Karnātaka, state in southern India, bordered on the north and northeast by Mahārāshtra and Goa states, on the east by Andhra Pradesh state, on the south by Tamil Nādu and Kerala states, and on the west by the Arabian Sea. Karnātaka, which means “Lofty Land” in the Kannada language, covers an area of 191,791 sq km (74,051 sq mi).

Karnātaka has four geographic regions: the coastal plains; the hills of the Western Ghats, which parallel the coast; the Karnātaka Plateau in the east; and the northwest cotton-growing region, which has rich, black soil atop volcanic rock. The coast is lush and accessible mostly by sea. The Western Ghats are well forested, with many waterfalls and abundant wildlife. Karnātaka's three main rivers, the Kāveri (Cauvery), the Krishna, and the Tungabhadra, all originate in the Western Ghats. Several rivers in the state are used to generate hydroelectric power or for irrigation.

Karnātaka has a population of 52,733,958 (2001). The average population density in 2001 was 275 persons per sq km (712 per sq mi). The capital of Karnātaka is Bangalore, which is known as “The Garden City” because of its many parks and gardens. Mysore is the state's other important city. The people of Karnātaka are mainly Dravidians, descendants of the original inhabitants of India. Kannada, the official language of Karnātaka, is spoken by more than 70 percent of the population; Hindi is often used for business. Hinduism is the main religion. Buddhism and Jainism were once widespread and are still practiced in some areas. Karnātaka has a rich heritage of music, literature, art, architecture, and folklore, encouraged by and reflecting the achievements of the successive dynasties that ruled the region. Shravan Belgola, near Mysore, contains notable examples of Mauryan architecture. Huge stone figures representing Jain saints are unique to the Kannada culture. The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, located in Bangalore, includes exhibits on science and technology. Karnātaka also has several universities, including Bangalore University (founded in 1964); Karnatak University (1949) in Hubli (Hubli-Dharwar); Mangalore University (1980), and the University of Mysore (1916).

Agriculture provides more than 50 percent of Karnātaka's income and employs 80 percent of its population. The coastal plains are intensively cultivated; rice and sugarcane are the major crops. There are coffee and tea plantations on the Western Ghats; 90 percent of India's coffee comes from Karnātaka. Cotton is a major crop grown in northwestern Karnātaka. The forests of the Western Ghats are the source of most of the world's sandalwood. Karnātaka has rich mineral resources. It is India's sole producer of gold, its main producer of chromite and, with Tamil Nādu state, the only source of manganese. These mineral resources, which also include iron, mica, and copper, provided the foundation of Karnātaka's industrial development. Bangalore is a major industrial center of India, second only to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), and, through its thriving computer software industry, is sometimes known as “India's Silicon Valley.” Other important industries include telecommunications, aircraft manufacturing, light engineering, and silk products. Mysore is an important silk center. Karnātaka's transportation network includes a national highway, an extensive road and rail network, several airports (including one in Bangalore), and a deepwater port at Mangalore.

Karnātaka has a bicameral, or two-branch, legislature. The Legislative Council (upper house) has 75 seats and the Legislative Assembly (lower house) has 225. Karnātaka sends 40 members to the Indian national parliament: 12 to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) and 28 to the Lok Sabha (lower house). There are 21 local government administrative districts.

The recorded history of Karnātaka dates back more than 2,000 years. Its role as a border territory is reflected in the temple architecture, which shows a mixture of north Indian and Dravidian styles, and also later Muslim influence. The Vijayanagar Empire, which flourished from 1336 to 1565, fostered the arts and religion, and literature in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. Overseas trade thrived during this period. During the late 18th century poor administration by the wadiyar (the royal family of the princely state of Mysore) helped the military adventurer Haidar Ali to seize power. Upon the death of his son Tipu Sahib in 1799, Mysore came under British influence. The British restored wadiyar rule. With the exception of the period from 1831 to 1881, when a British commissioner was appointed, the wadiyars administered the state, as princes or governors, until 1956. That year, Mysore state was created under the States Reorganization Act to bring together the Kannada-speaking people. The area of the new state included parts of the former states of Coorg, Bombay, Hyderābād, and Madras. The state was renamed Karnātaka in 1973.