Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a Union Territory in western India. Nagar Haveli is wedged between Maharashtra and Gujarat, whereas Dadra is an enclave lying a few kilometres north of Nagar Haveli in Gujarat. Its capital is Silvassa. The territory lies some ten to thirty kilometres up-river from the city of Daman.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in the watershed of the Daman Ganga River, which flows through the territory. The towns of Dadra and Silvassa both lie on the north bank of the river. The Western Ghats range rises to the east, and the foothills of the range occupy the eastern portion of the district. The territory is landlocked, although the Arabian Sea coast lies just to the west in Gujarat.

The major spoken languages in the territory are Gujarati, Hindi and Marathi. The area of Dadra and Nagar Haveli spread over 491 sq. kms., land locked between Gujarat in North and Maharashtra in South was liberated from Portuguese Rulers by people themselves on 2nd August 1954 . The people of the U.T. established free Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which was finally merged in to Union of India in the year 1961.

History
In 1783, Nagar-Haveli was given to the Portuguese as a compensation for the sinking of a Portuguese ship by the Maratha navy.[clarification needed] Then, in 1785 the Portuguese purchased Dadra. It was administered by the Portuguese Governor of Daman until 1954.

After India attained Independence in 1947, the residents of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, with the help of volunteers of organisations like the United Front of Goans (UFG), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the National Movement Liberation Organisation (NMLO) and the Azad Gomantak Dal liberated the territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli from Portuguese rule in 1954.

In 1961 when Indian forces took over Goa, Daman, and Diu, Mr. Badlani was, for one day, designated the Prime Minister of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, so that, as Head of State, he could sign an agreement with the Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and formally merge Dadra and Nagar Haveli with the Republic of India.

Geography
Dadra and Nagar Haveli occupies an area of 491 square kilometres (190 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to the Phillippines' Biliran Island.