The Indian state of Goa is perceived by many as heaven on earth. It is warm and inexpensive, and this is exactly what the mass of downshifters of all stripes who come here from various countries need. In many other aspects, this state compares favorably with other parts of India, although there is also an opinion that this place is already too Europeanized, and there is a lack of local flavor, which, in general, is also a fact. In any case, it is better to look at this wonderful place with your own eyes - it's worth it. Bemorepanda collected interesting facts for you.

1. Most of India for a long time was under English rule, but the state of Goa was previously owned by Portugal. Therefore, there are enough Catholics here along with Hindus, and Catholic churches have survived (see interesting facts about Portugal).

2. It is noticeably cleaner than in most other states of this vast country.

3. Prices are really low here. For some expats, $ 500 a month is enough.

4. The water temperature on the coast of Goa all year round is kept in the region of 28-30 degrees.

5. Unlike the rest of India, it is quite possible to order beef in a restaurant here. Yes, again, because there are many Catholics here who do not consider a cow a sacred animal.

6. Among all Indian states, Goa is the smallest in area.

7. The difference between the northern and southern parts of Goa is pronounced. The north is a paradise for party-goers and downshifters, and the south is full of respectable hotels, and the older and richer public generally rest here.

8. The total length of the beaches in Goa is about 100 kilometers.

9. Almost 30% of the state is covered with impassable tropical jungle.

10. Officially, more than 7 thousand licensed bars function in Goa. In fact, this number is higher - not everyone has a license.

11. It is here that Kopi Luvak coffee is produced - the most expensive sort in the world. It is made from coffee beans that have passed through the digestive tract of local animals (see interesting facts about coffee).

12. Bargaining in Goa is possible and necessary, it is a part of local life. Moreover, prices for tourists are always inflated initially, sometimes five times.

13. There are very, very, very many insects. You can escape from them in your own home only if you rent a room on a higher floor in some expensive hotel.

14. Here is the village of Morjim, which bears the unofficial title of "Russian". There are more expats from ex-USSR countries than local residents. A similar situation has emerged in recent years in the Vietnamese surfer village, Mui Ne.

15. Due to the abundance of Russian tourists, many cafes and restaurants in Goa offer Russian cuisine, but in the overwhelming majority of cases local chefs cook them, let's say, mediocre.

16. Nobody goes on foot here - everyone drives motorbikes. Those who are poorer - on bicycles. As, however, in all of India.

17. Despite the humid tropical climate, such a dangerous disease as malaria is very rare.

18. Agriculture remains a mainstay of the Goa economy, with rice, fruits (such as mango), coconuts, legumes (legumes), cashews, betel (areca nuts) and sugar cane among the most important crops. The main forest products include teak and bamboo. The state has an active fishing industry along its coast, although sustainability has been a growing concern in the 21st century. The state exports a number of agricultural goods.

19. Goa is rich in minerals. Mining began in the middle of the twentieth century and, in the following decades, emerged as a central component of the state's economy.

20. The service sector in the Goa economy has grown in importance since the end of the twentieth century. This is largely due to the rapid growth of the tourism industry.

Monsoon rains, the season of which is just continuing in India, brings a lot of problems. One of the residents of Mumbai posted a shocking video in which a car in a parking lot suddenly goes underground.

 In the frames, you can see how the car (it looks like it is empty) suddenly seems to lose its support and begins to roll, plunging first with its wheels, then with its hood into a hole that eroded the coating. The failure turns out to be so deep that the unfortunate machine goes into the open earth completely.

Fortunately, the cars standing nearby were not damaged.

It became known that there was a well at this place, which was even cemented, but due to heavy rain, a failure was formed, according to The Times of India. Rescuers and police who arrived at the scene took the necessary steps to get the car out of the water trap.

India is one of the oldest countries on the planet. The history and culture of India are rooted in such a deep past that even professional scientists, culturologists and historians still cannot fully understand them. True, the real picture is less rosy. India is an overpopulated, poor and sometimes rather polluted country, not at all reminiscent of the wonderful place that is usually described in fairy tales and shown in films.

India is a country with a rich culture and amazing traditions, Bemorepanda presents some interesting facts.

1. India ranks second in the world in terms of the number of people living on its territory after China (the country's population is about 1.3 billion people).

2. The territory of modern India was inhabited by the ancestors of modern people about 500 thousand years ago. Just think - half a million years ago!

3. In the 2014 elections, 668 women and five transsexuals were elected to the Indian Parliament.

4. India has an amazing variety of animal and plant species. At the same time, about 33% of the plant varieties growing in Indian forests are not found anywhere else on the planet.

5. The Indians were the first to season food with black pepper.

6. The national sport in India is field hockey, and the most popular is cricket, inherited by the Indians from the British colonialists. India has won more Olympic medals in field hockey than any other country in the world.

7. India is the birthplace of yoga.

8.In the Indian capital New Delhi, every year there is International Mango Festival.

9. One of the main architectural symbols of India, the Taj Mahal mausoleum, was built for almost 30 years by more than 20 thousand workers and artisans. Now this unique structure is gradually covered with cracks and turns yellow due to extremely dirty air - the complex has to be regularly cleaned using special white clay.

10. In 2010, a luxury train called the Maharajah Train began operating between New Delhi and Mumbai. Passengers on the train can admire India's most famous landmarks from the cool of the five-star carriages.

11. India leads among all countries in the world in the number of homicides and abortions per thousand population.

12. People in India speak 780 languages ​​and more than a thousand dialects derived from these languages ​​(see interesting facts about languages).

13. The Indian authorities have legally banned the import of its national currency, the Indian rupee, across the border. Both the import of rupees into India and the export of local money from it are prohibited. True, usually no one checks anything anyway.

14. In India, it is customary to celebrate weddings on a grand scale - even not too wealthy families invite up to one and a half thousand guests to the wedding and organize a festive feast for them.

15. Indians consider cows to be sacred animals, so they do not eat beef and allow cattle to roam freely along the city streets and beaches. However, this does not apply to the state of Goa - they even eat beef here, since the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Goa are Christians, not Hindus.

16. More than a million people in India are dollar millionaires.

17. In India, practically no one uses washing machines - wealthy Indians prefer to hire a housekeeper who takes care of the laundry, while poor families simply wash their clothes in a nearby pond.

18. Indian women do not address their husbands by their first names, as this is considered disrespectful.

19. India has more vegetarians than any other country in the world.

20. Indian Post has the largest mail delivery network in the world. On the territory of the country there is a post office located at an altitude of 4400 meters above sea level, there is also a floating post office, and several decades ago, the Indians were served by mobile postmen on camels.

21. The sacred city of Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

22. India ranks second after the United States in terms of the number of English-speaking residents.

23. The Indian town of Cherrapunji is considered one of the wettest places on Earth.

24. Jaipur has the world's largest sundial.

25. Indians prepare over 140 types of traditional national desserts.