (2001), p202] The Bahamani and Bijapur rulers encouraged Urdu and Persian literature and Indo-Saracenic architecture, the Gol Gumbaz being one of the high points of this style.[Kamath (2001), p207]
In the period that followed, parts of northern Karnataka were ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, the British, and other powers. In the south, the Mysore Kingdom, former vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire, was briefly independent.[Kamath (2001), p171] With the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Haidar Ali, the commander-in-chief of the Mysore army, gained control of the region. After his death, the kingdom was inherited by his son Tippu Sultan.[Kamath (2001), p171, p173, p174, p204] To contain European expansion in South India, Haidar Ali and later Tippu Sultan fought four significant Anglo-Mysore Wars, the last of which resulted in Tippu Sultan\'s death and the incorporation of Mysore into the British Raj in 1799.[Kamath (2001), pp. 231–234] The Kingdom of Mysore was restored to the Wodeyars and Mysore remained a princely state under the British Raj.
As the "doctrine of lapse" gave way to dissent and resistance from princely states across the country, Kittur Chennamma, Sangolli Rayanna and others spearheaded rebellions in Karnataka in 1830, nearly three decades before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Other uprisings followed, such as the ones at Supa, Bagalkot, Shorapur, Nargund and Dandeli. These rebellions which coincided with the 1857 war of independence were led by Mundargi Bhimarao, Bhaskar Rao Bhave, the Halagali Bedas, Venkatappa Nayaka and others. By the late 19th century, the freedom movement had gained momentum; Karnad Sadashiva Rao, Aluru Venkata Raya, S. Nijalingappa, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and others carried on the struggle into the early 20th century.[Suryanath Kamath. The rising in the south. Online Edition of The Deccan Herald, dated 2007-05-20. The Printers (Mysore) Private Limited. Retrieved on 2007-07-20.]
After India\'s independence, the Maharaja, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, allowed his kingdom\'s accession to India. In 1950, Mysore became an Indian state of the same name; the former Maharaja served as its Rajpramukh (head of state) until 1975. Following the long-standing demand of the Ekikarana Movement, Kodagu and Kannada speaking regions from the adjoining states of Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay were incorporated into the Mysore state, under the States Reorganization Act of 1956. The thus expanded state was renamed Karnataka, seventeen years later, in 1973.[Prem Paul Ninan. History in the making. Online Edition of The Deccan Herald, dated 2005-11-01. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.]
Geography
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The state has three principal geographical zones: the coastal region of Karavali, the hilly Malnad region comprising the Western Ghats and the Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau. The bulk of the state is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second largest arid region in India.[ Parvathi Menon. Karnataka\'s agony. Online Edition of the Frontline, Volume 18 - Issue 17, Aug. 18 - 31, 2001. Frontline. Retrieved on 2007-05-04.] The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikkamagaluru district which has an altitude of 1,929 metres (6,329 ft). Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are the Kaveri, the Tungabhadra, the Krishna and the Sharavathi.
Karnataka consists of four main types of geological formations[Ramachandra T.V. and Kamakshi G.. Bioresource Potential of Karnataka. Technical Report No. 109, November 2005. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.] — the Archean complex made up of Dharwad schists and granitic gneisses, the Proterozoic non-fossiliferous sedimentary formations of the Kaladgi and Bhima series, the Deccan trappean and intertrappean deposits and the tertiary and recent laterites and alluvial deposits. Significantly, about 60% of the state is comprised of the Archean complex which consist of gneisses, granites and charnockite rocks. Laterite cappings that are found in many districts over the Deccan Traps were formed after the cessation of volcanic activity in the early tertiary period. Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka, viz. Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Spodosols, Alfisols, Ultisols, Oxisols, Aridisols, Vertisols, Andisols and Histosols.
Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. Meteorologically, Karnataka is divided into three zones — coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these, the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall with an average rainfall of about 3,638.5 mm (143 in) per annum, far in excess of the state average of 1,139 mm (45 in). Agumbe in the Shivamogga district receives the second highest annual rainfall in India.[ Agumbe\'s receiving the second highest rainfall in India is mentioned by Arabinda Ghose. Link Godavari, Krishna & Cauvery. Online Edition of the Central Chronicle, dated 2007-03-28. 2007, Central Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.] The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) at Raichur and the lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) at Bidar.
