Bharuch district

This article is about the district. For its eponymous headquarters, see Bharuch.
Districts of central Gujarat

Bharuch (formerly commonly known as Broach) (Gujarati: ભરૂચ) in India, is a district in the southern part of the Gujarat peninsula on the west coast of state of Gujarat with a size and population comparable to that of Greater Boston. The Narmada River outlets into the Gulf of Khambat through its lands and that shipping artery gave inland access to the kingdoms and empires located in the central and northern parts of the sub-continent of India.

History

Map of Broach or Bharuch district, Bombay Presidency, British India, 1877

The city of Bharuch and its surrounds—today's district—has been settled far back into antiquity and was a major shipping building center and sea port in the important pre-compass coastal trading routes to points West, perhaps as far back as the days of the Pharaohs, which utilized the regular and predictable Monsoon winds or galleys. Many goods from the Far East (the famed Spice and Silk trade) were trans-shipped there for the annual monsoon winds making it a terminus for several key land-sea trade routes and Bharuch was definitely known to the Greeks, the various Persian Empires and in the Roman Republic and Empire and other Western centers of civilization right on through the end of the European Middle Ages.

With the advent of the Age of Discovery, the presence of deep draft sea going shipping it began a long slow decline in importance as it was a bit too far north to be convenient to shipping not confined to keeping within sight of shore.

Divisions

Administratively, it contains the talukas (administrative subdistricts) of Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Hansot, Jambusar, Jhagadia, Amod, Valia and Vagra. It also contains the city of Bharuch.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census Bharuch district has a population of 1,550,822,[1] roughly equal to the nation of Gabon[2] or the US state of Hawaii.[3] This gives it a ranking of 321st in India (out of a total of 640).[1] The district has a population density of 238 inhabitants per square kilometre (620/sq mi) .[1] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 13.14%.[1] Bharuch has a sex ratio of 924 females for every 1000 males,[1] and a literacy rate of 83.03%.[1]

Hindus are a majority, comprising 76.61% of the district. Muslims are significant minority(22.15%). This area is also home to the Muslim Vohra Patel community.

Culture

Notable personalities

Narmadanandji-who runs the ashram of UCHALI, in Nareshwar, near Ankleshwar

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
  2. ↑ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 2011-10-01. Gabon 1,576,665
  3. ↑ "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-09-30. Hawaii 1,360,301
  4. ↑ "Bhavan's Faith". Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Tribhuvandas Luhar (Sundaram)". Thakkar Numismatic and Art Foundation. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
 Anand district Vadodara district
Gulf of Khambhat Narmada district
   Bharuch district  
Surat district Surat district/Narmada district

Coordinates: 20°42′N 72°59′E / 20.700°N 72.983°E / 20.700; 72.983

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