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The sheer inaccessibility of Goa by land has always kept it out of the mainstream of Indian History. On the other hand, its control of the seas and above all the lucrative spice trade made it a much-coveted prize for rival colonial powers. Goa has a large number of villages. Many changes have taken place in the state with tourism and exports. The Goan could be either a Hindu or a Christian or a Muslim although the general impression by using the term Goan is that the person is a Christian. Christianity came to Goa along with the Portuguese. Official Language of Goa Goa is a multi-lingual state, the chequered history of thousands of years has seen people of various regions, ethnic races and religions from India and abroad settling in Goa and influencing the local language. There are a host of languages spoken in Goa. Portuguese was the official language until Goa was liberated from the Portugal regime in 1961.The older generations can still speak Portuguese. However, post-liberation, the official Language of Goa is Konkani – which is written in the Devnagri script. Different Languages of Goa Goa being a major tourist spot offers a tourist friendly medium of interaction through English. In major towns, English is widely used in writing and conversation. After the departure of the Portuguese, the Portuguese language lost all its flavour and usage. However, very few - particularly the older generation - still use Portuguese. Konkani and Marathi, much related, survived in Goa by secret studies at home, in temples and public places in villages. Both Konkani and Marathi are derived from Sanskrit, the mother of majority of Indian languages. These two languages use "Devnagari" script like Sanskrit. Marathi is used for official purposes and is widely taught in schools too. However, Goa being a tourist hub, almost everyone in Goa can speak in English and Hindi. So, the total number of languages spoken in Goa is English, Portuguese, Konkani,Hindi and Marathi.
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