Basic information

| Attribute | Detail | | :--- | :--- | | **Official Name** | Puducherry | | **Common Name** | Pondicherry | | **Native Name(s)** | புதுச்சேரி (Tamil), Pondichéry (French) | | **Nicknames** | The French Riviera of the East, Paris of the East | | **Motto** | Satyameva Jayate (Truth Alone Triumphs - National Motto) | | **Geographic Level** | City / Urban Agglomeration | | **Country** | India | | **State/Province** | Puducherry (Union Territory) | | **Capital** | Puducherry | | **Government Type** | Municipal Corporation within a Union Territory | | **Date Founded** | 1674 (Modern French settlement) | | **Time Zone** | IST (UTC+05:30) | | **Latitude** | 11.9416° N | | **Longitude** | 79.8083° E | | **Elevation** | 3 m (10 ft) | | **Total Area** | ~19.54 sq km (City proper); ~293 sq km (Puducherry district) | | **Population** | ~244,377 (City); ~657,209 (Urban Agglomeration) (2011 Census) | | **Population Density** | ~12,500/sq km (City proper) | | **ZIP/Postal Codes** | 605001 - 605014 | | **Area Codes** | +91 413 | | **Official Languages** | Tamil, French, English (regional use of Telugu and Malayalam) | | **Currency** | Indian Rupee (INR) | | **Demonym** | Pondicherian |