CANNANORE, town, British India, in the Malabar district of Madras, on the coast, 58 m. N. from Calicut and 470 m. by rail from Madras. Pop. Cannanore belonged to the Kalahasti or Cherakal rajas till the invasion of Malabar by Hyder Ali. In 1498 it was visited by Vasco da Gama, who made a treaty with the raja, and built a fort in 1505. In 1656 the Dutch effected a settlement and built the present fort, which they sold to Ali Raja in 1771. It is now a military cantonment. In 1783 Cannanore was captured by the British, and the reigning princess became tributary to the East India Company. Here is the resi dence of the Moplah chief, who owned most of the Laccadive is lands till 1911, when they were ceded, and the ruler was given a pension. There are cotton mills and biscuit works. Pepper, copra and coir are exported. Cannanore is a military station.