Demographics
A native of Goa is called a Goan. In many parts of India, the names Goanese and Goankar are also sometimes used instead of Goan.
Goa has a population of 1.344 million residents consisting of 685,000 males and 658,000 females with a growth rate of 14.9% per annum. There are 363 people for each square kilometre of the land. 49.77% of the population live in urban areas. The sex ratio is 960 females to 1000 males. Goa's literacy rate is 82.32%, broken down into: males 88.88% and females 75.51%. Hinduism (65%), Catholicism (30%) and Islam are the three main religions in Goa.
After the recognition of the Indian annexation of Goa, Portugal allowed many of Goa's residents born before 1961 to migrate to Portugal. Many Goans have migrated to Portugal in recent times in search of better employment and opportunities in the European Union.
Konkani is the state language, and Marathi, the state language of neighbouring Maharashtra is additionally spoken by many of the residents in the northern portion. English also is widely spoken by many residents, especially among the Christian populace. Portuguese is still spoken as a secondary language in some areas, especially among some of the state's senior citizens.
Goa's main towns are Margao, Vasco, Panjim and Mapusa. The region connecting the four towns is considered a more or less continuous urban area.
