Odisha is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the eleventh largest by population. Odia is the official and most widely spoken language with 93.33% Odia speakers according to Linguistic survey. Odisha has a relatively unindented coastline (about 480 km long ) and lacks good ports, except for the deep water facility at Paradip. The narrow, level coastal strip, including the Mahanadi River delta supports the bulk ofthe population. The interior of the state is mountainous and sparsely populated. Deomali at 1672 m is the highest point of the state.
Odisha is home to the Hirakud Dam, near Sambalpur the longest earthen dam in the world. Odisha has several populartourist destinations. Puri, Konark & Bhubaneswar are known as Goldentriangle of eastern India. Puri, with the Jagannath temple near the sea (famousfor Rath Yatra or the Car Festival), and Konark, with the Sun Temple, arevisited by thousands of tourists every year. The Jagannath Temple of Puri, theSun Temple of Konark, the Lingaraja Temple, Khandagiri,Udaygiri, Dhauligiri ofBhubaneshwar, Ashoka's famous Rock Edict at Jaugada near Berhampur city and theBarabati Fort of Cuttack are important in the archaeological history of India.
