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Geography of Pondicherry
Pondicherry, a former French colony and capital, is one of the seven
Union Territories of India, located at 162 kms south to Chennai, on
the Eastern Ghats. It was originally called Puducherry, but after
French invasion was renamed Pondicherry. However, post September
2006, it gained the authentic vernacular name back and since then
called Puducherry again. It means ‘New Village’ in Tamil.
(Interactive map of Pondicherry)
Location of Pondicherry
In the globe, you can find Pondicherry at 11° 55' 48" North and 79°
49' 48" East. It encompasses an area of 480 sq kms. It consists of
four non-contiguous districts: Mahe in Kerala which covers about 9
sq kms including its villages, Yanam in Andhra Pradesh which covers
20 sq kms, Karaikal in Tamil Nadu covering 161 sq kms and lastly
Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu again covering 290 sq kms. That means
Pondicherry has been named after the largest enclave. Both Karaikal
and Yanam are located in Eastern Ghats on Bay of Bengal while Mahe
is on Malabar Coast of Western Ghats on Arabian Sea.
Climate of Pondicherry
Since Pondicherry is located in coastal area the climate here is
warm and humid all through the year. The summer temperature ranges
between 26° to 38° centigrade with dry and clear blue sky. Generally
the summer stays from March to July and it is the most predominant
season. For tourism purpose, ideal season is March to October.
Pondicherry sees a very little monsoon which occurs between November
to January and July to September. It sooths the heated days and
makes the climate pleasant during this time. Winter in Pondicherry
is heavily influenced by the north-east monsoons. November to
January can be said to experience winter but temperature never goes
below 20°.
Agriculture of Pondicherry
Agriculture is the main occupation of the Pondicherry inhabitants
and paddy is the main crop grown. Pulses, spices, condiments,
coconuts, different kinds of nuts are other chief crops grown in
this region. Irrigation facilities have been developed since 45% of
total population is engaged in farming and related occupation.
Irrigation facility includes mainly tube wells and tanks which
irrigate about 6765 hectares of land. However, technological
advancement has resulted in posing threat to some varieties of paddy
crop. Seeraga samba and Kuthiraival samba have become endangered
variety of paddy.
Soil and Vegetation of Pondicherry
The soil of Pondicherry is mainly red ferrallite, black clay and
alluvial with sandy elements. It is a plain land with almost no
mountain and forest. The area is covered with dry and evergreen
species of vegetation typical in tropical regions. Main trees grown
in this region are those which are a good supply of fore woods.
Eucalyptus is one example of this kind. You will find rows of
tamarind tree along the roadside.
Pondicherry Wildlife
Just like flora, Pondicherry is equally rich in fauna as well. There
are two wildlife refuges in Pondicherry with a great variety of
birds. The bogs, ponds and streams house many species. It is a
natural habitat for ducks like ring-necked, wood etc and animals
like deers and rabbits.
Pondicherry Rivers and lakes
There are two principal basins in Pondicherry: the Gingee River
which cuts the territory diagonally and Pennaiyar forming a rim in
south. Gingee runs north west to south east of Pondicherry. There
are quite a few lakes in Pondicherry. The largest two of them are
Bahour and Oussoudu mainly used for fishing purpose. They lie in
Pondicherry district. The main fishes found in these lakes are
sardines, shark, ribbon fish and many more. Fishery earns good
revenue for Pondicherry all through the year but especially from the
month of May to July.
The lush green scenic treat of Pondicherry is mainly due to the kind
of soil found. It is a perfect blend of historical and geographical
treasure. Along with rich culture and legacy, nature has treasured
lots of resources in this storehouse. If you want peaceful co
existence of nature with technology, welcome to Pondicherry, the
French Riviera of East.
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