Pondicherry

Area : 492 sq km

Population: 9,73,829 (Provisional); growth rate (1991-2001): 20.56%

Density per sq km: 2.029

Sex ratio (females per 1,000 males): 1,0001

Literacy rate: 81.49% (males: 88.89%; females: 74.13%)

Capital: Pondicherry

No. of Districts: 4

Legislature: Unicameral

Principal Languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French.

Important Cities, Towns and Religious/Tourist Places: Karaikal (former French colony), Mahe (former French dependency), Pondicherry (farmer French colony famous for Auroville, Beach, Bharathiar and Bharathidasan Memorials, Boat Club at Chunnambar river; Botanical garden, French Institute, Government Square, Joan of Arc, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Pondicherry Museum, Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Sri Aurobindo Ashram), Yanam (former French enclave).

Judicature: The Union Territory comes under the jurisdiction of Madras High Court.

History:

Formerly the chief French settlement in India, Pondicherry was transferred to India on November 1, 1954. A Treaty of Cession (together with karaikal, Mahe and Yanam) was signed on May 28,1956. It became a Union Territory to be administered by the President of Indian Constitution.

It forms an enclave on the Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu. It consists of four non-contiguous settlements, viz, Pondicherry, Karaikal Mahe and Yanam. The first three are on the seacoast, two of them on the east coast and the third on the west. The fourth is located in the cast coast delta.

Economy:

For nearly 45 percent of the people of Pondicherry, agriculture is the main occupation. Ninety percent of the cultivated area is irrigated. Rice is the principal food crop. Jowar, Bajra, Pulses and ragi are grown in small quantities. The main cash crops are sugarcane, groundnut and cotton. There are no forests.

The medium and large industries consist of six textile mills, two sugar mills, cotton yarn mills, one caustic soda plant, two ceramic glazed tiles manufacturing units and the government distillery at Pondicherry. The small scale units include clerical appliances, computers and peripherals camphor, leather goods, wooden articles, electronic items, plastics, steel furniture and bicycle parts.

Pondicherry State India