The Konkan, also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is the name given to a stretch of rugged and beautiful section of the western coastline of India from Ratnagiri to Mangalore.

Definitions of Konkan differ, but most include Maharashtra's districts Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, the state of Goa, and the Kanara districts (North and South) of Karnataka. Most people in Konkan speak Konkani, a language related to Marathi.

The sapta-Konkan as depicted in Skanda-purana stretches from southern Gujarat in the North to Kerala in the south. This is actually logical since there are a lot of similarities in the food-habits (rice and fish), crops cultivated (rice, mangoes, cashews and jackfruit) and the physique (short, slim and very agile) of people dwelling in this area.

See also Konkan Railway

Konkan Division

Konkan is one of six divisions of the state of Maharashtra. It includes the entire coastal region of Maharashtra, including Mumbai.

• Area: 30,746 km²
• Population (2001 census): 24,807,357
• Districts: Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane
• Literacy: 81.36%
• Area under irrigation: 4,384.54 km²

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• A good description of the land, the people and the culture.