Yanam or Yanaon is a district of the Union territory of Pondicherry and a town in that district. It forms a 30 km² enclave in the district of East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. It has a population of 32 000, most of whom speak Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam.

Geography and climate

Lat: 16°42'N - 16°46'N; Lon: 82°11'E - 82°19'E.

Temperatures in Yanam range from 27°C to 45°C in summer and 17°C to 28°C in winter. In the hot season humidity rates vary between 68% and 80%. The district lies in the delta of Godavari River, the town is situated where the river meets its tributary Koringa River , 9 kilometers from the Bay of Bengal coast.

Population centres

Apart from the town of Yanam itself, the following villages fall under the district's jurisdiction: Agraharam, Darialtippa, Farampeta, Guerempeta, Jambavanpeta, Kanakalapeta, Kurasampeta and Mettakur.

History

See also: French India

In 1723 Yanam was the third French colony established in India. The colony was abandoned in 1727 because of lack of commercial interest. In 1742 it was re-occupied, and the Mughal emperor issued a degree (firman}, confirming the concessions granted by Salabathjung, the local leader. In 1750 Musaffar Yung, Nizam of Hyderabad, accepted the French claims. The town is close to the village of Neelapalli which was under English control. This led to conflicts between the two nations, and during the 18th century Yanam now and then shortly came under English control.

After the British Raj became independant in 1947 Yanam remained under French control till June 13 1954, when it joined the Republic of India

External link

• district homepage