Karaikal district occupies an area of 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi).

[4] Karaikal is a small coastal enclave of territory which was formerly part of French India.

Together with the other former French enclaves of Pondicherry, Yanam, and Mahé, Karaikal forms the Union Territory of Puducherry.

According to the 2011 census Karaikal district has a population of 200,222,[5] roughly equal to the nation of Samoa.

[5] Karaikal has a sex ratio of 1048 females for every 1000 males,[5] and a literacy rate of 87.83%.