Goa is India's smallest state by area and richest by GDP per capita, with a significant reliance on tourism, particularly for its beaches and cultural heritage. The state features a unique blend of Portuguese influence and Indian culture, with notable tourist attractions including historical churches, wildlife sanctuaries, and natural wonders like Dudhsagar Falls. Major cities include Panaji, Vasco da Gama, and Margao, each offering distinct cultural experiences and governance structures, alongside regulations for the tourism industry.

2.  Goa is India's smallest state by area and
the fourth smallest by population.
 Goa is India's richest state with a GDP per capita
two and a half times that of the country as a whole
 Panaji is the state's capital, while Vasco da
Gama is the largest city.
 The Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act,
1987 makes Konkani in the Devanagri script the
sole official language of Goa, but provides
that Marathi may also be used "for all or any of the
official purposes".
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3.  The state of Goa, is famous for its beaches and places of worship,
and tourism is its primary industry.
 Foreign tourists, mostly from Europe, arrive in Goa in winter whilst
the summer and monsoon seasons see a large number of Indian
tourists.
 Goa handled 7% of all foreign tourist arrivals in the country in 2011.
 This relatively small state is situated on the western coast of India,
between the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka and is better
known to the world as a former Portuguese enclave on Indian soil.
 Influenced by over 450 years of Portuguese rule and Latin culture,
Goa presents a somewhat different representation of the country to
foreign visitors.
 Major tourist attractions include: Bom Jesus Basilica, Fort Aguada, a
wax museum on Indian culture and a heritage museum.
The Churches and Convents of Goa have been declared aWorld
Heritage Site by UNESCO.

4.  Activities of the Department :
Policy Formulation.
 Development of Infrastructure.
 Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintainance) Act, 2001
 Goa Land (Prohibition of Construction) Act, 1995
 Administration of Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act.
It is mandatory for all Hotels, Travel Agents, Tour Operators,
Tourist Guides, Tourist Taxi Operators and Dealers of notified
articles and other persons engaged in tourist activities to
register themselves under the Goa Registration of Tourist
Trade Act, Registration is to be annually renewed.

5.  Goa's beaches cover about 125 kilometres (78 mi) of its
coastline. These beaches are divided into North and South
Goa.
 North Goa is more commercial and touristy with an abundance
of mostly low and medium budget tourist accommodations;
whereas South Goa is where most higher–end hotels and
private beaches are located.
 A notable exception in South Goa is Palolem Beach which
features basic accommodation and is one of the most visited
beaches in Goa.
 The further north or south you go, the more isolated the
beaches get. Some of the more popular beaches are Colva,
Calangute, Baga and Anjuna. These beaches are lined with
shacks that provide fresh sea food and drinks. Some shacks
arrange special events to attract more customers.

6.  Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa's rich bio-diversity.
 Foxes, wild boars and migratory birds are also found in the
forests of Goa. The avifauna includes kingfishers, mynas
and parrots.
 The famous Dudhsagar Falls, India's fifth tallest at 310 metres,
is located inside Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary at the Goa -
Karnaraka border.
 The renowned Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located on the
island of Chorao.
 The Endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtle can be found on
Morjim Beach in Northern Goa. The turtles are listed in
Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Act.
 Morjim Beach is also host to a number of migratory birds
during late September to early April. A number of international
bird watching tours are organised in the area.

7. The following museums are located in Goa:
 Goa State Museum set up in 1996 aims at centralising and
preserving antiquities, art objects and objects of cultural
importance, depicting the different aspects of the Goan History
and Culture.
 Naval Aviation Museum near Dabolim. The Aviation museum
is one among three of its kind in India.
 Goa Science Centre is located on Miramar Beach in Panjim.
Opened in December 2001, it houses many wonders of
Science and Astronomy.
 Archaeological Museum and Portrait Gallery located in Old
Goa is run by the Archaeological Survey of India.
 The Museum of Christian Art has a number of paintings,
sculptures and religious silverware dating back to the 16th
century.

