Portal:Maharashtra/Intro

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Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र, literally: Great Nation) is India's third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. It is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and is home to 96 million people. The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. Mumbai, India's largest city, is the capital of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra's earliest recorded history dates back to the 3rd century BC, and was once part of Ashoka's Magadha Empire. It came under Islamic influence in the 13th century before becoming the seat of the Maratha Empire lead by Shivaji in the 17th century. The modern state was created in 1960 with the Bombay State being split into Gujarat and Maharashtra. Today Maharashtra is India's most industrialised state, and its capital Mumbai is the commercial centre of India, with the majority of corporate institutions being located in the city, in addition to the Bombay Stock Exchange, India's largest. Mumbai is also home to the Hindi Bollywood, the largest film industry in the world. (more)