Diu district

File:Distrito de Diu, India portuguesa.png

File:Entryramparts.jpg was built in 1535 by the Portuguese, when Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, requested their help to resist an attack by Humayun, the second Moghal emperor.]]

The district was historically part of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Mirroring the system of administrative division in Portugal, Diu district (Distrito de Diu) was established as an administrative division of the Portuguese State of India (Estado da Índia) in the first half of the 19th century. It was headed by a district governor, subordinate to the governor-general of Portuguese India in Goa. The district included the single municipality of Diu, which was further subdivided into civil parishes.{{cite web |title=Diu History |url=http://diutourismgov.in/abtdiu-detail?id=19 |website=Diu Tourism Department |publisher=U.T. Administration of Dadra & Nagar Haveli And Daman & Diu |access-date=4 January 2021}}

It remained an overseas territory of Portugal until it was annexed by Indian forces on 19 December 1961. From 1961 to 1987, it was a part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. In 1987, it became a part of the newly formed union territory of Daman and Diu. In January 2020, the district became part of the new union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Diu district occupies an area of {{convert|40|km2|sqmi}},{{cite book | last1 = Srivastava, Dayawanti et al. (ed.) | title = India 2010: A Reference Annual | chapter = States and Union Territories: Daman and Diu: Government | edition = 54th | publisher = Additional Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Government of India | year = 2010 | location = New Delhi, India | pages = 1216 | isbn = 978-81-230-1617-7}}

It consists of Diu Island and a part on the mainland (the Ghogolá peninsula). 20 km East of Diu Island, is the small territory of Simbor.

The town of Diu and most of the district's villages and settlements are on

Diu Island. Many of these places have been renamed since the Invasion of 1961.

The area on the mainland borders Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. It contains the village of Ghogholá. The village lies on the mainland opposite the eastern end of the island .

The tiny territory of Simbor, located about 25 km east of the town of Diu, is also part of the district. It has no permanent population.

According to the 2011 census Diu district has a population of 52,074, roughly equal to the nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison: Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 June 2007 | accessdate = 2011-10-01 | quote = Saint Kitts and Nevis 50,314 July 2011 est.

}} This gives it a ranking of 631st in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of {{convert| 1301 |PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}} . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.73%. Diu has a sex ratio of 1030 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 83.36%.

There is a small community of the variety of Indo-Portuguese creole spoken in the region known as Daman and Diu Portuguese Creole.{{Cite web |title=District at a Glance|url=https://diu.gov.in/district-at-a-glance/}}{{Cite web |title=Survey chapter: Diu Indo-Portuguese|url=https://apics-online.info/surveys/39}}{{Cite web |title=Firangiwada Heritage Walk|url=https://makeithappen.co.in/tour/firangiwada-heritage-walk/}}

Diu Island is twinned with the city of Loures, in Portugal.{{cite web |url=http://www.cm-loures.pt/Ligacao.aspx?DisplayId=612&CursorId=613 |title=Município – Cooperação externa – Diu |publisher=Câmara Municipal de Loures |location=Loures, Portugal |year=2014 |website=cm-loures.pt |language=Portuguese |accessdate=17 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129041115/http://www.cm-loures.pt/Ligacao.aspx?DisplayId=612&CursorId=613 |archive-date=29 November 2014 |url-status=live }}

Diu is home to a few surviving buildings and monuments with Portuguese architecture. The best preserved are the churches and fortifications.

The nearest railway junction is Veraval, which is 90 km from Diu. Major cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Dwarka and Thiruvananthapuram are directly connected to Veraval Railway Station. Delwada is 8 km from Diu.

[[File:Major Churches of Diu Island.jpg|thumb|Major Church Buildings on Diu Island (Anticlockwise from top):

1. Churches of St. Paul and St. Thomas (Diu)

2. Church of St. Francis of Assisi (Diu)

3. Church of Our Lady of Remedes (Fudam)

4. Church of Our Lady of Mercy (Vanakbara)]]

There has been a steady exodus of Christians from Diu{{Cite web |title=Census: Population: by Religion: Christian: Daman and Diu|url=https://www.ceicdata.com/en/india/census-population-by-religion-christian/census-population-by-religion-christian-daman-and-diu}} ever since the Invasion of 1961. This has led to many of their historic and historic and religious sites being victims of abandonment, disrepair, conversion to secular use or demolishment.

Due to constant invasions from neighboring kingdoms as well as distant powers, the Portuguese built several fortifications all over the district. Most survived to this day, although some have little to no physical traces of their existence.

• Nagoá Beach, most visited beach in on Diu.
• Ghogolá Beach, largest beach off the island of Diu.
• Chakratirth Beach
• Barra Beach
• Nadia Caves

File:Diu Fort Fixed Cannons.JPG|Diu Fort Fixed Cannons

File:Eglise St Thomas.jpg|St. Thomas Church, Diu

File:Diu fort, India.JPG|Diu fort

File:Nadia Caves of Diu.jpg|Nadia Caves of Diu

File:PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF ST.PAUL CHURCH, DIU, INDIA (2012).jpg|St. Paul's Church, Diu

File:Church in Nani Daman Fort.jpg|Church in Nani Daman Fort

Altar of Se Cathedral.jpg|Se Cathedral

File:View of Water Fort Prison from Diu Fort with watch tower of Diu Fort.JPG|View of Water Fort Prison from Diu Fort with watchtower of Diu Fort

Wall of the Portuguese Fort of Diu.jpg|Portuguese Fort

File:Diu shores in Monsoon.jpg|Diu shores in Monsoon

• Indo-Portuguese
• Portuguese Goa and Damaon
• Damaon and Dio Portuguese creole

{{Reflist}}

• [http://diu.gov.in/ Official website]

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Diu district

|North = Gir Somnath district, Gujarat

|Northeast =

|East = Gulf of Khambhat

|Southeast =

|South = Arabian Sea

|Southwest =

|West = Arabian Sea

|Northwest =

}}

{{Daman and Diu}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Districts of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu