Mangalore officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about 352 km (219 mi) west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Kerala border, 297 km south of Goa. Mangalore is the state’s only city to have all four modes of transport—air, road, rail and sea. The population of the urban agglomeration was 619,664 according to the 2011 national census of India. It is known for being one of the locations of the Indian strategic petroleum reserves.

The city developed as a port in the Arabian Sea during ancient times; it has since developed into a major port of India that handles 75 per cent of India’s coffee and cashew exports, and is the country’s seventh largest container port. Mangalore has been ruled by several major powers, including the Kadambas, Alupas, Vijayanagar Empire, Keladi Nayaks and the Portuguese. 

The city was a source of contention between the British and the Kingdom of Mysore rulers Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and was eventually annexed by the British in 1799. Mangalore remained part of the Madras Presidency until India’s independence in 1947 and was unified with Mysore State (now called Karnataka) in 1956.

Mangalore is also the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district, and is a commercial, industrial, educational, healthcare and startup hub. This city’s International Airport is the second-largest and second-busiest airport in Karnataka. Mangalore City Corporation is responsible for the civic administration, which manages the 60 wards of the city.

 The city’s landscape is characterised by rolling hills, coconut palms, rivers and hard laterite soil. India’s first 3D planetarium with 8K resolution display is situated in this city. Mangalore is also included in the Smart Cities Mission list and is among the 100 smart cities to be developed in India. The city has an average elevation of 22 m (72 ft) above mean sea level. Mangalore has a tropical monsoon climate and is under the influence of the southwest monsoon. In 2017, Mangalore was ranked the 48th best city to live in the world by a US survey, and the only Indian city in the top 50.