Mangalore is an important port city bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats to its east. The backwaters, the River Netravati and its tributary Gurupura flow around the city sustaining its flora and the fauna. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district. The region has evergreen and deciduous forests and teak is available in abundance. People of this region speak Tulu and Kannada. According to the 2011 census, the district has a population of 2 million out of which 48 percent constitute the working age population. Only 6 percent of the workers are employed in the agriculture sector, 19 percent in the household industry and the bulk 75 percent are engaged in services and industry. Traditional occupation of the region includes fishing, beedi, coffee and cashew production. Mangalore port is one of the major exporters of cashew and coffee. The city was an important part of the Vijayanagar Kingdom. Today Mangalore is an important industrial, commercial and educational hub.
