Geography

Demography

• Ahmedabad
• Bhavnagar
• Bhuj
• Dwarakaa
• Gandhinagar
• Gondal
• Jamnagar
• Junagadh
• Palitana
• Rajkot
• Sasangir
• Somnath
• Surat
• Utelia
• Vadodara
• Zainabad

Demography

Gujarat is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west and the south west. The climate in Gujarat is moist in the southern areas while dry in the northern region. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the northern border of Gujarat, resulting in an intensely hot or cold climate in Gujarat.

In Gujarat, a he winter season is from November to February, summer season March to May, southwest monsoon season June to September, and the intervening month of October.

Gujarat has the best higher education institutions in the country namely the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, Nirma Institue of Technology and Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information & Communication Technology which are also known worldwide for their quality education and research.

There are several outstanding research institutes viz. Institute for Plasma Research, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL). The state has a total number of 15 universities including deemed universities and institutes of national importance.

Gujarat is known for its traditional food the world wide over. Gujaratis are great gastronomes and enjoy food. The state provides immense variety in everything, be it tourism, shopping or food. The diversity you will find in the Gujarati cuisine is simply outstanding. So much of variation in just one state is an unusual phenomenon. The taste, preparation and type of food depend mainly on region, climate, location and lifestyle. So, one can say that Gujaratis strongly believe in 'Variety is the spice of life'.

Sweets and chaats are another most important feature of a proper full course Gujarati meal. Gajar ka halwa, besan halwa, sweet stuffed ghari-puri, malpwa, laddoos, among the sweet dishes and papdi chaat, kachori chaat, samosa chaat, raj kachori chaat, dhokla, are some of the most popular of Gujarati snacks that have now become quite a rage specially, among youngsters all over the country.

The Gujarat state of India, boasts of a rich culture and heritage. The people of Gujarat are very particular regarding their value system. They have preserved the ancient art and craft techniques and still practice them with great determination. Gujaratis are proud of their customs and traditions and follow them with utmost pride. The people of Gujarat are very simple and live life to the fullest. The spirit of Gujarat is quite visible from the varied fairs and festivals celebrated in the state. It is further enriched by the tribal people residing here. They have their own set of customs and rituals.

The culture of Gujarat forms an integral part of the Indian culture. Even with extensive modernization, Gujarat and its people have been able to preserve the rich culture and tradition of the ancient past.

The name Gujarat has been derived from 'Gujaratta' meaning the land of Gurjars or Khazars. Gujarat has been under the control of several conquerors including Ashoka, Mauryans, Scythians, Guptas, Solanki dynasty and Mughals. The original inhabitant of this land were Dravidians, but was subsequently inhabited by other groups like Gurjars and Parsis.

Gujarat has a long and glorious history that dates back to the days of Harappan civilization. Many regions in Gujarat were part of the Indus Valley Civilazation

Gujarati is the official language of Gujarat State and is spoken in and around Gujarat and by millions worldwide. Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is one of the 22 official languages and 14 regional languages of India . The language is simple and relatively easy to learn. As a conversational language, it is concise, simple, and well adapted for social and domestic dealings.

Gujarati literature can be found to the sultanate days. Literature flourished during the period. Well known litterateurs during that period were Akho, Vallabh, and Shamal. The poet Dalpatram is considered to be the father of modern Gujarati literature.

Gujarat Vidhya Sabha, Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, and Gujarati Sahitya Parishad are Ahmedabad based literary institutions promoting the spread of Gujarati literature.

The State of consists of Hindus, Muslims and Jains. Zorastrians or Parsis can also be seen in Gujarat. The caste system is strictly followed here. The main god of Hindus in Gujarat is Lord Krishna, Besides Hindus, Gujarat is also home to a considerable number of Muslims and Jains. Muslims constitute about 9.1% of the population, while Jains form nearly 1.0%. Sikhs are quite small in number and just constitute 0.1% of the population.