CANNANORE

also spelled Kannur, city, northern Kerala state, southern India. A port on the Arabian Sea, Cannanore carried on important trade with Persia and Arabia in the 12th and 13th centuries AD. Until the 18th century it was the capital of the raja of Kolattiri. Vasco da Gama visited Calicut in 1498, and a Portuguese fort was built in 1505. A fort was built there by the Dutch in 1656. The British captured Cannanore in 1783, after which the ruler became tributary to the British East India Company. Cannanore was the British military headquarters on India's west coast from 1709 to 1887. The city has large spinning, weaving, and hosiery mills and exports some copra, coir, and pepper. It is the site of several forts, a Portuguese church, and several mosques. The economy of the hinterland is based on the growing of cashews, peppers, and coconuts. Fishing is also important. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 65,233; metropolitan area, 463,951.