Capital: Bangalore Districts: 29 Languages: Kannada, Tulu, Kodava, Hindi. English is widely spoken Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism Currency: Indian Rupee Area: 1,91,792 Sq Km Time: GMT + 5:30   History   Karnataka's history dates back to the 3rd century BC. The succession of able administrators from the Hoysalas, Chalukyas and the mighty Vijayanagara rulers, to the arrival of the Mughals in the 17th century and the British in the 18th Century have contributed to the mix of culture and heritage that is as rich as it is ancient. The dynasties during their reign created some glorious monuments and towns, which still stand as testimony to Karnataka's architectural legacy and marvellous culture. Karnataka was ruled by Mouryans in 4th century BC and later by Cholas and Chalukyas. Later on Vijaynagara empire ruled the region and Hampi was their bastion. When Mughals invaded north India, Islamic culture and rulers came to the region. The Wodeyars occupied Karnataka for a long time and ruled the region until the India got the independence from British in 1947. In 1956, the state of Karnataka was born and Bangalore became its capital city. Today Karnataka is one of the country's most progressive states bustling with information technology, sophisticated hi-tech industries, scientific and research institutions. Karnataka with its world-class educational institutions, talented workforce and unmatched variety is often referred to as the knowledge capital of India.   Landscape and Climate   Karnataka is bordered by the Arabian Sea in the west, Goa in the northwest, Maharashtra in the north, Andhra Pradesh in the east, Tamil Nadu in the south and Kerala in the southwest. Topographically, Karnataka consists of the Arabian Sea Coast , Western Ghats , Deccan Plateau and Eastern Ghats .Geographically, the state spreads between 11.50 and 18.50 north altitudes and 740 and 78.50 east altitude. Climate is salubrious for the major part of the year. Karnataka enjoys a tropical climate with three distinct seasons-hot and dry from February to May (average temperature 34 degrees Celsius and 75% humidity); rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to October (average day temperature 29 degrees Celsius and 87% humidity); and cool from November to January (temperatures range from 32 degrees Celsius to below 20 degrees Celsius with a drop in humidity). Much lower temperatures are experienced in the North and Northeast during night time. The South has a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures averaging 28 degrees Celsius almost all year round.