Pondicherry - General Information

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Pondicherry - General Information

Pondicherry is located at 162 Kms south of Chennai, the capital of Talmilnadu and 22 kms north of Cuddalore, the capital of South Arcot District of Tamilnadu. Pondicherry is surrounded by Bay of Bengal on East, and on the other sides are the South Arcot District of Tamilnadu. Pondicherry is a city of southeast India on the Bay of Bengal south-southwest of Chennai (Madras). It consists of four former French coastal settlements whose administration was transferred to India in 1954.

Puducherry consists of four small unconnected districts: Puducherry, Karaikal, and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé on the Arabian Sea. Puducherry and Karaikal are by far the larger ones, and are both enclaves of Tamil Nadu. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala respectively. The territory has a total area of 492 km²: Puducherry (city) 293 km², Karaikal 160 km², Mahé 9 km² and Yanam 30 km². It has 900,000 inhabitants

The Union territory of Pondicherry encompasses an area of only 480 sq km with Pondicherry town and its villages covering 290 sq.km surrounded by the south Arcot District, Karaikal town and its villages covering 161 sq.km surrounded by Tanjavur district, Mahe and its villages covering 9 sq km surrounded by the Kerala state, and Yanam covering 20 sq.km within the East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. While Pondicherry, the head quarters of the union territory, lies 162 km south of Madras and 22 km north of Cuddalore, Karaikal is about 150 km south of Pondicherry and Yanam about 840 km north-east of Pondicherry on the Andhra Coast. Mahe lies almost parallel to Pondicherry, 653 km away on the west coast.

• Area : 480 sq.km
• Capital : Pondicherry
• Languages :Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French
• Population : 9,73,829
• Males : 4,86,705
• Females : 4,87,124
• Districts : 4

1. Tamil: Language used by the Pondicherry Government, especially used when communicating within the states of the Tamil districts (Pondicherry and Karikal) along with issuing official decrees. Also official Language in Tamil Nadu state. It was declared as Classical language in 2005 by Indian Government.

2. French: It is also official language of Pondicherry Union territory. Though it was official language of French India (1673-1954), its official language status was preserved by Traité de Cession (Treaty of Cession) signed by India and France on 28 May 1956.

3. Telugu: It is also an official language of Pondicherry but used only when communicating within Telugu district (Yanam). So, more correctly it is considered as regional official language of Pondicherry while being official language of Yanam District. It is also has official language status in Andhra Pradesh State.

4. Malayalam: It is also an official language of Pondicherry but used only when communicating within Malayalam district (Mahe). So, more correctly it is considered as regional official language of Pondicherry while being official language of Mahe District. It is also has official language status in Kerala State and Lakshadweep Islands Union Territory.

Language Spoken in Numbers

• Tamil: 220,749 (In Pondicherry and Karikal Districts)
• Telugu: 31,362 (In Yanam District only)
• Malayalam: 36,823 (In Mahe District only)
• French: Above 10,000

Pondicherry - General Information

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