8.  Called Panjim by the Portuguese, Panaji, which means "the land that does not flood" is the
state capital of Goa. It is situated on the southern banks of the Mandovi River.
 Panaji is built around a church facing a square. The town has some beautiful Portuguese
Baroque style buildings and enchanting old villas. The riverside, speckled with brightly
whitewashed houses with wrought iron balconies.
 There are some fine government buildings along the riverside boulevard
 In the 16th century, the edifice was the palace of Adil Shah (the Sultan of Bijapur). The
Portuguese took over the palace and constructed the Viceregal Lodge in 1615. In 1843, the
structure became the Secretariat, and today it is the Passport Office.
 The Largo Da Igreja Church Square is an example of the awesome Portuguese Baroque
style.
 The Braganza Institute, house, which depicts the 'mythical' representation of the
colonisation of Goa by the Portuguese.
 Panjim was a minor landing stage and customs house, protected by a hilltop fort.
 The Archaeological Museum also known as the Christian Art Museum was built in the year
1964 attracting many tourists since then. There are eight galleries in the museum which can
be described as eight different sections of the museum. There are several displays here
and among them are sixty portraits of governors and viceroys of Goa. There is a wooden
statue of St. Peter as well. It also has an exceptional collection of Hindu gods and
goddesses and a standing statue of Lord Vishnu along with Goddess Laxmi and Garuda on
either side.
Prime ATTRACTIONS of Panjim
 Ruins Of St. Augustine's Tower,
The Chapel Of Our Lady Of The Mount, Aguada fort, Bondala forest , Sri Mahalakshmi
temple, Condolim Beach

9.  Dudhsagar Waterfalls- springing from from a lofty height of 600m is located
on the Goa-Karnataka border.

The name of this waterfall evolves from the Konkani name for the falls,
Dudhsagar meaning 'sea of milk'. This is because froth is formed due to the
speedy surge of water from the majestic heights.
 Monkeys, birds, bees, butterflies have carved their own niche amidst the
flora of the region and the plunge pool abounds in aquatic life.
The Dudhsagar Falls is one of the most interesting falls of India and the
largest and highest fall of Goa
 The road to this mighty fall is inaccessible during the monsoon season .The
Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) runs tours to Dudhsagar on
Saturday and Sunday from Panaji and Calangute. You could also take a
train to Dudhsagar from Madgaon (Margao) and get there in an hour and
half. However during summer, when the level of the water is low, you can
hire a Jeep and access the foot of the falls from either Molem or Collem.

10.  The tiny enclave of Terakol, the northernmost tip of Goa, is reached via a
car ferry from Querim, 42-km from Panjim.
 The Terekhol Fort once belonged to a local raja and was taken over by the
Portuguese in 1746.
 It was used as a base for freedom fighters during the liberation of Goa in
1961. The Terekhol Fort was a key Portuguese fort for the defense of Goa,
on the north side of the estuary of the Teracol River, the northern most
boundary of Goa.
Within the fort there is a chapel - St.Anthony's church - which is locked most
of the time. The Chapel has a classical late Goan facade and is opened only
on special occasions. From the battlements one can look across to Querim
Beach.
To cross the Tiracol River takes twenty minutes on an ancient Goan ferry
operates every 30 minutes. The Terekhol Fort has now been converted into
a Heritage hotel.

11.  Vasco da Gama, often shortened to Vasco, is a city in the state of Goa
 Bogmalo Beach is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Vasco. This beach is quite risky as it has
underwater currents. Hollant (Issorcim) and Baina are two smaller beaches around Vasco.
 Apart from the nearby beaches, the city of Vasco is bereft of any major tourist attractions,
the salient monument being the 400-year old St. Andrew's Church located at the entrance
of the city. However the Naval Aviation Museum near the airport is a popular tourist spot
and is the only such museum in India. It profiles the evolution and history of Indian naval
aviation through aircraft exhibits and rare photographs.
 One of Goa's premier musical groups, Diamond Orchestra, hails from Vasco. The town is
also home to several English bands from Goa, notably Lynx and Kollectiv Soul.
 Vasco is known for the annual Shri Damodar Bhajani Saptah fair held in Shravan month of
Hindu lunar calendar preceding the festival of Nag panchami
 Vasco da Gama hosted the relics of Saint John Bosco, albeit temporarily, on 21 August
2011, at the St. Andrew's Church, while the relics were on their world tour.
 Like all towns and cities in Goa, Vasco celebrates the Shigmo/ xigmo and Carnival annually
with a street parade where floats from all over Goa participate.

