Junagadh district

Junagadh district is a district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Its administrative headquarters is the city of Junagadh.

Geography
The district is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in western Gujarat. It is surrounded by Rajkot district (north), Porbandar District (north-west), and Amreli district (east). To the south and west is the Arabian Sea.

Porbandar was earlier a part of this district, before the Porbandar district was carved out of Junagadh district.

Junagadh has a mountain range called Girnar which is a place of pilgrimage for Hinduism and Jainism.

Divisions
Talukas of Junagadh are Junagadh City, Bhesan subdistrict, Junagadh Rural, Keshod, Malia, Manavadar, Mangrol, Mendarda, Vanthali, and Visavadar.

Transportation
Junagadh is well connected by road and railway networks. It is about 100 km from Rajkot and 350 km from Ahmedabad. National highway 8D connects Junagadh to Rajkot via Jetpur.

Junagadh railway station is also well connected with Rajkot, Ahmedabad. It is in the city area. Junagadh also has an airport at Keshod which has limited connectivity with Mumbai.

The district has a long shoreline and has ports including Veraval, Mangrol, and Chorwad. However, it has limited use other than the fishery industry.

As of October 2011, the government of India had given its approval for a ropeway on Mount and in 2021 it was completed and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the past, helicopter service was available for Mount Girnar but it is now discontinued.

Demographics
According to the 2011 census Junagadh district has a population of 2,743,082, roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica or the US state of Utah. This gives it a ranking of 142nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 310 PD/sqkm. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 12.01%. Junagadh has a sex ratio of 952 females for every 1000 males. It had a literacy rate of 67.7% in 2001 which increased to a literacy rate of 76.88% in 2011.

The divided district has a population of 1,525,605, of which 573,403 (37.59%) lived in urban areas. Junagadh had a sex ratio of 945 females per 1000 males. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are 151,971 (9.96%) and 37,810 (2.48%) of the population respectively.

Hindus are 1,348,315 (88.38%) and Muslims 170,338 (11.17%) of the population respectively.

Gujarati was the predominant language, spoken by 97.44% of the population.

Politics

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Notable personalities

 * Narsinh Mehta (1414?–1481?), poet-saint, born in Talaja, Bhavnagar
 * Putlibai Gandhi, mother of Mahatma Gandhi


 * Keshubhai Patel (1928–2020), politician who served as Chief Minister of Gujarat, born in Visavadar in Junagadh
 * Wazir Mohammad (1929–), cricketer, born at Junagadh, later settled in Pakistan
 * Dhirubhai Ambani (1932–2002), business magnate and entrepreneur, born at Chorwad, Junagadh
 * Hanif Mohammad (1934–2016), cricketer, born at Junagadh, settled in Pakistan after 1947
 * Rajendra Shukla (1942–), poet, born at Bantwa, Junagadh
 * Mushtaq Mohammad (1943–), cricketer, born at Junagadh, later settled in Pakistan
 * Sadiq Mohammad (1945–), cricketer, born at Junagadh, later settled in Pakistan
 * Parveen Babi (1949–2005), Bollywood actress, born at Junagadh
 * Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan

Flora and fauna
Junagadh contains the Gir Forest National Park, which is the only home to Asiatic lions. Mount Girnar is also declared a forest reserve for bamboo. Girnari Giddh, the long-billed vultures, are found only on Girnar, as the Girnar region alone accounts for about 25 per cent of the species and about 10 per cent of the total vulture population in the Gujarat state.

Education
Junagadh Agricultural University is famous here. Other educational institutes include:
 * BKNMU bhakta kavi narsinh mehta university
 * Noble University
 * Dr subhash university
 * N R Vekaria Institutes of Business Management Studies
 * Amrut Institute, Junagadh
 * Gmers junagadh, medical college