Maharashtra

Governor : S. C. Jamir
 Chief Minister:Ashok Chavan
 Capital: Mumbai
 Legislature: Bicameral
 Lok Sabha seats: 48
 Judicature: Mumbai High Court
 Language: Marathi
 Population density: 314/sq km
 No. of districts: 35
 Main crops: Jowar, millet, cotton, wheat,
 rice, sugarcane, tobacco, groundnut, coffee, oilseeds and chillies
 Rivers: Tributaries of Tapti, Godavari, Krishna and Bhiam.
 Minerals: Oil, coal, manganese, bauxite, iron chromite.
 Industries: Chemical and textile goods, engineering, films, Fertiliser
 Corporation of India, Hindustan Aeronautics (Nashik), Oil Refinery
(Koyali), Atomic Power House (Tarapur)
 Airports: Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Manmad, Sholapur and Akola.

PHYSICAL FEATURES
The dominant physical feature of the state is its plateau, the western upturned edges of this plateau rise to form the Sahyadri Range. The major rivers and their main tributaries have eroded the plateau into alternating river valleys and intervening higher-level interfluous, such as the Ahmadnagar, Buldhana and Yavatmal plateaus. The Sahyadri Range, with an average elevation of 1000m, forms the topographical backbone of Maharashtra. Its steep cliffs descend to the Konkan coast in the west, while on the east it descends in steps through a transitional area called Mawal till it reaches the plateau level. The Konkan area is narrow coastal lowland that is hardly 50 km wide and 200m high. It lies between the Arabian Sea and the Sahyadri Range. The Satpuras that lie along the northern border and the Bhamragad-Chiroli-Gaikhuri Range that lies along the eastern border serve as the natural limits of Maharashtra.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The first well-known rulers of Maharashtra were the Satavahanas, their epoch marks tremendous development in every field of human endeavour. Then came the Vakatakas, under them Maharashtra witnessed an all-sided development in the fields of learning, arts and religion. Some of the Ajanta Caves and fresco paintings reached the high-level mark during their rule. Other famous rulers were Chalukyas, followed by the Rashtrakutas, the Yadavas and the Shilaharas on the coast. While the Bahamani rule brought a degree of cohesion to the land and its culture, a new sense of Swaraj and nationalism was evolved by Shivaji. His noble and glorious power stalled the Mughal advances in this part of India. The Peshwas established the Maratha supremacy from the Deccan Plateau to Attack in Punjab.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

 230 BC – 225 AD – Satavahanas ruled over Maharashtra.

 17th century Maharashtra became an entity under the leadership of Shivaji.

 1 May 1960 - Maharashtra was evolved on linguistic reorganisation of the States of India.