Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Merged Union Territory on the Arabian Sea

Union TerritoryWest IndiaCapital: DamanEst. 26 January 2020 (merger)
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Overview

Quick facts at a glance

A small union territory formed by merging two former Portuguese enclaves, popular for beaches and industrial estates.

Capital
Daman
Largest City
Silvassa
Region
West
Formed
26 January 2020 (merger)
Area
603 km²
Population
586,956 (Census 2011, combined)
Languages
Gujarati, Hindi, Konkani
Other Languages
Marathi
Earlier Names
Dadra and Nagar Haveli; Daman and Diu (separate UTs before 2020)
Districts
3
Lok Sabha
2
Assembly
0
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History

How Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu came to be

Former Portuguese colonial territories liberated in 1954 (Dadra and Nagar Haveli) and 1961 (Daman and Diu); merged into a single UT in 2020.

Earlier / Historical Names

  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli; Daman and Diu (separate UTs before 2020)
Verification✅ VerifiedLast Verified02 July 2026Verified byIndia Atlas Editorial Desk
Historical background compiled from the National Portal of India (Know India) and standard state gazetteers.

Did You Know?

Surprising highlights

Did you know

Diu retains strong Portuguese colonial architecture.

Did you know

Silvassa is a hub for small and medium industrial units due to tax incentives.

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Culture & Festivals

Living traditions

Folk Dances

  • Tarpa dance

Traditional Dress

Tribal Warli attire; Gujarati/Portuguese-influenced dress in Daman-Diu

Festival Carousel

Tarpa Festival

Tribal harvest dance festival of the Warli community.

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Cuisine

Flavours of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Seafood-forward cuisine with Portuguese and Gujarati influences.

Popular Dishes

Seafood curry

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Tourism & Attractions

Places to explore

Top Attractions

Diu Fort

16th-century Portuguese fort overlooking the Arabian Sea.

Nagoa Beach

Popular horseshoe-shaped beach in Diu.

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Geography & Nature

The lay of the land

Major Rivers

  • Daman Ganga
Climate
Tropical coastal
Rainfall
Moderate
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On the Map of India

Location & land neighbours

Neighbouring States & UTs

  • Gujarat
  • Maharashtra
Verification✅ VerifiedLast Verified02 July 2026Verified byIndia Atlas Editorial Desk
Source: Survey of IndiaGovernment
Location and land neighbours as depicted on the Survey of India political map of India.
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Economy & Agriculture

How Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu works

Small-scale industrial units around Silvassa and coastal tourism in Daman and Diu.

Key Industries

  • Small-scale manufacturing
  • Tourism

Major Crops

  • Rice
  • Ragi
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No authoritative source recorded yet — pending editorial verification.
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Infrastructure & Connectivity

Getting around Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Road Network
Connected via NH driving to Gujarat/Maharashtra
Railways
Vapi is the nearest major railhead

Airports

  • Diu Airport
Verification✅ VerifiedLast Verified02 July 2026Verified byIndia Atlas Editorial Desk
Road, rail and air connectivity per the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Indian Railways and the Airports Authority of India.
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Heritage & GI Tags

Craft & legacy

Monuments

Diu Fort

Se Cathedral, Daman

Handicrafts

Warli painting

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Interactive Timeline

Tap any milestone to expand

16th centuryPortuguese colonisationColonial
Portugal establishes control over Daman, Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
1954/1961LiberationFormation
Dadra & Nagar Haveli (1954) and Daman & Diu (1961) are freed from Portuguese rule.
2020MergerFormation
The two territories merge into a single Union Territory.
Verification⏳ Verification Pending
No authoritative source recorded yet — pending editorial verification.

Frequently Asked

Good to know

When were Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu merged?+
They were merged into a single Union Territory on 26 January 2020.
Verification⏳ Verification Pending
No authoritative source recorded yet — pending editorial verification.
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Sources & Verification

Authoritative references used to verify facts on this page

Sources

Last verified: 02 July 2026 · Facts without a listed source are marked “Verification Pending” and are being audited progressively via the CMS.

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