Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest in terms of population. Goa is Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan. It has Maharashtra in the North, Karnataka in the South and West and is guarded by the Arabian Sea in the East. Panaji (Panjim) is the state's capital of Goa, Vasco da Gama (Vasco) the largest city, while the historic city of Margao also known as the Athens of Goa still exhibits the influence of Portuguese culture in Goa. Portuguese merchants first landed in Goa in the 15th century, and annexed it soon after. The Portuguese colony existed for about 450 years (one of the longest held colonial possessions in the world), until it was taken over by India in 1961.

Renowned for its beaches, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists each year. The number of Tourists coming to Goa are more then the total population of the State! Goa is also known for its temples and world heritage architecture including the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, which makes it one of the biggest Christian pilgrimage sites in Asia. Goa also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot.

Goa is also famous for its night life. With Bars, Pubs, Discos, Restaurants, Markets, Beach parties there is no lack of activities for night life.

People and Culture :- The People of Goa are very hospitable. This has resulted in many tourists coming back after their first stay. This is very imortant for the hospitality sector. Prominent local festivals are Chavoth, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Samvatsar Padvo, Dasara etc.The Goan Carnival and new year celebration is known to attract a large number of tourists. Events like Sao Joao, Narkasur and Shigmo only take place in Goa and not anywhere else in the world.

Natak, Tiatr and Zagor are the chief forms of Goa's traditional performance arts. Other forms are Ranmale, Dashavatari, Kalo, Goulankala, Lalit, Kala and Rathkala.

Demographics :- The locals of Goa are known as Goans. According to the 2001 census out of a total population of 1,343,998. 886,551 (65%) were Hindus, 359,568 (26%) were Christians, 92,210 (6%) were Muslims, 970 (0.07%) were Sikhs, 649 (0.04%) were Buddhists, 820 (0.06%) were Jains and 3530 (0.24%) belonged to other religious communities.

The population has a growth rate of 14.9% per decade. There are 363 people for each square kilometre of the land. Goa is the State with highest proportion of Urban Population with 49.76% of the population living in urban areas. The literacy rate of Goa is over 82%. The sex ratio is 960 females to 1000 males. The birth rate is 15.70 per 1,000 people in 2007. Goa also is the State with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes at 0.04 % in India.