Mangaluru

Mangaluru (Kannada: [mɐŋɡɐɭuːru]), formerly called Mangalore ( MANG-gə-lor, -⁠LOR), is a major industrial port city in the Indian state of Karnataka and on the west coast of India. It is located between the Laccadive Sea and the Western Ghats about 352 km (219 mi) west of Bengaluru, the state capital, 14 km (8.7 mi) north of Karnataka–Kerala border and 297 km (185 mi) south of Goa. Mangaluru is the state's only city to have all four modes of transport—air, road, rail and sea. The population of the urban agglomeration was 619,664 according to the 2011 national census of India. It is known for being one of the locations of the Indian strategic petroleum reserves. The city developed as a port in the Laccadive Sea during ancient times, and after Independence a new port was constructed in 1968 and has since become a major port of India that handles 75 percent of India's coffee and cashew exports. It is also the country's seventh largest container port. Mangaluru has been ruled by several major powers, including the Mauryan empire, Kadambas, Alupas, Vijayanagar Empire, and Keladi Nayaks. The city was a source of contention between the British and the Kingdom of Mysore rulers Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and was eventually annexed by the British in 1799. Mangaluru remained part of the Madras Presidency until India's independence in 1947 and was unified with Mysore State (now called Karnataka) in 1956. Mangaluru is one of the fastest developing cities in India. The Dakshina Kannada district with its administrative headquarters at Mangaluru has the highest Per Capita Income and Gross State Domestic Product in Karnataka, after Bengaluru. Mangaluru is a commercial, industrial, business, educational, healthcare, and startup hub. Mangaluru City Corporation is responsible for the civic administration which manages the 60 wards of the city. Its landscape is characterised by rolling hills, coconut palms, rivers, and hard laterite soil. Mangaluru is included as one of the cities in the Smart Cities Mission list and is among the 100 smart cities to be developed in India. It has an average elevation of 22 m (72 ft) above mean sea level. It has a tropical monsoon climate and is under the influence of the southwest monsoon. It has its own international airport which is around 15 km from the city centre.