Sangli district (Marathi pronunciation: [saːŋɡli]) is a district of Maharashtra state in India. Sangli city is the district headquarters. It is bordered by Satara district, Solapur district to the North, Karnataka state to South-East, by Kolhapur district to South-West and by narrow portion in East side to Ratnagiri district. It is present on the southern tip of Maharashtra. The district is 25.11% urban. Sangli and Miraj are the largest cities.[citation needed] The industrial cities like Kirloskarwadi and palus is also located in the Sangli District. Industrialist Laxmanrao Kirloskar started his first factory here. It is known as the sugar bowl of India due to its high sugarcane productivity. Sangli District is one of the most fertile and highly developed districts in Maharashtra. The District is very popular as a political power house in the state. It has provided many politicians and bureaucrats and is often referred to as the Heaven of Farmers.[citations needed]