About 38,724 km² (14,951 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e. 20% of the state\'s geographic area) is covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved, protected, unclosed, village and private forests. The percentage of forested area is slightly less than the all-India average of about 23%, and significantly less than the 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy.[Karnataka - An Introduction. Official website of the Karnataka legislature. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.]
Sub-divisions
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There are 29 districts in Karnataka—Bagalkote, Bangalore Rural,
Bangalore Urban, Belgaum, Bellary, Bidar, Bijapur, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur,[2 new districts notified in Bangalore. Online Edition of The Times of India, dated 2007-08-06. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.] Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere, Dharwad, Gadag, Gulbarga, Hassan, Haveri, Kodagu, Kolar, Koppal, Mandya, Mysore, Raichur, Ramanagara,
As per the 2001 census, Karnataka\'s six largest cities sorted in order of decreasing population were, Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Mysore, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Mangalore. Bangalore is the only city with a population of more than one million. Bangalore Urban, Belgaum and Gulbarga are the most populous districts, each of them having a population of more than three million. Gadag, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu districts have a population of less than one million.[Karnataka, Population: Persons (Total). Online webpage of the Census of India, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.]
Demographics
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According to the 2001 census of India, the total population of Karnataka is 52,850,562, of which 26,898,918 (50.89%) are male and 25,951,644 (49.11%) are female, or 1000 males for every 964 females. This represents a 17.25% increase over the population in 1991. The population density is 275.6 per km² and 33.98% of the people live in urban areas. The literacy rate is 66.6% with 76.1% of males and 56.9% of females being literate.[ India (Religion), Census of 2001. Online Webpage of Census of India. Registrar General, Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-15.]
Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and spoken as a native language by about 64.75% of the people. Other linguistic minorities in the state as of 1991 are Urdu (9.72%), Telugu (8.34%), Marathi (3.95%), Tamil (3.82%), Tulu (3.38%), Hindi (1.87%), Konkani (1.78%), Malayalam (1.69%) and Kodava Takk (0.25%).[A. R. Fatihi. Urdu in Karnataka. Online webpage of Language in India, Volume 2 : 2002-12-09. M. S. Thirumalai, Managing Editor, Language in India. Retrieved on 2007-06-29. ] The state has a birth rate of 2.2%, a death rate of 0.72%, an infant mortality rate of 5.5% and a maternal mortality rate of 0.195%. The total fertility rate is 2.2.[Envisaging a healthy growth. Online Webpage of the Frontline. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.]
In the field of super-specialty health care, Karnataka\'s private sector competes with the best in the world.[Karnataka bets big on healthcare tourism. Online webpage of the Hindu Business Line, dated 2004-11-23. 2004, The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.] Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India. In spite of these advances, some parts of the state still leave much to be desired when it comes to primary health care.[Ticking child healthcare time bomb. Online Webpage of the Education World. Education World. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.]
Government and administration
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Karnataka, like other Indian states, has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected state legislatures, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly consists of 224 members who are elected for five-year terms.[ Origin and Growth of Karnataka Legislature. Online Webpage of the Government of Karnataka. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved on 2007-05-05.] The Legislative Council is a permanent body which consists of 75 members with one-third of its members retiring every two years.
The government of Karnataka is headed by the Chief Minister who is chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly. The Chief Minister along with the council of ministers, drives the legislative agenda and exercises most of the executive powers.[Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p365] However, the constitutional and formal head of the state is the Governor who is appointed for a five year term by the President of India on the advice of the union government.["The Head of the State is called the Governor who is the constitutional head of the state as the President is for the whole of India", Pylee, M. V. 2003. Constitutional government in India. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co, p357] The citizens of Karnataka also elect 28 members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.[Lok Sabha-Introduction. Online webpage of the Indian Parliament. Govt. of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.] The members in the state assembly elect 12 members to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
The emblem of Karnataka state
For administrative purposes, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 29 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies/revenue circles.[ Statistics - Karnataka state. Online webpage of the Forest Department. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.] The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, also serves the government. Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works Department, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc. The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.
