Vasco da Gama, Goa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vasco da Gama
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City
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A view of the city
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 Vasco da Gama
Location in Goa
Vasco da Gama
Location in India
Vasco da Gama
Location in Asia
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| Country |  India |
| State | Goa |
| District | South Goa |
| Sub-district | Mormugao |
| Named for | Vasco da Gama |
| Elevation | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 100,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
403802
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| Area code(s) | 91-832 |
| Vehicle registration | GA-06 |
Vasco da Gama, often called Vasco, is a city in the state of Goa on India's west coast. It is named after the famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. This city is the main town of the Mormugão subdistrict. It sits on the western tip of the Mormugao peninsula, where the Zuari River meets the sea. Vasco is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Panaji, Goa's capital, and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Dabolim Airport.
The city was founded in 1543. It stayed under Portuguese rule until 1961. That year, India took over Goa in a military operation. The Mormugao Port, built in 1888, is still a very busy shipping route in Asia. This port was built by the Portuguese king with help from Gali Sidhayya, who was a local leader (zamindar) in Goa. It is now one of the most important ports in modern India. The Goa Shipyard Limited, which builds ships for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, was also built here in 1957.
Contents
History of Vasco da Gama
This city, once part of Portuguese India, is named after the famous Portuguese explorer and navigator Vasco da Gama. He was once the Governor of Portuguese India. The city was founded in 1543. It remained under Portuguese control until 1961, when India took over the area.
Vasco da Gama was the first European to reach India by sea. His journey to India (1497–1499) was important. It was the first time Europe and Asia were connected by an ocean route. This linked the Atlantic and Indian oceans, joining the West and the East. He arrived in Goa on September 11, 1524. However, he died in Kochi three months later. His body was later returned to Portugal and buried at St Jeronimos monastery.
The city is sometimes called Sambhaji Nagar. Sambhaji was the eldest son of Shivaji, who founded the Maratha Empire. There was an attempt to change the city's name to Sambhaji Nagar. This name appears in some government records. However, there are no official records showing when the city was actually renamed. So, it is often seen as a political idea that didn't fully happen.
Restoring the Clock Tower
In 2015, a group called the Goa Heritage Action Group and the History Lovers Group worked to save the old clock tower. The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) then decided to fix it. This clock tower is part of the municipal market in the city center. The building was constructed in 1921 and shows the Art Deco style of architecture. The renovation was finished in 2017. Funding came from the Rajaram and Tarabai Bandekar Charitable Trust. The new clock was brought from Nashik.
Climate and Weather
The city has a tropical monsoon climate. This means it has hot weather and a lot of rain during certain months.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.1 (88.0) |
31.2 (88.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
32.0 (89.6) |
31.6 (88.9) |
27.9 (82.2) |
26.7 (80.1) |
26.7 (80.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
29.5 (85.1) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.6 (88.9) |
29.9 (85.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.4 (77.7) |
25.9 (78.6) |
27.0 (80.6) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.5 (83.3) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.5 (77.9) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
26.4 (79.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.4 (68.7) |
20.9 (69.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
25.2 (77.4) |
26.1 (79.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
24.3 (75.7) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.9 (75.0) |
24.2 (75.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
21.5 (70.7) |
23.4 (74.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
5 (0.2) |
6 (0.2) |
83 (3.3) |
718 (28.3) |
868 (34.2) |
578 (22.8) |
272 (10.7) |
137 (5.4) |
27 (1.1) |
5 (0.2) |
2,700 (106.4) |
| Average rainy days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 104 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 64 | 67 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 89 | 91 | 91 | 89 | 84 | 72 | 63 | 78 |
| Source: Climate data.org | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Vasco
Vasco is a major travel hub for tourists visiting Goa. You can reach it by:
- Road: Through National Highway 17A and National Highway 17B.
- Rail: Via the Vasco da Gama railway station.
- Sea: Through the Mormugao Port.
- Air: Through Dabolim Airport.
Sports in Vasco
Like the rest of Goa, football is the most popular sport in Vasco. Two local teams have played in the I-League, which is a top football league in India:
- Vasco Sports Club
- Salgaocar Sports Club
Salgaocar SC even won the National Football League (NFL) in the 1998–99 season.
Tilak Maidan is a football stadium in the city that can hold 6,000 people. It hosts matches for the Indian Super League. In April 2013, when the Fatorda Stadium was being renovated, Tilak Maidan became the home ground for Goa's four teams in the I-League.
While cricket is not as popular as football, a local player from Vasco, Shadab Jakati, plays for the Goa team in the Ranji Trophy. He has also played for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. The Railway Stadium is a cricket ground in Vasco da Gama. Only one major match has been recorded there: a first-class game between Goa and Kerala in 1986/87. Kerala won that match.
Research and Science
The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) is located at Headland Sada. This is a research center managed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It is in charge of India's Antarctic Program. It also maintains India's research station in Antarctica, called Maitri. The center has labs for studying marine samples. It also has a special cold storage facility for ice core samples. NCAOR is also the main agency for India's involvement in deep-sea drilling research. This is part of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).
Education in Vasco
Vasco da Gama has several educational institutions:
- The Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, has its second campus, BITS Pilani Goa Campus, in Zuarinagar. It offers courses in engineering and science for college students.
- The Navy Children School, started in 1987, is located in Vasco-da-Gama. It is one of eight similar schools in India.
- The city has two Kendriya Vidyalaya schools. They are located at Mangor Hill in the Varunapuri area.
- Mormugao Educational Society's College of Arts and Commerce, known as MES College, is in Zuarinagar. It teaches subjects in commerce and arts.
- The Mormugao Port Trust also runs three schools called Deepvihar. These schools cover primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels.
- New Dawn Ashadeep School is a special school for children with physical disabilities.
Images for kids
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Old Bus station
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Motorcycle Taxi Stand and Municipal School
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Martyrs Memorial (Hutatma Chowk)
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Old Municipal Market
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Post Office
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St. Andrew's Church
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Main fish and produce market
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Vasco da Gama Railway Station
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Bat's Island (Pequeno) seen from Baina Beach
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Replica of the INS Viraat at the Naval Aviation Museum
See also
In Spanish: Vasco da Gama (India) para niños
