Daman and Diu

A union territory of northwest India on the Arabian Sea. It comprises two former Portuguese colonies, which were annexed by India in 1962 and administered jointly with Goa from 1962 to 1987, when Goa became a separate state.

Daman and Diu, union territory (2001 provisional pop. 158,059), 50 sq mi (130 sq km), W India, on the Arabian Sea, composed of two former Portuguese colonies seized by India in 1961. Daman and Diu were administered jointly with Goa as the union territory of Goa–Daman and Diu until 1987, when Goa became a separate state. It is administered by the home minister of the central Indian government. The major language is Gujarati.

Daman, Port. Damão (1991 pop. 62,101), c.30 sq mi (80 sq km), at the mouth of the Daman River on the Gulf of Khambat, was acquired by the Portuguese in 1588. It consisted of a coastal section, Daman proper, and a detached inland section, Nagar Haveli, which in 1961 became part of the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Before the decline of Portuguese power in the 18th cent. Daman enjoyed a large overseas trade. Rice, wheat, and tobacco are the chief crops; fishing is important.

Diu (1991 pop. 39,485), c.20 sq mi (50 sq km), consisting of Diu island and a small area on the coast of the nearby Kathiawar Peninsula, was acquired by Portugal in 1535. Diu town has several splendid Catholic churches built before overseas trade declined in the late 18th cent. Fishing is the principal occupation, and salt is produced. Tourism is important for both regions; Diu has famous beaches.

Location of Daman and Diu 
Capital Daman
20.25° N 72.57° E 
Abbreviation IN-DD 
Official languages Gujarati, Marathi 
Formation 1987-05-30 
Area 122 km² (6th) 
Population (2001) 158,059 (6th) 
Time zone IST (UTC +5:30) 

Daman and Diu is a union territory in India. For over 450 years these coastal enclaves on the Arabian Sea coast were part of Portuguese India, along with Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Goa, Daman, and Diu were occupied by the Republic of India on December 19, 1961; Portugal did not recognize Indian rule in these territories until 1974. Goa, Daman, and Diu were administered as part of a single union territory until 1987, when Goa was granted statehood, leaving Daman and Diu as a separate union territory; each enclave constitutes one of the union territory's two districts.

Gujarati is the main language; use of Portuguese is declining because it is not official or taught at school (but still spoken by 10% in Daman). There are Portuguese Creoles in Daman (known as Língua da Casa, it means Home Language) and Diu (Língua dos Velhos, Old people's Language). The Creole of Diu is rapidly becoming extinct by the pressure of Gujarati.

Daman

Daman, also known as Damão, is an enclave on the western coast of India, surrounded by Valsad district of Gujarat on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the west. The district has an area of 72 km², and a population of 113,949 (2001 census), which increased 83% between 1991 and 2001. Daman lies at the mouth of the Daman Ganga River. Major industries have factories here. The closest railway station is Vapi (7 km). It is also famous for its beach, Portuguese architecture, and church, and for the scenic beauty in the twin cities of Nani-Daman and Moti-Daman, which lie opposite each other across the Daman Ganga. The chief occupation has been fishing. The city of Surat lies to the north, and Mumbai lies approximately 160 km (100 mi) south of Daman on the Arabian Sea coast in Maharashtra state.

Daman was occupied by the Portuguese in 1531, and was formally ceded to Portugal in 1539 by the Sultan of Gujarat. It remained a Portuguese possession until it was occupied by Indian forces on 19 December 1961.

A bridge over the Daman Ganga between Moti Daman and Nani Daman collapsed during a monsoon on 28 August 2003. 24 people were killed, 17 of them children, when their vehicles plunged into the river . The government constructed a new bridge at a cost of 80 million rupees, but it, too, partially collapsed during torrential rains in August 2004 .

Recently many families started immigrating to London via Portugal for a better life.

Diu

Diu is an island lying off the south coast of Gujarat's Kathiawar peninsula, separated from the mainland by a tidal creek. It has an area of 40 km², and a population of 44,110 (2001 census). The town of Diu lies at the eastern end of the island, and is famous for its fortress and old Portuguese Cathedral. It is also a fishing town. The Indian Air Force has an air base here. The village of Ghoghla, which lies on the mainland opposite the eastern end of the island, is also part of the union territory.

In 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, concluded a defensive alliance with the Portuguese against the Mughal emperor Humayun, and allowed the Portuguese to construct a fortress and maintain a garrison on the island. The alliance quickly unravelled, and attempts by the Sultans to oust the Portuguese from Diu between 1537 and 1546 failed. The fortress, reconstructed by Dom Joao de Castro after the siege of 1545, still stands. The island was occupied by the Indian military on 19 December 1961.

It is considered one of the most beautiful tourist locations in India. Famous destinations include the nearby Nagoa beach, one of the finest beaches in the country. The old fort, the church and the museum have a strong Portuguese taste.