Uttara Kannada Tourism - North Canara
Earlier known as North Canara, Uttara Kannada is one of the northernmost districts of Karnataka. The district has varied geographical features with thick forest, perennial rivers and a long coastal line. The earliest known evidence says that it was the home of the Kadamba kingdom from 350 to 525 CE. After the subjugation of the Kadambas, the region came under successive rule of empires like Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagar empire. Famous Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta is said to have stayed for a time here. In 1638, the English trading body established a factory at a village on the banks of the Kali river. It was a trade port frequented by traders from Arabia and Africa purchasing Pepper, Cardamom, Cassier, Coarse Blue Cotton Cloth etc. The region became a part of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century.
After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, it became a part of British territory again. They delineated the region with the Bombay Presidency until 1950. After India's independence, in 1956, the Southern portion of Bombay State was added to Mysore State, which was later renamed as Karnataka. The people here speak languages like Kannada, Konkani, Tulu and Marathi influenced by the cultural pattern of Northern Karnataka and Maharashtra. Their occupation includes Agriculture, Fishing, Animal Husbandry, Sericulture, Horticulture, Leather Works etc. Almost 70% of the region is covered by the forests. Though it is geographically just beneath Goa, the beaches here are still virgin and pristine. Karwar town is the headquarters of the district.