| वास्कू/Vasku Vasco da Gama | |
| | |
| Coordinates | 15°24′N 73°50′E / 15.4°N 73.83°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Goa |
| District(s) | South Goa |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Vasco da Gama (Konkani: वास्कू Vasku, pronounced [waːskuː]) (often shortened to Vasco) is a small city in Goa state on the west coast of India. It is named after the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Vasco has Goa's largest population, estimated at over 100,000. It is also the headquarters of the Mormugao taluka. The town lies on the western tip of the Mormugao peninsula, at the mouth of the Zuari River, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Panaji (Panjim), Goa's capital, and about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Dabolim Airport (GOI).
The place was founded in 1543, and remained in Portuguese hands until 1961, when Goa was annexed to India. The Indian Navy's Goa Naval Area (base) is located at Vasco from which it controls Dabolim airport and, in effect, the entire tourism-dependent state of Goa.
There have been aborted attempts in the past to change the name of the city to Sambhajinagar..Transport and Industry
Vasco city is well connected by road, rail, sea and air; by road by the NH 17A (National Highway), by rail by the South Western Railway, by the sea through the Mormugao Harbour and by air through Dabolim Airport, thus serving as the main hub for most tourists visiting the state of Goa.
Vasco is heavily reliant on the port for most of its economic activity. Manganese ore mined in interior regions is brought to Marmugoa by barges navigating the rivers Mandovi and Zuari, and then either collected in the Mormugao Port to be loaded onto bulk carrier ships or directly loaded onto the ships using trans-shippers. Ore which is collected on the port is handled by state-of-the-art machinery called MOHP (Mechanical Ore Handling Plant). This includes massive bucket wheel loaders and miles of conveyor belts. The port has berthing facilities for large cruise liners as well as a floating dry dock. There are numerous shipping and freight forwarding agents as well as offices of major mining companies based in the city.
The Mormugao Port Trust which operates the port is the largest employer in the Vasco region and has a complete mini-township in Headland Sada which includes schools, residential complexes and amenities for employees of the Port.
Tourism and Culture
Bogmalo Beach is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Vasco. This beach is quite risky as it has underwater currents and is therefore usually monitored by lifeguards. Khollant (Issorcim) and Baina are two smaller beaches around Vasco.
Apart from the nearby beaches, the city of Vasco is bereft of any major tourist attractions, the salient monument being the 400-year old St. Andrews Church located at the entrance of the city. However the Naval Aviation Museum nearby the city center is a popular tourist spot and is the only such museum in India. It profiles the evolution and history of Indian naval aviation through aircraft exhibits and rare photographs.
The people from Vasco love fun and music, so it is a matter of fact that Goa's premier musical group, Diamond Orchestra hails from Vasco. The town is also home to several English bands from Goa namely, Lynx, Heaven's Touch, and Kollectiv Soul.
Vasco is also famous for the annual Shri Damodar Bhajani Saptah fair held in the week preceding the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Like all towns and cities in Goa, Vasco also celebrates the Carnival and Shigmo annually with a street parade where floats from all over Goa participate.
Sports
Like the rest of Goa, football is the most popular sport in Vasco. Two teams from the town have participated in the I-League - Vasco Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club. Salgaocar SC were Champions of the 1998-99 season of the erstwhile NFL.
Tilak Maidan is a 15,000 capacity football ground based in the city, although it is rarely used for national league matches.
Although cricket is not as popular as football, a Vasco resident Shadab Jakati plays for Goa in the Ranji Trophy first-class competition and has also been selected to play for the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise.
Politics
The city of Vasco falls under the boundaries of the Mormugao (South Goa) constituency in the Lok Sabha. The current Member of Parliament is Fransisco Sardinha of the Indian National Congress.
Vasco elects its representative to the Goa Legislative Assembly, the current MLA is Jose Philip D'Souza of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Research
The National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) located at Headland Sada is a research and development institution administered by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It is responsible for administering the Indian Antarctic Program and maintains the Indian government's Antarctic research station, Maitri. In addition to laboratories for marine sample processing/analyses, it hosts a special low-temperature ice core sample storage facility.
Gallery
 People buying tickets at Vasco's Bus Station |  Vendor at Vasco Market |  Vasco's main fish and produce market |  People buying produce in Vasco |  Bat's Island seen from Biana Beach |
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