Karnataka is one of the four southern states of India . The modern state of Karnataka came into existence with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act (1956), with the incorporation of districts under the dominion of Bombay , Hyderabad , Madras State and Coorg within the existing state of Mysore State .

Karnataka's capital, Bengaluru / Bangalore , is the capital city of the state with a population of more than 6 million. Other major cities include Mysore , Mangalore , Hubli-Dharwad , Davanagere , Bellary , Hassan , Shimoga and Belagavi . Kannada is the official language of the state. Karnataka is the 8th largest Indian state by area and 9th largest by population.

Several etymologies have been suggested for the name Karnataka. One accepted derivative comes from the Kannada words karu and nadu meaning elevated land ...More »