Puducherry

Union Territory of southeast India; area 492 sq km/190 sq mi; population (2001 est) 973,800. Its capital is Puducherry which lies on the Coromandel Coast, 196 km/122 mi south of Chennai (formerly Madras). Its products include rice, millet, groundnuts, cotton, and sugar; industries include textiles, food processing, electrical appliances, and paper, while the tourist industry is important throughout the area.

Puducherry was founded by the French in 1674 and changed hands several times among the French, Dutch, and British before being returned to France in 1814 at the close of the Napoleonic Wars. Together with Karaikal, Yanam, and Mahé (on the Malabar Coast), it formed a French colony until 1954 when all were transferred to the government of India; since 1962 they have formed the Union Territory of Puducherry. Languages spoken include Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, English, and French.