Politics in Karnataka has been dominated by three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party.[Karnataka Politics - Suspense till January 27. Online webpage of OurKarnataka.com. OurKarnataka.Com,Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.] Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice President. Border disputes involving Karnataka\'s claim on the Kasaragod["\'Government not keen on solving Kasaragod dispute\'", The Hindu, 2005-10-24. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. ] and Sholapur["Border row: Government told to find permanent solution", The Hindu, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on 2007-10-25. ] districts and Maharashtra\'s claim on Belgaum are ongoing since the states reorganisation.["Border dispute saves NCP the blushes", The Times of India, September 26, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. (English) ]
The official emblem of Karnataka has a Ganda Berunda in the centre. Surmounting this are four lions facing the four directions, taken from the Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath. The emblem also carries two Sharabhas with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.
Economy
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GSDP Growth of the Karnatakan Economy over the previous years
Karnataka, which had a GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of about Rs. 1940.09 billion ($ 46.19 billion) in the 2006-2007 fiscal year, is one of the more economically progressive states in India.[Budget 2007-2008. Online webpage of the Finance Department. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.]
The state registered a GSDP growth rate of 9.2% for the year 2006-2007.[GSDP registers 9.2 per cent growth. Online webpage of the Hindu, dated 2007-03-16. 2007, The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.] Karnataka\'s contribution to India\'s GDP in the year 2004-05 was 5.2%.[Statement: Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices. Online webpage of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.]
Karnataka was the fastest growing state over the past decade in terms of GDP and per capita GDP.
With GDP growth of 56.2% and per capita GDP growth of 43.9%, Karnataka now has the sixth highest per-capita GDP of all states.[In terms of per capita GDP — Karnataka, Bengal fastest growing States. Online webpage of the Hindu, dated 2005-06-09. 2005, The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.] Till September 2006 Karnataka received a Foreign Direct Investment of Rs. 78.097 billion ($ 1.7255 billion) for the fiscal year 2006-07, placing it third among the states of India.[Government of India. Foreign Direct Investment. Online webpage of Indian budget. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.] At the end of 2004, the unemployment rate in Karnataka was 4.94% compared to the national rate of 5.99%.[Government of India. Employment and Unemployment. Online webpage of Indian budget. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.] For the fiscal year 2006-07, the inflation rate in Karnataka was 4.4%, compared to the national average of 4.7%.[Budget 2006-2007. Online webpage of the Finance Department. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.] As of 2004-05, Karnataka had an estimated poverty ratio of 17%, less than the national ratio of 27.5%.[Poverty estimates for 2004-2005. Online webpage of the Planning Commission. Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.]
Nearly 56% of the workforce in Karnataka is engaged in agriculture and related activities.[Karnataka Human Development Report 2005. Online webpage of the Planning Commission. Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.] A total of 12.31 million hectares of land, or 64.6% of the state\'s total area, is cultivated.[Karnataka Agricultural Policy 2006. Online webpage of Department of Agriculture. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved on 2007-06-04.] Much of the agricultural output is dependent on the southwest monsoon as only 26.5% of the sown area is irrigated.
Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Telephone Industries, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Hindustan Machine Tools, which are based in Bangalore. Many of India\'s premier science and technology research centers, such as Indian Space Research Organization, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery located in Mangalore.
Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the pan-Indian leader in the field of IT (information technology). As of 2007, there were nearly 2,000 firms operating out of Karnataka. Many of them, including two of India\'s biggest software firms, Infosys and Wipro are also headquartered in the state.[IT exports from Karnataka cross Rs 50k cr. Online Edition of The Financial Express, dated 2007-05-22. 2007: Indian Express Newspapers (Mumbai) Ltd.. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.] All this has earned the state capital, Bangalore, the sobriquet Silicon Valley of India.[India in Business. Ministry of External affairs. Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.]
Contribution to economy by sector
Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India\'s largest biocluster, with 158 of the country\'s 320 biotechnology firms being based here.[Bangalore tops biocluster list with Rs 1,400-cr revenue. Online Edition of The Hindu Business Line, dated 2006-06-08. © 2006, The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.] The state also accounts for 75% of India\'s floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide.[Floriculture. OneIndia News, 12th June 2007. www.Karnataka.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.]
