West India · Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
About Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
- Coastal
- Forest
Where it is
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is a union territory of India on the west coast, made up of separate areas: Dadra and Nagar Haveli inland between Gujarat and Maharashtra, Daman on the Arabian Sea coast, and the island of Diu off Saurashtra.
History
All its parts were once Portuguese: Diu and Daman from the 16th century, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli from the late 18th century. Dadra and Nagar Haveli was freed from Portuguese rule in 1954, and Daman and Diu were taken by India in December 1961. They were governed as two separate union territories until they were merged on 26 January 2020, with Daman as the capital.
People
Gujarati and Hindi are the official languages, with Marathi and English also used. Dadra and Nagar Haveli is home to Adivasi communities such as the Warli, Dhodia and Kokna, while Daman and Diu have fishing communities and small Catholic congregations that keep Portuguese-era traditions.
Known for
- The Portuguese forts of Daman and Diu
- Beaches such as Nagoa in Diu and Devka in Daman
- Portuguese-era churches
- The forests of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Adivasi culture around Silvassa
Did you know?
The union territory is made up of four separate pieces of land, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and the island of Diu, none of them touching another.
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