Bagalkot District - Geography

Geography

The district of Bagalkot is situated entirely on the North Karnataka Plateau, which is part of the larger Deccan Plateau. Located in north-central Karnataka, Bagalkot is surrounded by Belgaum District to the west, Bijapur District and Gulbarga District to the north and north-east, Raichur District to the east and Koppal District, Gadag District and Dharwad District to the south-east, south and south-west respectively. It is positioned at 16°12′N 75°45′E / 16.2°N 75.75°E / 16.2; 75.75 and covers an area of 6593 km². Bagalkot district has six taluks — Bagalkot, Badami, Hungund, Mudhol, Jamkhandi and Bilgi. The average elevation in this area reaches approximately 610 m. The climate is warm and dry throughout the year and rainfall is scarce. Bagalkot district receives the lowest rainfall annually in Karnataka. The average rainfall in the region is approximately 318 mm annually. The months of September and December account for about 52% of the total annual rainfall.

Bagalkot is devoid of large canopy tree vegetation; the region is semi-arid. The Krishna River, Ghataprabha River and Malaprabha River flow through the region but are non perennial. Soil in the area can be categorised as either the majority black or minority red. Black soil retains moisture and is often used for the cultivation of cotton. Rabi and jowar are primarily cultivated in Bagalkot, as are groundnut, cotton, maize, bajra, wheat, sugarcane and tobacco. The district is also rich in mineral wealth. The village of Kaladgi, located 24 km from the town of Bagalkot, harbours copper. Iron ore also exists in the southern part of the district. Like much of Karnataka, the gneiss is the most common rock family. Common rock types in the region include greenstone, quartzite, sandstone and limestone. The dry climate makes the region susceptible to drought and crop failure. Bagalkot has not been affected by major seismic activity due to it being located in the stable Zone II.