A Deputy Commissioner, who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service receiving assistance from a number of officers belonging to Karnataka state services, heads the administration in each district.
Nearly 56 percent of the workforce in Karnataka works in agriculture and related activities.
The Konkan railway network, considered India's biggest railway project of the century, covers Coastal Karnataka.
Purandara Dasa, one of the most revered Haridasas, gained fame as the Karnataka Sangeeta Pitamaha ('Father of Carnatic music').
Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology, serving as home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here.
Meteorologically, Karnataka divides into three zones—coastal, north interior and south interior.
Three political parties, the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party have dominated politics in Karnataka.
Christianity reached Karnataka in the sixteenth century with the arrival of the Portuguese and St. Francis Xavier in 1545.
Karu nadu may also be read as Karu (black) and nadu (region), as a reference to the black cotton soil found in the Bayaluseeme region of Karnataka.
Seven of India's leading banks, Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Vijaya Bank, Karnataka Bank, Vysya Bank and the State Bank of Mysore originated in this state.
Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 kilometers (1,919 mi).
Karnataka occupies a special place in the history of Indian radio.
Karnataka has been ranked as the fourth most popular destination for tourism among the states of India.
Forests, covering about 38,724 kmІ (14,951 sq mi) of Karnataka (i.e.
Presently the Times of India and Vijaya Karnataka stand as the largest-selling English and Kannada newspapers respectively.
Buddhism proved popular in Karnataka during the first millennium in places such as Gulbarga and Banavasi.
The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka measure 3,973 kilometers (2,469 mi) and 9,829 kilometers (6,107 mi), respectively.
The waterfalls of Karnataka and Kudremukh National Park have been listed as must-see places and among the "1001 Natural Wonders of the World.
According to the 2001 census of India, the total population of Karnataka stood at 52,850,562; 26,898,918 (50.89%) male and 25,951,644 (49.11%) female, or 1000 males for every 964 females.
Karnataka has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India.
Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions.
Politicians from Karnataka have played prominent roles in federal government of India with some of them having held the high positions of Prime Minister and Vice President.
To maximize attendance in schools, the Karnataka Government has launched a mid-day meal scheme in government and aided schools in which they provide free lunch to the students.
Gold discovered in Harappa had been imported from mines in Karnataka, prompting scholars to hypothesize about contacts between ancient Karnataka and the Indus Valley Civilization in 3000 B.C.E.
The Jain philosophy and literature have contributed immensely to the religious and cultural landscape of Karnataka.
Coordinates: 12°58?13?N 77°33?37?E? / ?12.970214, 77.56029 Karnataka (Kannada: ??????, IPA: ?), a state in the southern part of India, was created on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act.
At the end of 2004, the unemployment rate in Karnataka stood at 4.94 percent compared to the national rate of 5.99 percent.
Ugadi (Kannada New Year), Makara Sankranti (the harvest festival), Ganesh Chaturthi, Nagapanchami, Basava Jayanthi and Ramzan constitute the other major festivals of Karnataka.
Schools follow either the syllabus taught in the CBSE, the ICSE or the state syllabus defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka.
Karnataka has the second highest number of nationally protected monuments in India, second only to Uttar Pradesh, in addition to 752 monuments protected by the State Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.
The Chief Minister, chosen by the ruling party members of the Legislative Assembly, heads the government of Karnataka.
Apart from Kannadigas, Karnataka serves as home to Tuluvas, Kodavas and Konkanis.
Karnataka has also established a modicum of public health services having a better record of health care and child care than most other states of India.
The Jaina faith had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important center.
The citizens of Karnataka also elect twenty eight members to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
Madhvacharya had been born in Karnataka while Adi Shankaracharya chose Sringeri in Karnataka to establish the first of his four mathas.
Women in Kodagu have a distinct style of wearing the saree, different from the rest of Karnataka.
Rice and Ragi form the staple food in South Karnataka, whereas Sorghum makes up the staple in North Karnataka.
The Mullayanagiri hills in Chikkamagaluru district, at an altitude of 1,929 meters (6,329 ft), stands as the highest point in Karnataka.
