Pondicherry

This article is about the Union Territory. For its capital city, also named Puducherry, see Puducherry (city).

?புதுச்சேரி Territoire de Pondichéry Union Territory of Puducherry India
Coordinates: 11°56′N 79°50′E / 11.93, 79.83
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	492 km² (190 sq mi)
Capital	Puducherry
Largest city	Puducherry
District(s)	4
Population • Density	973,829 (2nd) • 1,979/km² (5,126/sq mi)
Language(s)	Tamil, French, Telugu, Malayalam
Lt. Governor	Mukut Mithi
Chief Minister	N. Rangaswamy
Established	1 July 1963
Legislature (seats)	Unicameral (30)
ISO abbreviation	IN-PY
Website: www.pondicherry.nic.in

Coordinates: 11°56′N 79°50′E / 11.93, 79.83 Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry (help·info)) is a Union Territory of India. It is a former French colony, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or districts, and named for the largest, Pondicherry.

In September 2006, the territory changed its official name from Pondicherry to the vernacular original,^[1] Puducherry, which means "New village"^[2] in the Tamil language. The territory is called புதுச்சேரி (Putuccēri) or பாண்டிச்சேரி (Pāṇṭiccēri) in Tamil,, or "Pondichéry" in French. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est


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.

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