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Geography of Mangalore

Mangalore is basically famous as a seaport city and it also serves as the headquarters of the district of Dakshina Kannada that is located in Karnataka’s coastal region. Mangalore lies at a distance of about 295 kilometers from Bangalore. Mangalore serves as the gateway of the state of Karnataka and it is also included in the five talukas of the Dakshina Kannada district, the others being Puttur, Sullia, Bantwal and the Belthangady taluks. Formerly, the Dakshina Kannada District was comprised of eight talukas but the talukas were divided in the month of August in 1997.

With this division, the talukas namely Kundapur, Karkala and Udupi formed a very small part of the district named Udupi but till date there are no differences found in the living of the people residing in both the districts and it is only because of this reason that the entire district of Dakshina Kannada is called ‘avibhagitha’ or undivided district of Dakshina Kannada. Mangalore has got its name from the Hindu Goddess Mangaladevi according to the history of this place. The other names of this city are Mangalpuram (Malayalam), Kudla (Tulu), Kodial (Konkani), Mangaluru (Kannada), Manjuran (Sanskrit) and Maikala (Beary).

Geographical Territory of Mangalore

Mangalore serves as the administrative headquarters of the district of Dakshina Kannada and it is also the largest built-up coastal hub of the state of Karnataka. Mangalore ranks fourth among the largest cities in Karnataka and eighth among the cleanest cities of India. Mangalore is sited on the western coast of India and it is surrounded by the Arabian Sea in its west and in its east it is surrounded by the Western Ghats.

The city of Mangalore possesses municipal entity and it is spread over an area of 8441 square kilometers. Mangalore is located in Karnataka and it forms an important division of the Konkan coast which is located in the neighborhood of Goa. The latitudinal extent of Mangalore is 12o52' North and the longitudinal extent of the city is 74o49 ' East in the district of Dakshina Kannada. The average elevation possessed by Mangalore is 22 meters above the level of sea.

Topography of Mangalore

The topography of Mangalore is found to carry a lot of variations because the city is not only composed of plains but there are even undulating slopes like valleys, hills and even flat areas. Hard laterite soil is found in the hilly tracts of the city and sandy type of soil is found near the seashore and this is something that characterizes the geology of Mangalore. The city has been characterized in Seismic III zone and it has also been identified as moderately earthquake prone urban center by the Geological Survey of India.

The Netravati and the Gurupura rivers are found to encircle Mangalore by flowing in the southern and the northern part of the city. An estuary is formed by both the rivers in the southern part of the city and together it flows into the Arabian Sea. The coastline of Mangalore is found dotted with many beaches like Mukka beach, Tannirbavi beach, Someshwar beach, KREC beach and Panambur beach.

Mangalore Beach
Mangalore beach grabs attention with aquamarine water and stone studded shores

The vegetation of Mangalore is predominantly palm trees, coconut trees, Ashoka trees and many more trees. Mangalore has been successful in preserving its green cover more than any other city of India. the most famous green covers that people visit in Mangalore are Kadri Park, Pilikula Nisargadhama, Corporation Bank Park and Tagore Park. The topography of Mangalore is found to be plain for approximately 30 kilometers including the coast and then it changes to undulating terrain and this is especially found in the eastern part of the city. The city is mainly comprised of four hilly areas possessing natural valleys. NH-13, NH-17 and NH-48 are the main National Highways of Mangalore and the major industries of the city are Mangalore Chemical and Fertilizer Limited and Kudhuremukh Iron Ore Company.

Climate of Mangalore

According to the Koppen Climate Classification, tropical monsoon climate is experienced by Mangalore and the city is found to be under the straight influence of the southwest monsoon with its branch in the Arabian Sea. Winters and summers re quite similar in Mangalore and both the seasons are found to be gratifying possessing an average temperature that ranges between 27o centigrade and 34o centigrade. Humidity is a very huge problem in the city and it sometimes reaches the average of 78% and this is something that makes Mangalore Per-Humid Zone. Mangalore can very typically be identified as a monsoonal station because it receives95% of its yearly rainfall within a very short span of six months and this is during the months from May to October. From the months of December to March, extremely dry climate is found in the city. Yearly precipitation in Mangalore is around 3479 millimeters and the humidity is quite high during the months of May, June and July. Maximum humidity in July is 93% and minimum is 56% recorded in January.

The months from December to February are the most pleasant months in Mangalore because the temperature and the humidity during this time of the year are found to be the lowest in comparison to the other months of the year. During the months between December to February the day time temperature is found to fall below 30ocentigrade and the night time temperature is recorded falling below 20ocentigrade. During this season moderate and sometimes gusty winds are experienced during the day and during the night gentle winds are experienced. This season which is considered to be very pleasant in Mangalore is followed by the hot summer season that is experienced during the months from march to May. During this time of the year, the temperature is recorded to increase as high as 38ocentigrade. The months from June to September are the monsoon months when there is heavy rainfall in the city. Rain is found to subside in the month of September with some occasional rainfall occurring in the month of October and catching people by surprise.
      

Best Time to Visit Mangalore

the months from September to February are considered to be the best time to visit Mangalore because the temperature and even the humidity are quite low during these months. This time of the year is considered to be just perfect for relaxing near the beach, sightseeing and indulging oneself in various kinds of outdoor activities. People who plan to visit Mangalore for the purpose of pending their holidays should always avoid the monsoon and the summer seasons because during the summer season it gets extremely humid and hot and heavy rainfall is experienced during the monsoon season that havoc sightseeing plans. Winter months are the best to unwind and relax at the sea and to enjoy life in the city of Mangalore.

Population of Mangalore

According to the 2011 census report of population, Mangalore had a population of 484,785. The population of the urban area in Mangalore is 619,664 and the metropolitan area of Mangalore has a population of 484,785. Males constitute 50% of the population of Mangalore that is 240,651 while the female population in Mangalore is 244,134. Growth rate of population in a decadal way was 45.90. the average literacy rate of Mangalore is 94.03% out of which male literacy is 96.49% and female literacy is 91.63%. 8.5% population of Mangalore is found to be under six years of age.

The birth rate in Mangalore was 13.7% and the death rate as well as infant mortality rate was 3.7% and 1.2% respectively. There are thirty two recognized slums in Mangalore and there are about twenty two thousand laborers who live in these slums. Crime rate is very low in Mangalore and there has been a considerable decrease in the crime rate of the city in the recent years. The utilities and services found in Mangalore are also of good quality and they speak about the large scale growth that has taken place in the city in the recent years.

There can be absolutely no doubt in the fact that Mangalore is a well developed city and at the same time it can also be said that Mangalore is a beautiful city. The topography of Mangalore has brought forward the point that Mangalore is not only comprised of beaches and temples but it also consists of some of the most beautiful slopes and hilly tracts. The most beautiful places in Mangalore are the ones that consist of hilly tracts as well as flat regions. The beaches in Mangalore are also very famous because of the comfort and the relaxation that they provide to the people and the tourists who visit Mangalore time and again. The most important fact about Mangalore is that the climate and the weather of Mangalore is just perfect for the tourists who visit the place and also for the residents of Mangalore. for the people who love sightseeing and the ones who love to enjoy rainfall, Mangalore can serve to be the best tourist destination because of the monsoon that is quite beautiful in Mangalore.

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