Vasco da Gama, Port city in South Goa District, India
This port settlement sits at the mouth of the Zuari River on the western coast of India and serves as one of the busiest maritime centers in the country. The town includes the Mormugao Port and residential areas that spread along the coast, facing the Arabian Sea.
Portuguese colonists founded the settlement in the 16th century and expanded the harbor facilities in the late 19th century, turning it into a key transit point for iron ore. Control changed in 1961 when India annexed Goa and the new administration further developed the port infrastructure.
The city takes its name from the Portuguese navigator who opened the sea route to India, and this maritime heritage still shapes daily life around the harbor. Along the streets you will find churches and houses whose architecture recalls the colonial period, giving the townscape a character distinct from other coastal settlements in the region.
The railway station and Dabolim Airport lie nearby and offer connections to other parts of western India and beyond. Walking through town, you will find small shops and markets where locals buy their daily supplies.
This town hosts the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, which coordinates India's scientific programs at the South Pole. Researchers prepare samples from Antarctic waters in the laboratories here and analyze data before heading back into the field.
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