2. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Gujarat is situated on the west coast of India and boasts of a 1,600 km long
coastline. The Arabian Sea sweeps off the western and south western frontiers
of the state. It is situated between 20o 1' and 24o 7' north latitudes and 68o 4'
and 74o 4' east longitudes
Gujarat stretches from Kutch in the West to Daman in the South. In the
East, lies the hilly region of the Aravallis, whereas lush green woods, hills, plains
and rivers are found in the west. Rajasthan lies towards the northeast of
Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh to the east and Maharashtra to the southeast.
3. HISTORY
Gujarat gets its name from "Gujjar Rashtra", the land of the Gujjars, a migrant
tribe who came to India in the wake of the invading Huns in the 5th century. The
history of Gujarat dates back to 2000 BC. It is also believed that Lord Krishna
left Mathura to settle on the west coast of Saurashtra at Dwarka.
The state saw various kingdoms like Mauryas, Guptas, Pratiharas etc, but it was
under the regime of Chalukyas (Solanki) Gujarat witnesses progress and
prosperity. Inspite of the plundering of Mahmud of Ghazni, the Chalukyan kings
were able to maintain general prosperity and well being of the state. After this
glorious respite, Gujarat faced troubled times under the Muslims, Marathas and
the British rules.
Historically, the state of Gujarat has been one of the main centers of the Indus
Valley Civilization. It contains major ancient metropolitan cities from the Indus
Valley such as Lothal, Dholavira and Gola Dhoro. The ancient city of Lothal was
where India's first port was established. Also, Dholavira, the ancient city, is one
of the largest and most prominent archaeological sites in India, belonging to the
Indus Valley Civilization.
4. CULTURE
The Gujarat state of India, boasts of a rich culture and heritage. The people of
Gujarat are very particular regarding their value system. They have preserved
the ancient art and craft techniques and still practice them with great
determination. Gujaratis are proud of their customs and traditions and follow
them with utmost pride. The people of Gujarat are very simple and live life to the
fullest. The spirit of Gujarat is quite visible from the varied fairs and festivals
celebrated in the state. It is further enriched by the tribal people residing here.
They have their own set of customs and rituals. Thus, Gujarat has a cultural
diversity which is a unique feature of the state and is randomly seen
5.
6. INDUSTRIES
Chemicals & Petrochemicals
Engineering & Auto
Oil & Gas
Pharmaceutical &Biotechnology
Mines & Minerals
Port Ship Building & Related Ind.
Environment technologies
Food Agro
Financial Sector
Green Energy
Health Care
Knowledge
Gems & Jwellery
Textiles
Tourism
7. SOCIO-ECONOMIC REVIEW
GSDP 2007 - 2008 303734 crore
GSDP 2008 - 2009 367745 crore
GSDP 2009 - 2010 429356 crore
Per Capita income as per current prices 2008 – 2009 Rs. 49251 as against 2007 –
2008 Rs. 45433.
Population as per census 2001 – 5.07 crore
Literacy rate 69.14% in 2001
Nearly 37.36% resides in urban areas
8. FDI IN GUJARAT
Total FDI in Gujarat US$ 6.3 billion
Gujarat ranks 4th
Top countries that invested in Gujarat (from Jan 2000 to Dec 2009)
Mauritius – 47%
U.S.A – 18%
Singapore – 13%
U.A.E – 5%
U.K – 5%
Sectors that attracted maximum FDI inflows in Gujarat (from Jan 2000 to Dec
2009)
Telecommunications (25%)
Petroleum & Natural Gas (12%)
Power (11%)
Metallurgical Industries (11%) and
Automobile Industry (8%)
