The Uttara Kannada (North Kanara) district is located in the Midwestern part of the state. It lies between 74°9' to 75°10' East longitude and 13°55' to 15°31' North latitude and extends over an area of 10,327 Sq. Km., which is 5.37 percent of the total area of the state. It extends about 328 Km. North–South and about 160 Km. East–West. The District, which has a long and narrow strip of territory, is surrounded by Belgaum District and Goa Territory in the North, Dharwad District in the East, Dakshina Kannada and Shimoga District in the south and the Arabian Sea in the West.
The District geographically comprises hill stations and thick forest in most parts. Its major part is essentially highland, the lowland being restricted to pockets along the courses of rivers. A somewhat broken and irregular Sahyadri range of centre hills with an average height of 700 metres divides the District into two parts: the uplands (regions above the Ghat) with an area of nearly 7,770 Sq. Km. at 600–700 metres above sea level, and lowlands covering about 3,370 Sq. Km.
Therefore, the District has 3 main distinctive regions: The Coastal land comprising Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honnavar and Bhatkal Taluka; the Sahyadrian interior (Upper ghat section) having Sirsi, Siddapur, Yellapur, Joida and Dandeli Taluka; and the eastern margin covering Mundgod and Haliyal Taluka. The Sahyadri region is the green and gleaming compact which has significance as the belt of areca and spice for which it has been famous since antiquity.
Rich red soil, perennial water supply, leaf manure, uniform heat throughout the year, and hereditary gardening are the major natural gifts of nature that enable areca cultivation in this area. The area of the District is 10,327 Sq. Km. Out of 7 rivers, 5 are flowing towards west and 2 are moving towards east. About 15% of the natural forest resources are in Uttara Kannada.
Karwar, Ankola, Kumata, Honnavara, Bhatkal, Sirsi, Siddapur, Yellapur, Mundagod, Haliyal, Dandeli, Joida
| Criteria | In Figures |
|---|---|
| Total population | 14,37,169 |
| Men | 7,26,265 |
| Women | 7,10,913 |
| Geographical Expansion | 10,277.33 sq km |
| Forest Land | 8,13,595 Hectares |
| Rice | 1,67,061 Ton |
| Areca nut | 47,224 Ton |
| Coconut | 1,39,901 Ton |
| Cashew nut | 2,245 Ton |
| Pepper | 734.60 Ton |
| Cardamom | 103.50 Ton |
| Large Scale Industries | 5 |
| Engineering Units | 23 |
| Small Scale Industries | 684 |