About Daman and Diu
Daman & Diu is the second smallest Union Territory of India located in the Western part of the country near the State of Gujarat and Arabian Sea. Originally it was a Portuguese colony and the territories were combined in India in 1961 through a military conquest. Daman and Diu was established in 30 May 1987 with its capital at Daman. The official languages spoken here are Konkani, Gujarati, Hindi and English.
| Established | 30 May 1987 |
| Districts | 2 |
| High Court | Bombay High Court |
| National Parks | Gir NP, Sasangir WS, Fudam Bird Sanctuary |
| Languages | Warli, Agri, Konkani, Gujarati, Hindi, English |
| Population (2011) | 2,42,911 |
| Density | 2,400/km2 |
| Area | 102 km2 |
| Literacy Rate (2011) | 92.28% |
| Females per 1000 males | 618 |
| Lok Sabha constituencies | 1 |
| Assembly constituency | 0 |
| Official Website | www.daman.nic.in |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 |
History
The history of Daman and Diu dates back to the 13th century when the region under the rule of Chowda Rajputs. The Rajputs were defeated by the Waghalas who in turn lost the region to the Muslims in 1330. The region was ruled by the Muslim rulers for the next 200 years. In 1534, Daman and Diu came under the power of the Portuguese. On December 19, 1961, Daman and Diu was annexed into the Republic of India following a military conquest. By the 57th Amendment of the Constitution Daman and Diu was separated from Goa to become an independent union territory. In 1987, Daman & Diu was pronounced a union territory by the constitution of India. It has two districts- Daman and Diu.
Geography
Daman and Diu- with an area of 112 Km2 comprises of two different regions, the district of Daman to the west coast of India and the district of Diu situated on the south of Kalem River, Bhagwan River in north and the Arabian Sea towards the west and the district of Valsad towards the east. The Damanganga River separates the Daman district into two parts and rivers of Bhagwan, Damanganga and Kalem pass through this district. Moreover, geographically Daman and Diu are separated by the Gulf of Kambhat. Daman has a calm and humid climate while Diu has a hot and humid climate.
Demographics
The total population of Daman and Diu is 1, 58,059 peoples and out of which 65,581 are females and 92,478 are males according to the latest Census of India 2011. Around 36 % of people reside in the urban parts of this Union Territory. The density of population in Daman and Diu is 1411 per square km. Even the literacy rate of the total population is 81.09 % out of which the male population has 88.40 % literacy rate while the female population has 70.37 % literacy rate. Moreover it also has the lowest sex ratio rate of 618 females per 1000 males.
Economy
In 2005 the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Daman and Diu was estimated at 156 million US Dollars at current prices. The economy of this region is largely dependent upon small scale industries, agriculture and tourism and now the booming real estate sector is also contributing a lot for the economy of Daman and Diu. There are about 535 registered scale industrial units in Daman and Diu especially concentrated in the towns of towns of Dabhel, Kadaiya, Daman, Dalwada, Somnath and Bhimpore. These industries ranges from Mechanical products, chemical paraphernalia, electronics and electrical goods, plastic, rubber, pharmaceuticals, paper packaging, metallurgy and instrumentation industries. Around 67 % of the total land area of Daman and Diu are under cultivation and agriculture along with fishing is regarded to be the main source of income for the peoples of Daman and Diu. Various crops like paddy, pulses, oilseeds, groundnuts, ragi, beans, wheat, mango, sapota and banana are also grown in plenty. Daman and Diu being the most popular tourist destination has the most developed tourism industry flourished here. Several hoteliers and investors from hospitality industry have invested in hotels, seaside chalets, bungalows and farmhouses to attract tourists here.
Tourism
Tourists come to visit Daman and Diu especially to visit the old buildings and monuments with Portuguese styled architecture. Some of the tourist attractions worth visiting are the 18th Century Jain Temple, Nani Daman Fort, Diu Fort, Moti Daman Fort, St, Thomas Church, Nadia Caves, St. Pauls Church, Tower of Silence, Daman Freedom Memorial, Fortim do Mar, Portuguese Fort, Se Cathedral, Nagou Beach, Ghoghla Beach, Chakratirth Beach, Gomtimata Beach and Jallandar Beach. Moreover, tourists visiting Daman and Diu can also go for a quick weekend trip to the Satpura Hills.
Sports
The District Sports Council of Diu takes care of various sporting activities in this Union territory under the guidance of the District Collector. It has arranged indoor sports arena to play indoor games like carom, chess, badminton, tennis, etc. Moreover, it also has separate grounds and sports complexes to play volley ball, football and cricket. Daman and Diu is also famous for water sports like Para sailing, Wind surfing, Water scooter, Scuba diving, Boating, Dolphin trip, etc.
Transportation
Daman and Diu can be easily accessed by air and road. Daman is connected to most of the cities in India through a good air network. Most of the domestic and international airlines operate flights to Daman and Diu. This region does not have its own railway station but however, the nearest ones are in Vapi and Veraval in Gujarat. Daman and Diu also has a well defined road network and its group of islands is well connected with Gujarat, Mumbai and Goa. There are also regular buses that ply from many cities in Gujarat to Daman and Diu.
Culture
This regions‘s people, culture, fairs and festivals form a unique position in the social and cultural life of peoples of Daman and Diu. Since this region once part of the Portuguese colony it has mixed cultural elements from European, Indian and Tribal customs and beliefs. Festivals of Hindus, Muslims and Christians are being celebrated here. Garba and folk dances like Mando Dance, Verdigao Dance and Vira Dance plays a great part of the cultural life of Daman and Diu.
Education
In Daman, the most popular schools situated are the Institute of Our Lady of Fátima (Moti Daman), Coast Guard Public School, Sarvajanik Vidyalaya and Shri Macchi Mahajan High School (Nani Daman) and other government schools and colleges like the Government College, Daman which has best higher education facilities along with the Degree colleges of Diu.
Hospitals and Health Care
The tiny region of Daman and Diu has developed health care services initiated by the Indian Government. There are various health centres, government hospitals and private hospitals to take care of the health of the needy. Some of the best hospitals proving best health facilities are the Government Hospital (Diu), Life Care Hospital, Care N Cure Hospitals and many more on the list.