Vasco da Gama, Goa in the context of "Margao"

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⭐ Core Definition: Vasco da Gama, Goa

Vasco da Gama (/ˌvæsk də ˈɡæmə/, Portuguese: [ˈvaʃku ðɐ ˈɣɐmɐ]), often shortened to Vasco, is a city in the state of Goa on the west coast of India. It is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. It is the headquarters of the Mormugão taluka (subdistrict). The city lies on the western tip of the Mormugao peninsula, at the mouth of the Zuari River, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Panaji, Goa's capital, 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Margao, the district headquarters and about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Dabolim Airport.

The city was developed along with the nearby Mormugao Port in 1886 and remained with the Portuguese Empire until the 1961 Indian military operation that annexed Goa. The 1888-constructed Mormugao Port remains a busy shipping route in Asia. This port is built by the Portuguese king in alliance with Gali Sidhayya who is the then zamindar of the Goa region. It is one of the major ports of independent India. The shipbuilding area of Goa Shipyard Limited that builds Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels was also built there in 1957 (during the Portuguese era). Initially built around the city's harbour as the 'Estaleiros Navais de Goa', the area has, since the end of Portuguese presence, expanded into construction for several other branches of maritime patrol and security. The Indian Navy has an obvious presence here, with its vast campuses and ports, which include the naval base INS Hansa.

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Vasco da Gama, Goa in the context of Goa

Goa (/ˈɡ.ə/ GOH; Konkani: [ɡõːj]; Portuguese: [ˈɡoɐ] ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bordered by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the east and south, with the Arabian Sea forming its western coastline. It is India's smallest state by area and fourth-smallest by population. Panaji (also Panjim) is the state's capital, while Vasco da Gama is its largest city by population. The state's official language is Konkani, spoken by the majority of its inhabitants.

The Portuguese, who first voyaged to the subcontinent in the early 16th century as merchants, conquered it shortly thereafter. Goa became an overseas territory of the Portuguese Empire and part of what was then known as Portuguese India, remaining under Portuguese rule for approximately 451 years until its annexation by India in December 1961. The historic city of Margão, or Madgaon, still reflects the cultural legacy of colonisation.

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Vasco da Gama, Goa in the context of Dabolim Airport

Dabolim Airport (IATA: GOI, ICAO: VOGO) is an international airport serving Panaji, the capital of the state of Goa, India. It is operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. The airport is located in Dabolim, in South Goa district, 4 km (2.5 mi) from the nearest city of Vasco da Gama, 23 km (14 mi) from Margao, and about 30 km (19 mi) from the state capital, Panaji.

The airport's integrated terminal was inaugurated in December 2013. It was designed by Creative Group, an India-based architecture firm. In fiscal year 2024-25, the airport handled over 7.2 million passengers. Since fiscal year 2023-24, the airport has been witnessing decline in passenger, air and cargo traffic, due to the excess traffic taken by the new airport as the second airport of the state. Several European charter airlines fly to Goa seasonally, typically between November and May. Until 2022, flights from the UK (London Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport) were operated by TUI Airways and Air India, which operated on a daily basis, before both the airlines shifted to the new airport in 2023 to relieve the growing excess traffic in this airport. As of 2025, there are also several seasonal charter flights to various Russian cities.

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Vasco da Gama, Goa in the context of Mormugao Port

Mormugao Port is a port on the western coast of India, in the coastal state of Goa. Commissioned in 1885 on the site of a natural harbour, it is one of India's oldest ports. The port employs around 2,600 employees and has about 4,000 pensioners.

The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), which operates the port, is the largest employer in the Vasco region and has a complete mini-township in Headland Sada which includes schools, residential complexes and amenities (like a hospital) for employees of the Port. It was renamed from 'Mormugao Port Trust' to 'Mormugao Port Authority' in 2022.

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Vasco da Gama, Goa in the context of Goa Shipyard

Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) is a public sector undertaking for defence ship building located on the West Coast of India at Vasco da Gama, Goa. It was established in 1957, originally by the colonial government of the Portuguese in India as the "Estaleiros Navais de Goa", to build barges to be used in Goa's growing mining industry, which took off after the establishment of India's blockade of Goa in 1955. In the wake of Portugal's defeat and unconditional surrender to India following the 1961 Indian annexation of Goa, it was requisitioned to manufacture warships for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.

GSL is undergoing a modernisation of its yard to adapt to the latest technology in shipbuilding. To this purpose it is negotiating with well-known shipbuilders for an arrangement to collaborate. To date it has built 167 vessels, including barges, tugs, landing craft, offshore patrol vessels and other vessels for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard and for export to countries like Yemen.Goa Shipyard unlike Cochin Shipyard and Hindustan Shipyard cannot manufacture big vessels of capacity above 15,000 DWT, the average Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) capacity of a ship worldwide is around 60,000 to 80,000 DWT.

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