12.  Margao is the second largest city by population, and the commercial and cultural capital of
the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district.
 The city has many sights and destinations. These include the 'Closed' Market called, in the
Portuguese language, Mercado de Afonso de Albuquerque or in Konkani as "Pimplapedd"
or "Pimpalakatta," the municipal building (Câmara), the municipal garden, Anna Fonte
(natural springs), Old Market or Mercado Velho, Holy Spirit Church, grand colonial
mansions (especially the Seven Gables House near the church), the chapel at Monte Hill,
the Hindu crematorium or 'Smashan and the Muslim burial ground or 'Kabrasthan' both
situated on Pajifond's Rua das Saudades.
 There are a number of churches and temples in Margao, since the population is
predominantly Roman Catholic with a significant Hindu and a very small Muslim minority.
 The famous churches in Margao are the Holy Spirit Church, the Grace Church, The St
Sebastian Church in Aquem (The Old St. Sebastian Chapel, popularly known as the
Pandava Copel still stands next to the modern St. Sebastian Church) and the Monte Hill
Chapel, the famous temples are the 'Damodar Temple' (Saal), the 'Hari Mandir', the 'Maruti
Mandir' at Davorlim the 'Saibaba Temple' at Davorlim, the 'Shiv Temple' (Ling) at Fatorda
near Nehru Stadium (which is the original Temple of Damudora). There are 2 mosques in
Margao, One in the Malbhat area and one on the Monte hill. Presently, since 2004, there
are twenty-four new mosques in Margao. There is also a Jain temple at Pajifond.

13.  Mapusa also spelt at Mapuca, Mhapsa or Mapsa is a town in North Goa
 Mapusa is close to one of the main centres of Goa's tourism industry. Mapusa's proximity to
many beaches in the north Goa makes it a suitable base during the tourist season
(November to April). Because it is a mainly commercial town (for locals) with a large
resident population, Mapusa has only a limited number of hotels and accommodation.
 Mapusa comes alive on Friday, the traditional market day also known as Mapusa Friday
Market. People from surrounding villages and towns come to Mapusa to sell their wares.
This fair has a lot of local flavour (unlike some other tourist-oriented fairs or markets) and
specialises in agricultural produce, vegetables, locally-grown fruit, spices, clothes and even
plants (mainly during the monsoon planting season).
 Every Friday, the Mapusa Market bulges at the seams, by sellers with only just enough
room for the prospective buyers, the alleys between the regular stalls being occupied with
temporary mats and boards. From lottery tickets displayed in great swathes to barber
shops, the bazaar caters for almost every requirement imaginable. There is the fish street,
dried fish of all possible varieties and whole fresh fish from baby shark and squid to the
ubiquitous bangda (mackerel). Fresh fruit and vegetables are gathered together and
beautifully displayed, from huge sweet potatoes, and pumpkins and the local shiny red
brown Moira bananas to the tiny fresh beans and other pulses.

14.  North Goa is one of the two districts that make up
the state of Goa.
 The district has an area of 1736 km², and is
bounded by Sindhudurg andKolhapur districts
of Maharashtra state to the north and east
respectively, by South Goa District to the south,
and by the Arabian Sea to the west.
 The administrative headquarters of the district
is Panaji, which is also the capital of the state of
Goa. The district forms part of a greater region
called the Konkan.
 The district is divided into four subdivisions -
Panaji, Mapusa, Bicholim, and Ponda;

15.  South Goa is one of two districts that comprises the state
of Goa in West India. It is bounded by the district of North
Goa to the north, the Karnataka state to the east and south,
while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.
 The administrative headquarters of the district is Margao. The
district is divided into three subdivisions -
Margao, Mormugao (Vasco da Gama), and
Quepem; Mormugao, Salcete (Margao), Quepem, Canacona(
Chaudi), Sanguem and Dharbandora.
 A new district headquarters was recently inaugurated on the
outskirts of the city, adjoining the inter-city bus stand. It is and
named after Mathany Saldanha, a former minister and social
activist.