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TheIndian State of Karnataka is located between 11°30' North and 18°30' North latitudes and between74° East and 78°30' East longitude.It is situated on a tableland where theWestern Ghats andEastern Ghats converge into the complex, in the western part of the Deccan Peninsular region of India. The State is bounded byMaharashtra andGoa States in the north and northwest; by theLakshadweep Sea in the west; byKerala in the south-west andTamil Nadu in the south and south-east,Andhra Pradesh in the south-east and east andTelangana in the north-east. Karnataka extends to about 850 km (530 mi) from north to south and about 450 km (280 mi) from east to west.
Karnataka is situated in theDeccan Plateau and is bordered by theArabian Sea to the west,Goa to the northwest,Maharashtra to the north,Andhra Pradesh to the southeast and east,Telangana to the east,Tamil Nadu to the south and southeast, andKerala to the southwest. It is situated at the angle where theWestern Ghats andEastern Ghats of South India converge into theNilgiri hills. The highest point in Karnataka is theMullayanagiri hill inChikkamagaluru district which has an altitude of 1,929 metres (6,329 ft) above sea level.[1]
The state is divisible in to three distinct geomorphic zones:[2]
Karnataka has one of the highest average elevations of Indian states, at 1,500 feet (460 m). The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114.08 °F) atRaichuru on 23 May 1928. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37.04 °F) atBidar on 16 December 1918.[3]
Karnataka has a total land area of 191,791 km² and accounts for 5.83% of the total area of the country (measured at 3,288,000 km²). This puts it in seventh place in terms of size. With a population of 6,11,30,704, it occupies eighth place in terms of population. The population density which stands at 319 persons per km² is lower than the all-India average of 382.
Karnataka is rich in mineral wealth which is distributed fairly evenly across the state. Karnataka's Geological Survey department started in 1880 is one of the oldest in the country. Rich deposits of asbestos, bauxite, chromite, dolomite, gold, iron ore, kaolin, limestone, magnesite, Manganese, ochre, quartz, and silica sand are found in the state. Karnataka is also a major producer of felsite, molding sand (63%), and fuchsite quartzite (57%) in the country.
Karnataka has two major centers of gold mining in the state Kolar and Raichur. These mines produce about 3000 kg of gold per annum which accounts for almost 84% of the country's production. Karnataka has very rich deposits of high-grade iron and manganese ores to the tune of 1,000 million tonnes. Most of the iron ores are concentrated around the Ballari-Hosapete region. Karnataka with a granite rock spread of over 4200 km² is also famous for its Ornamental Granites with different hues.
According to Radhakrishnan and Vaidyanadhan (1997), there are four main types of geological formations in Karnataka:[4]
Eleven groups of soil orders are found in Karnataka.Entisols,Inceptisols,Mollisols,Spodosols,Alfisols,Ultisols,Oxisols,Aridisols,Vertisols,Andisols andHistosols.[4] Depending on the agricultural capability of the soil, the soil types are divided into six types., Red,lateritic (lateritic soil is found in bidar and kolar district),black, alluvio-colluvial, forest and coastal soils.[5]The common types of soil groups found in Karnataka are:[5]
With a surface water potential of about 102 kilometers (63 mi), Karnataka accounts for about six percent of the country's surface water resources. Around 60% of this is provided by the west flowing rivers while the remaining comes from the east flowing rivers. There are seven river basins in all formed by theGodavari,Kaveri,Krishna, the west-flowing rivers,Penna,Ponniyar, andPalar.[6]
30 East-flowing rivers.
12 West-flowing rivers, providing 60% of state's inland water resources.
Karnataka has the following four seasons in the year:
The post-monsoon (period of retreating) and winter seasons are generally pleasant over the entire state. The months April and May are hot, very dry and generally uncomfortable. Weather tends to be oppressive during June due to high humidity and temperature. The next three months (July, August and September) are somewhat comfortable due to reduced day temperature although the humidity continue to be very high. The highest recorded temperature was 45.6 °C (114 °F) atRaichuru on 23 May 1928. The lowest recorded temperature was 2.8 °C (37 °F) C atBidar on 16 December 1918.[3]
Karnataka is divided into three meteorological zones:
Thesouthwest monsoon accounts for almost 80% of the rainfall that the state receives. The annual rainfall across the state ranges from low 50 cm (20 in) to copious 350 cm (140 in). The districts of Vijapura, Raichuru, Ballari, Yadagiri and Southern half of Kalaburagi experience the lowest rainfall ranging from 50 to 60 cm (24 in) while the west coastal region andMalenadu enjoy the highest rainfall.
The following were the top 5 places that peaked in rainfall statistics [2010-2017][9][10][11][12]
| Rank | Hobli/Village | District | Taluk | Year | Rainfall in mm | Elevation in metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amagavi | Belagavi district | Khanapura | 2010 | 10,068 | 785 |
| 2 | Mundrote | Kodagu district | Madikeri | 2011 | 9,974 | 585 |
| 3 | Hulikal | Shivamogga district | Hosanagara | 2013 | 9,383 | 614 |
| 4 | Agumbe | Shivamogga district | Thirthahalli | 2013 | 8,770 | 643 |
| 5 | Kokalli/Kakalli | Uttara Kannada district | Sirsi | 2014 | 8,746 | 780 |
About 38724 km² (or 20% of Karnataka's geographic) are covered by forests. The forests are classified as reserved (28,611 km²) protected (3,932 km²), unclosed (5,748 km²), village (124 km²) and private (309 km²) forests. The percentage of forests area to Geographical area in the State is less than the all-India average of about 23%, and 33% prescribed in the National Forest Policy. The area under protected forests in the neighboring States is as follows: Andhra Pradesh 62,000 km² (9% of the total area of the country), Maharashtra 54,000 km² (8%), Tamil Nadu 22,000 km² (3%) and Kerala 11,000 km² (2%).
Karnataka is known for its valuable timbers from the evergreen forests in the Western Ghat region, notably Teak and Rosewood, the richly ornate panels of which adorn the beautiful chambers of the Two Houses of Karnataka Legislature.