People of Karnataka celebrate Mysore Dasara as the Nada habba (state festival), marking major festivities at Mysore.
Karnataka's contribution to India's GDP in the year 2004-2005 was 5.2 percent.
Hospitals in Karnataka treat around 8000 health tourists every year.
Karnataka has been referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of its high standards in comparison to other states.
Karnataka has five national parks: Anshi, Bandipur, Bannerghatta, Kudremukh and Nagarhole.
Three kinds of schools operate in Karnataka, viz., government-run, private aided (government provides financial aid) and private unaided (run without financial aid).
Gamaka, another classical music genre based on Carnatic music, enjoys popularity in Karnataka.
Originally known as the State of Mysore, the government renamed Karnataka in 1973.
Karnataka, like other Indian states, has a parliamentary system of government with two democratically elected state legislatures, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
Karnataka has airports at Bengaluru (Bangalore), Mangaluru (Mangalore), Hubballi (Hubli), Belagavi (Belgaum), Hampi and Bellary with international operations from Mangaluru and Bengaluru airports.
Prior to the third century B.C.E., most of Karnataka had been part of the Nanda Empire before coming under the Mauryan Empire of Emperor Ashoka.
The three most important schools of Hindu philosophy, Advaita, Vishistadvaita and Dvaita blossomed in Karnataka.
The diverse linguistic and religious ethnicities native to Karnataka combine with their long histories contributing immensely to the varied cultural heritage of the state.
By virtue of its varied geography and long history, Karnataka hosts numerous historical and cultural spots of interest.
Karnataka's smallest district, Kodagu, has been a major contributor to Indian field hockey, producing numerous players who have represented India at the international level.
The Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, includes the western region of Karnataka.
Administratively, Karnataka has been divided into four revenue divisions, 49 sub-divisions, 29 districts, 175 taluks and 745 hoblies/revenue circles.
Four centuries of Satavahana rule followed, allowing them to control large areas of Karnataka.
Poaching, habitat destruction, human-wildlife conflict and pollution threaten wildlife in Karnataka.
Border disputes involving Karnataka's claim on the Kasaragod and Sholapur districts and Maharashtra's claim on Belgaum have been ongoing since the states reorganisation.
Yakshagana of coastal Karnataka, a classical folk play, represents one of the major theatrical forms of Karnataka.
Many of India's premier science and technology research centers, such as Indian Space Research Organization, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, headquarter in Karnataka.
The Arabian Sea borders Karnataka to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest.
Dhoti, known as Panche in Karnataka, refers to the traditional attire of men.
Recently, Karnataka has witnessed a growth in FM radio channels mainly in the city of Bangalore which has around ten such channels and these have become hugely popular.
Some of the important rivers in Karnataka include the Kaveri, the Tungabhadra, the Krishna and the Sharavathi.
Kannada played a crucial role in the creation of Karnataka since linguistic demographics proved a major criterion chosen to create the state in 1956.
The Mysore style of Bharatanatya nurtured and popularized by the legendary Jatti Tayamma continues to hold sway in Karnataka and Bangalore also enjoys an eminent place as one of the foremost centers of Bharatanatya.
Many regions of Karnataka have remained unexplored, so scientists discover new species of flora and fauna periodically.
Air transport in Karnataka, although fledgling as in the rest of the country, has been expanding rapidly.
The history of Karnataka traces back to a paleolithic hand-axe culture evidenced by discoveries of, among other things, hand axes and cleavers in the region.
Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi mudde, Uppittu, Masala Dose and Maddur Vade number among the popular food items in Karnataka.
Many cricketers have represented India and in some international matches held in the 1990s; players from Karnataka composed the majority of the national team.
The thus expanded state received the new name Karnataka, 17 years later, in 1973.
The Kannada language constitues the official language of the state and the native language of approximately 65 percent of Karnataka's population.
Apart from that, coastal Karnataka and Kodagu have a distinctive cuisine of their own.
Talacauvery and Kudremukh, both in Karnataka, on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites.
Chitrakala Parishat, an organization in Karnataka dedicated to promoting painting, practices mainly the Mysore painting style.
The judiciary in the state consists of the Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri) in Bangalore, district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluk level.