Latur, or Lattaluru or Ratnapur, is a city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra state in India. It has a total population of 3,82,940. It is the administrative headquarters of Latur district and taluka. The city is a tourist hub surrounded by many historical monuments, including the Kharosa Caves.
The major employment providing industries in Latur district include: Food manufacturing, Tobacco, Textile, Leather, Wood and Wood-based and chemical industry. The district has 71% of the workforce employed in the Agricultural Sector, 27% in the Industrial Sector and the remaining 2% are Household workers.
Latur district lies to the South-East of Maharashtra on the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka. It was a part of Osmanabad district till 15th August 1982. Latur, the headquarters of the district is an ancient town and the home of Ratta or Rashtrakutas. The Rashtrakuta king Amoghvarsa I is described as the Lord of Lattalura i.e. the best of town (Lattalurappuravaradhisa). The Rattas of Saudatti declare in their records that they had emigrated from the town of Lattaalura. The Rashtrakuta seem to have originally belonged to this place.
The central and western areas of the district are covered by the Balaghat mountain ranges. The central part of the district lies in the Manjra River basin, while the southern area is in the Terna River basin. The northern part of the district is low lying and flat. The main river is Manjara, and Rivers Terna, Tavraja and Dharani are its tributaries. The Manyad and Lendi Rivers flow through the districts northern area. Dams have been constructed on Manjara, Terna, Dharani, Tiru, Tavraja, and Manyad Rivers. Kanhar soil, a type of very fertile soil is found in the river basins in this district. In some areas, the soil is light and semi fertile whereas other areas have coarse soil. The weather is dry and hot, climate is moderate with medium rainfall.
