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The State of Karnataka is bounded by Maharashtra and Goa States in the North and North-West; by the Arabian sea in the West; by Kerala and Tamil Nadu States in the South and by the State of Andhra Pradesh in the East. The State extends to about 750 kms from North to South and about 400 kms from East to West, and covers an area of about 1,91,791 sq.kms.

Karnataka accounts for 5.83 percent of the total area of the country (32.88 lakh sq.Kms) and is the eighth largest Indian state by area, the ninth largest by population and comprises of 28 districts. Bangalore is the capital city of the State and is at the forefront of the rapid economic and technological development. Kannada is the official and most widely spoken language.

The State is blessed with a fair share of natural resources – an extensive river systems that aids power generation besides sustaining agriculture, a wide spectrum of minerals ranging from iron ore to limestone, granite to gold, a temperate climate conducive to growth of agriculture as well as industry besides a 320 km long coastline which supports a flourishing marine industry. 

The State has three principal geographical zones: the coastal region of Karavali, the hilly Malenadu region comprising the Western Ghats and the Bayaluseeme region comprising the plains of the Deccan plateau. The bulk of the State is in the Bayaluseeme region, the northern part of which is the second largest arid region in India. The highest point in Karnataka is the Mullayanagiri hills in Chikkamagaluru district which has an altitude of 1,929 metres (6,329 ft). Some of the important rivers in Karnataka are Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna, Malaprabha and the Sharavathi. 

Karnataka experiences four seasons. The winter in January and February is followed by summer between March and May, the monsoon season between June and September and the post-monsoon season from October till December. About 38,724 km2 of Karnataka (i.e. 20% of the state's geographic area) is covered by forests.

Karnataka is the manufacturing hub for some of the largest public sector industries in India, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Indian Telephone Industries, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Hindustan Machine Tools, which are based in Bangalore. Many of India's premier science and technology research centers, such as Indian Space Research Organization, Central Power Research Institute, Bharat Electronics Limited and the Central Food Technological Research Institute, are also headquartered in Karnataka. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited is an oil refinery located in Mangalore.

Since the 1980s, Karnataka has emerged as the leader in the field of IT (information technology). India's two biggest software firms, Infosys & Wipro are also headquartered in the State. The State capital, Bangalore, is also known as Silicon Valley of India.

Karnataka also leads the nation in biotechnology. It is home to India's largest biocluster, with 158 of the country's 320 biotechnology firms being based here. The State also accounts for 75% of India's floriculture, an upcoming industry which supplies flowers and ornamental plants worldwide A majority of the 3500 crore silk industry in India is headquartered in Karnataka State.

Air transport in Karnataka is fast expanding sector. Karnataka has airports at Bangalore, Mangalore (Dakshin Kannada), Hubli (Dharwad) , Belgaum, Hampi and Bellary with international operations from Bangalore and Mangalore () airports. Major airlines such as Kingfisher Airlines is based in Bangalore.

Karnataka has a railway network with a total length of approximately 3,089 kilometres. Coastal Karnataka is covered under the Konkan railway network. Karnataka has 11 ports, including the New Mangalore Port, a major port and ten other minor ports. The total lengths of National Highways and state highways in Karnataka are 3,973 kilometres and 9,829 kilometres respectively.

There are 481 degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the State, viz. Bangalore University, Gulbarga University, Karnatak University, Kuvempu University, Mangalore University and Mysore University. In 1998, the engineering colleges in the state were brought under the newly formed Visvesvaraya Technological University headquartered at Belgaum, whereas the medical colleges are run under the jurisdiction of theRajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

The districts of the Western ghats and the southern districts of the State have popular eco-tourism locations including Kudremukh, Madikeri and Agumbe. Karnataka has 25 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. Popular among them are Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park and Nagarhole National Park. The other tourist attractions are ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire at Hampi, monuments of Pattadakal, Cave Temples at Badami, Rock-cut Temples at Aihole. The Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Rauza are famous examples of the Deccan Sultanate style of architecture.

The popular waterfalls of Karnataka are Jog Falls i.e. India's tallest single-tiered waterfall with Gokak Falls, Unchalli Falls, Magod Falls, Abbey Falls and Shivanasamudra Falls. Several popular beaches dot the coastline including Murudeshwara, Gokarna and Karwar.

In addition, Karnataka is home to several places of religious importance. Several Hindu temples including the famous Udupi Krishna Temple, the Marikamba Temple at Sirsi, the Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala, Sri Subramanya Temple at Kukke and Sharadamba Temple at Sringeri attract pilgrims from all over India. Most of the holy sites of Lingayats, like Kudalasangama and Basavana Bagewadi, are found in northern parts of the state. Shravanabelagola, Mudabidri and Karkala are famous for Jain history and monuments. The Jaina faith had a stronghold in Karnataka in the early medieval period with Shravanabelagola as its most important center.

Recently Karnataka has emerged as a hot spot for health care tourism. Karnataka has the highest number of approved health systems and alternative therapies in India. Along with some ISO certified government-owned hospitals, private institutions which provide international-quality services. To view Sector Profile of Tourism in Karnataka, click here.

Districts in Karnataka