Karnataka

Capital

Bengaluru

Official Language

Kannada

Area

191,791 km²

Districts

31

Largest City

Bengaluru

Geography & Nature

The Deccan plateau, Western Ghats and Arabian Sea coast include the Kaveri and Krishna river basins and extensive biodiversity.

• Reported area: 191,791 km². Survey of India — Administrative Boundary Data.
• Forest and tree cover: 47,033.42 km²; India State of Forest Report 2023.

Districts & Cities

31 districts listed by the NIC directory on 2026-10-14.

• Major urban centres: Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi–Dharwad, Mangaluru, Belagavi.
• Largest city/town: Bengaluru. Largest city/town using Census 2011 municipal or town boundaries; urban-agglomeration rankings can differ. Current city names are used.

State Administration

Karnataka has a Governor and an elected government led by a Chief Minister. Its legislature has a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council. The capital is Bengaluru.

• Administrative capital: Bengaluru.
• Principal official language(s): Kannada. The government language reference provides the administrative language context.

Government Institutions

Government institutions in Karnataka include executive departments, district administration, public agencies and local bodies. The official directory provides routes to their published websites.

• The Legislative Assembly provides the elected legislative institution.
• District administrations and municipal or village institutions provide local public services.

People & Demographics

The official MoEFCC profile reports approximately 6.11 crore people on a Census 2011 basis. This is a historical, rounded population figure rather than a current population estimate.

• Principal official language(s): Kannada.
• The Karnataka profile includes both urban communities and rural or island settlements; language and social patterns vary locally.
• Census tables provide the detailed rural/urban, literacy, age and mother-tongue breakdowns.

Economy & Industries

Information technology, biotechnology, aerospace, engineering, agriculture and manufacturing support a diverse economy.

• Economic centres include Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi–Dharwad.
• Use the government's economic surveys and departmental publications for dated output, employment and investment figures.

Infrastructure

Bengaluru's airport and metro, New Mangalore Port, highways, railways and power networks link major centres.

• Transport, electricity, water and digital networks support public services and economic activity.
• Project status and operational details are published by the responsible government departments and operators.

Education & Healthcare

IISc Bengaluru, state universities, IIT Dharwad and NIT Karnataka are prominent institutions; public medical colleges and district hospitals support care.

• Schools, universities, government hospitals and primary care facilities serve different parts of the region.
• Check the relevant institution or department for current programmes, admissions and services.

Culture & History

Hampi, Mysuru Dasara, the Hoysala temples and Yakshagana connect architectural heritage and performing traditions.

• Heritage sites, languages, crafts and community traditions vary across districts.
• The official tourism and culture portal provides place-specific information.

Schemes & Public Services

The Karnataka government and citizen-service portal provide access to applications, certificates, departmental services and scheme information.

• Common service areas include revenue certificates, welfare applications, education, transport and local-government services; availability varies by portal.
• Open the official service listing for the current application process and requirements.