GOA the land of sun, shine and sea is located on the west coast, 250 miles (400 km) south of Bombay, bordered by Maharashtra and Karnataka states, and by the Arabian Sea.     Panaji (also called as Panjim) is the capital of Goa.       Goa's is protected from east by the ranges of Sahyadri Hills which also brings the flow of rivers, that approaches Goa.     The climate here is tropical, having coconut as one of the prime crop, where the coastal plain consists of beaches fringed with coconut palms.       Fishing is one of the prime ways of living here.       The natural formation of Iron ore and manganese are mined, processed, and exported on a large scale from Goa.       The name Goa seems to be derived from Goa's early history that is a part of legend, mentioned in the Hindu Mahabharata as Gomantak and in the Puranas as Govapuri. It was ruled by a succession of Hindu dynasties until 1472 when it fell to the Muslims. It was then conquered in 1510 by Portuguese led by Afonso de Albuquerque. Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries, including Francis Xavier, arrived soon after.               The present Old Goa (now largely a city of ruins) soon became the capital of the Portuguese empire in the east, and the city reached a climax of trading prosperity and architectural splendour between 1575 and 1600.       In later years, Dutch blockades of the city and raids by Maratha raiders caused its decline, and the seat of Portuguese India was moved to Panaji in 1759. Cholera and other epidemics caused Old Goa's population to continue to dwindle, and by 1835 it was sparsely inhabited.       After India attained independence in 1947, the Indian government demanded that Portugal cede Goa to India. After years of border tensions and guerrilla warfare, Indian troops invaded and occupied Goa in December 1961. It was incorporated into India in 1962, and became a state in 1987.       Today, Goa is on the world map, for several unique reasons. One among them is tourism. The tourists all over the world opt to come here to explore the nature’s gift to this place. Which also includes exploring the spice villages...