Dadra and Nagar Haveli
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Where is Dadra and Nagar Haveli located in India?
Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu union territory in west-central India. It is situated between the states of Gujarat to the north and Maharashtra to the south, approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the Arabian Sea and about 80 miles (130 km) north of Mumbai. The terrain is undulating and hilly, reaching elevations of 1,000 feet (300 meters) in the northeast and east near the Western Ghats. The Daman Ganga River, the only navigable river in the territory, flows through the central plains.
In 2020, the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu merged. The territory is now administered by an administrator appointed by the central Indian government, with elected panchayats overseeing day-to-day affairs in each district.
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What is a district and why is Dadra and Nagar Haveli considered one?
A district is an administrative division of a country or region. Dadra and Nagar Haveli is considered a district because it is one of the three noncontiguous districts that make up the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, in western India. The Dadra and Nagar Haveli district is located about 15 miles (24 km) inland from the Arabian Sea, bordered by Gujarat to the north and Maharashtra to the south. An elected district panchayat oversees the district's day-to-day affairs.
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What is the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu?
The union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in western India consists of three noncontiguous districts: Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu. It was established in January 2020 when the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged.
The districts share a history of Portuguese rule until after India’s independence. Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district located between the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, about 15 miles from the Arabian Sea. Daman is a town and enclave in southeastern Gujarat. Diu is primarily on an island at the southern tip of the Kathiawar Peninsula in southwestern Gujarat.
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How is Dadra and Nagar Haveli different from Daman and Diu?
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, a union territory in western India since 2020, consists of three noncontiguous districts: Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu. All three have a history of Portuguese rule until after India’s independence.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli is inland, bordered by Gujarat and Maharashtra, and traversed by the Daman Ganga River. Daman lies on Gujarat's coastal plain along the Gulf of Khambhat. Diu is an island on the Gulf of Khambhat, near Gujarat's Kathiawar Peninsula.
The population is mainly Hindu, with Muslim and Christian minorities. Gujarati and Marathi are the most common languages. Farming is the main occupation. Rice and ragi are major crops in Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, while bajra and wheat flourish in Diu's arid climate. An administrator appointed by the Indian government heads the union territory.
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What are some important towns or features of Dadra and Nagar Haveli district?
Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a district in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu union territory in west-central India. The administrative headquarters is located in Silvassa. The Daman Ganga River crosses the central plains of the territory. There are industrial estates in Mashat and Khadoli.
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How did Dadra and Nagar Haveli become part of its current union territory, and what is its history?
Dadra and Nagar Haveli's history dates back to 1262 CE when a Rajput invader established rule over the area. In 1783, the Marathas ceded Nagar Haveli to the Portuguese, who acquired Dadra two years later.
After India's independence in 1947, nationalists seized Dadra and Nagar Haveli from Portugal in 1954 and formed a pro-Indian administration. On June 1, 1961, these enclaves requested accession to the Indian union, which the Indian government officially acknowledged on August 11, 1961, thereby making them a single union territory. In 2020, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were joined with Daman and Diu to form a single union territory.
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Dadra and Nagar Haveli, district, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu union territory, west-central India, located in the western part of the country and situated between the states of Gujarat to the north and Maharashtra to the south. It lies some 15 miles (24 km) from the Arabian Sea and about 80 miles (130 km) north of Mumbai (Bombay). The territory consists of two sections—Dadra and Nagar Haveli—which together embrace roughly 70 villages. Its administrative headquarters is located in Silvassa. Area 190 square miles (491 square km). Pop. (2011) 342,853.
Geography
Forests cover some two-fifths of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The terrain is undulating and hilly, reaching elevations of 1,000 feet (300 metres) in the northeast and east near the Western Ghats. Lowland areas are limited to the central plains, which are crossed by the Daman Ganga River and its tributaries. The only navigable river in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the Daman Ganga rises in Maharashtra and flows northwestward through the territory toward Daman, a port once famous for its docks.
The climate is typical of the region. Summers are hot, with the mean temperatures in May typically rising into the low 90s F (mid-30s C). Annual rainfall averages about 120 inches (3,050 mm), most of it falling between June and September.
About four-fifths of the population consists of various indigenous peoples (officially recognized as Scheduled Tribes), the most numerous of which are the Varli, Dhodia, and Konkan. An array of languages and dialects are spoken by these communities, sometimes in addition to Gujarati and Marathi, which also are spoken in the region. The population is predominantly Hindu, with small Christian and Muslim minorities.
Farming is the chief occupation and is largely practiced by the indigenous people, most of whom live in rural areas. Much cultivation is done on terraced land. Rice and ragi (also called finger millet) are the major food crops. Wheat and sugarcane are also grown. A dam and reservoir on the Daman Ganga River in neighbouring Gujarat has extended irrigation in the territory significantly. Timber production is mainly centred on the valuable native teak.
There is very little large-scale industry; industrial estates have been established in Mashat, Khadoli, and elsewhere for producing such items as electronics, chemicals, and fabrics. Industrial growth has resulted in an influx of labour rather than directly benefiting the local population.
An elected district panchayat oversees day-to-day affairs. Its duties, however, are subject to the administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu union territory.
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History
The history of Dadra and Nagar Haveli before India’s medieval period (roughly 11th–16th century ce) remains obscure. In 1262 ce a Rajput invader defeated the local Koli chieftains of the area and became the ruler of Ramnagar, a small state that included Nagar Haveli in its territory. The region remained under Rajput rule until the mid-18th century, when the Marathas acquired Nagar Haveli.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli came under the rule of Portugal in the late 18th century. The Marathas ceded Nagar Haveli to the Portuguese in 1783 as compensation for a Portuguese vessel that their navy had destroyed. Two years later Portugal acquired Dadra, which became a kind of fief. After India achieved independence in 1947, nationalists in Goa—the oldest Portuguese possession in India—sought to break away from Portugal; their first successes were the seizure of Dadra on the night of July 21, 1954, and their capture of Nagar Haveli two weeks later. A pro-Indian administration was formed in these enclaves, and on June 1, 1961, Dadra and Nagar Haveli requested accession to the Indian union. Although the Indian government had already acknowledged the incorporation of the two areas after their liberation from the Portuguese, their status as a single union territory was made official on August 11, 1961. In 2020 it was joined with Daman and Diu union territory to make the two a single union territory.