One of the 19 states of India established on the basis of ethnicity, Karnataka hosts about 5% of the Indians (9th largest state in India). Economically, it belongs to a group of regions with average wealth. It is located in the south-west of India, bordering the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh. The capital is Bangalore.
The dominant (titular) ethnic group is Kannada (obsolete - cannara, self-name - Kannadig), the representatives of one of the Dravidian cultures. Kannada accounts for about 70% of the state's population. Other ethnic groups also distinguished by language are Urdu (about 10%), Telugu (about 6%), Marathi (about 4%).
In the 1950s, Kannada played a vital role in the movement for the reorganization of the administrative division of India by language. As a result of the 1956 reforms, Karnataka (back then called Maisur) acquired some parts of the territories of the states of Bombay, Hyderabad, and Madras. In 1973, the province received its current name. Kannada has the status of an official regional language and included in the official national list of languages (8th list of the Constitution of India). Kannada group dominates the public and legal space of the state.