India: A map of the French colony of Pondicherry (1705).
Pondicherry, or Puducherry, is a former French colony in India, also called The French Riviera of the East (La Căă¨ă d'Azur de l'Est) for its rich French culture and architecture. The use of French language can still be seen in Pondicherry to this day. The city still has a large number of Tamil and a small number of non-Tamil residents with French passports who are descendants of those who chose to remain French when the then ruling French Establishment The city still has a large number of Tamil and a small number of non-Tamil residents with French passports who are descendants of those who chose to remain French when the then ruling French Establishment.