Maharashtra is a state located in the western peninsular region of India. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to the northwest.

Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India, the third most populous country subdivision in South Asia and the fourth-most populous in the world.

The state is divided into 6 divisions and 36 districts. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra, with Nagpur serving as the winter capital.

The main rivers of the state are the Krishna, and its tributary, Bhima, the Godavari, and its main tributaries, Manjara, and Wardha-Wainganga and the Tapi, and its tributary Purna. The forests cover 16.47% of the state's geographical area.

The state is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai and the Western Ghats, a heritage site made up of 39 individual properties of which four are in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra has following geographical regions: 1, North Maharashtra, 2. Konkan, 3. Marathwada, 4. Vidarbha, 5. Desh or Western Maharashtra.

It consists of six administrative divisions: 1. Amravati, 2. Aurangabad, 3. Konkan, 4. Nagpur, 5. Nashik, 6. Pune

Marathi is the official language although different regions have their own dialects. Powari, Lodhi, and Varhadi are spoken in the Vidarbha region, Dangi is spoken near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, Bhil languages are spoken throughout the northwest part of the state, Khandeshi (locally known as Ahirani) is spoken in Khandesh region. In the Desh and Marathwada regions, Dakhini Urdu is widely spoken. Konkani, and its dialect Malvani, is spoken along the southern Konkan coast. Telugu and Kannada are spoken along the border areas of Telangana and Karnataka, respectively.

Maharashtra is one of the six states in India where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). The Legislative Assembly consists of 288 members. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 78 members. Maharashtra also has 48 seats in Lok Sabha and 19 seats in the Rajya Sabha. The state is divided into 6 divisions and 36 districts.

Mumbai, the capital of the state and the financial capital of India, houses the headquarters of most of the major corporate and financial institutions. India's main stock exchanges and capital market and commodity exchanges are located in Mumbai.

Maharashtra has 24 universities with a turnout of 160,000 Graduates every year. Established during the rule of East India company in 1857 as Bombay University, The University of Mumbai, is the largest university in the world in terms of the number of graduates.

Mumbai is the largest centre for film and television production and a third of all Indian films are produced in the state. The first Indian feature-length film, Raja Harishchandra, was made in Maharashtra by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema, given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

Maharashtra

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