The North Goa District has an area of 1736 Sq. Km. Its geographical position is marked by 15o 48’ 00” N to 14o 53’ 54” N latitudes and 73o E to 75o E longitudes.
North Goa shares its boundaries with the Sawantwadi & Dodamarg, of Ratnagiri District and Kolhapur District of Maharastra state and with South Goa District shares the southern boundary.
Physical Features
North Goa being a part of the West Coast region of India, has many physical features that are common to neighbouring regions of Maharastra and Karnataka States.
But the features that land the landscape and scenery of Goa a distinctive charm of their own, are the Sahyadris in the east. The middle level plateaus in the center with their detached elements abutting in several places into the sea, and the low-lying river basins and the coastal plains.
The Sahyadris of Goa
The portion of the Sahyadris lying in Goa has an area about 300 sq. kilometers and an average elevation of 800 metres. If one looks eastwards from the plains of Goa towards the Sahyadris they form on the horizon almost a wall with peaks, connected with saddles below, and clad in azure blue, with mists dominating especially during the rainy season. The water-divide acts as a source region for most of the Goan rivers. The scarp face is furrowed by ungraded streams, many of which in the steep fall, have waterfalls.
Of the isolated peaks with which the ranges of mountains are studded the most conspicuous are: On the North Sonsagar, 3827 feet above sea level; Catlanchimauli 2633 feet; Vaguerim, 3500 feet; Morlemgad, 3400 feet all in Sattari taluka.
The Plateaus
The central portion of North Goa consists by and large,of plateaus at varying levels. The plateaus have typical landforms that are quite characteristic of Goan scenery, the tops are fairly level, but are in places deeply notched by gullies; On the coastline the lateritic plateaus end in headlands; the Aguada.
The river basins and the coastal alluvial flats quite in contrast to the lateritic plateaus and abundant in their usefulness are the alluvial lowlands of North Goa. These are the in-filled stretches of the rivers which have deposited the eroded material from the Sahyadrian elevation along their banks, on losing their gradient when they emerge from the highlands to meet the sea. The major riverine plains in North Goa are those of mandovi. Those of Chapora in the North are lesser basins.
The coastline of North Goa is a scenic alteration of bays and headlands significantly broken by large estuaries of Mandovi and interspersed with minor estuaries. Of the bays, the Baga, Calangute are extensive curved stretches which with their near white sands and palm fringes form on of the main tourist attractions of Goa.
Of the many rivers that drain the land of the district Tiracol, Mandovi & Sal are the most important because of the extent of their drainage areas and the human attraction they hold.
Lakes
Lakes constitute a scenic feature in Goa, though most of them have a limited and local use for irrigation. Most of them owe their origins to the bunds across stream valleys, large and small, and also on plateau margins and in alluvial flats.
The important lakes of North Goa are Mayem, Chimbel, Carambolim & Calapur.
Vegetation Types
The tropical wet evergreen forests occur in strands in the deeper valleys of the Ghats. This is a rich vegetation of evergreen type with a variety of species. Tall trees, dense canopy, sparse middle layer, climbing creepes and dense humus matting are characteristics.
The tropical moist deciduous forests occupy a large area of the Sahyadrian Goa. The include important strands of teak which are estimated to occupy most of the forest area. Bamboo and cane, pre-monsoonal leaf fall of the deciduous species is quite a striking feature.
Mineral Deposits
Major deposits: Iron, Manganese, bauxite, high magnesia. Limestone and clay.
At
present iron and manganese mining are the major extractive industries of
North Goa.
The territory, which is situated well within the tropics and flanked by the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) rising to an average height of 1 km. To the east, has tropical-maritime and monsoon type of climate, with profound orographic influence.
Accordingly the climate is moist throughout the year. Other features of the climate are the regular and sufficient rainfall 320 cm during the southwest monsoon season, mainly from June to September. The climate is generally pleasant. Discomfort may be felt in the absence of wind particularly during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon months.
Due to proximity of the seas, the territory is generally humid, with a further rise in humidity during the monsoon weather. Even in summer the relative humidity is above 60 percent.
Temperature variations through the seasons are also slight. May is the relatively warmest month when the mean daily temperature is around 30 degrees C and January the coolest with mean daily temperature at slightly lower value of about 25 degrees C. Along the coast the maximum temperature recorded rarely goes beyond 37 degrees C.
Summer: 24 o C – 32 o C
Winter: 21.3 o C – 32.2 o C
Rainfall: 320 cm (June to September)