Seven of India\'s leading banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state.[Ravi Sharma. Building on a strong base. Online Webpage of The Frontline, Volume 22 - Issue 21, Oct. 08 - 21, 2005. Frontline. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.] The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have a branch for every 500 persons -- the best distribution of banks in India.[Ravi Sharma. A pioneer\'s progress. Online Edition of the Frontline, Volume 20 - Issue 15, July 19 - August 01, 2003. Frontline. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.] As of March 2002, Karnataka had 4767 branches of different banks with each branch serving 11,000 persons, which is lower than the national average of 16,000.[State/Union Territory-Wise Number of Branches of Scheduled Commercial Banks and Average Population Per Bank Branch – March 2002. Online webpage of the Reserve Bank of India. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.]
Transport
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Air transport in Karnataka, as in the rest of the country, is still a fledgling but fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bengaluru (Bangalore), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Hubballi (Hubli), Belagavi (Belgaum), Hampi and Bellary with international operations from Mangaluru and Bengaluru airports. Airports at Mysuru (Mysore), Kalburgi (Gulbarga), Bijapur, Hassan and Shivamogga are expected to be operational by the end of 2007.[5 airports to be functional soon. Online Webpage of The Deccan Herald, dated 2007-06-05. 2007, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd.. Retrieved on 2007-06-29.] Major airlines such as Kingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan are based in Bangalore.
Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 kilometres (1,919 mi). Until the creation of the South Western Zone headquartered at Hubli in 2003, the railway network in the state was in the Southern and Western railway zones. Several parts of the state now come under the South Western Zone, with the remainder under the Southern Railways. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the Konkan railway network which was considered India\'s biggest railway project of the century.[Prime Minister to Dedicate Konkan Railway Line to Nation on May 1. Press Information Bereau. Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.] Bangalore is extensively connected with inter-state destinations while other important cities and towns in the state are not so well-connected.[Pilot project: GPS system on B’lore-Hubli Jan Shatabdi. Online Edition of the Deccan Herald, dated 2006-12-25. 2005, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd.. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.][GS Prasanna Kumar. Karnataka and Indian Railways, Colossal wastage of available resources or is it sheer madness of the authorities concerned. Online webpage of OurKarnataka.com. OurKarnataka.Com,Inc. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.]
Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten other minor ports.[Minor Ports of Karnataka. Online Webpage of Karnataka Ports Department. Government of Karnataka. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.] The New Mangalore port was incorporated as the ninth major port in India on 4th May 1974. This port handled 32.04 million tonnes of traffic in the fiscal year 2006-07 with 17.92 million tonnes of imports and 14.12 million tonnes of exports. The port also handled 1015 vessels including 18 cruise vessels during the year 2006-07. The inland water transport within the state is not well developed.
The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are 3,973 kilometres (2,469 mi) and 9,829 kilometres (6,107 mi), respectively. The KSRTC, the state public transport corporation, transports an average of 2.2 million passengers daily and employs about 25,000 people.[ About KSRTC. Online webpage of KSRTC. KSRTC. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.] In the late nineties, KSRTC was split into three corporations, viz., The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, The North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and The North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation with their headquarters in Bangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga respectively.
Culture
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The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities that are native to Karnataka combined with their long histories have contributed immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state. Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka is home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis. Minor populations of Tibetan Buddhists and tribes like the Soligas, Yeravas, Todas and Siddhis also live in Karnataka. The traditional folk arts cover the entire gamut of music, dance, drama, storytelling by itinerant troupes, etc. Yakshagana of coastal Karnataka, a classical folk play, is one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka. Contemporary theatre culture in Karnataka remains vibrant with organizations like Ninasam, Ranga Shankara, Rangayana and Prabhat Kalavidaru continuing to build on the foundations laid by Gubbi Veeranna, T. P. Kailasam, B. V. Karanth, K V Subbanna, Prasanna and others.[Chief Editor:H Chittaranjan. 2005. Handbook of Karnataka, Gazetteer Department of the Government of Karnataka, Chapter XIII, pp332-337] Veeragase, Kamsale and Dollu Kunitha are popular dance forms. The
