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| State of Tamil Nadu | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tamil Nadu |
| Settlement type | State |
| Capital | Chennai |
| Largest city | Chennai |
| Established | 1 November 1956 |
| Area km2 | 130058 |
| Population | 72147030 |
| Official languages | Tamil |
State of Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu is a state in southern India on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, with Chennai as its capital. The state has a long recorded tradition linking Sangam literature to dynasties such as the Chola dynasty, Pandya dynasty, and Chera dynasty, and has been shaped by interactions with empires including the Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Vijayanagara Empire, and colonial powers like the British East India Company and French East India Company.
The name derives from the classical Tamil term "Tamil" tied to Tolkāppiyam and Sangam literature, and was formalized during the reorganization of states influenced by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and the Anti-Hindi agitations that led to renaming from Madras Presidency and Madras State to present nomenclature. Ancient urban centers recorded in Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai and works by authors such as Ilango Adigal show continuity from Early Historic Tamilakam through medieval Chola maritime expansion documented in inscriptions at Brihadisvara Temple and references in Zheng He's accounts and Marco Polo's travelogue. Regional polity evolved under figures like Raja Raja Chola I, Rajendra Chola I, and later navigated colonial contests involving Robert Clive, Tipu Sultan, and administrators of Fort St. George.
Tamil Nadu occupies peninsular terrain bounded by the Bay of Bengal, the Laccadive Sea, and borders with Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Topography includes the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats ranges, the Nilgiri Mountains with Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Ooty hill station, and major rivers such as the Cauvery River, Palar River, and Vaigai River. Climate is influenced by the Southwest Monsoon and Northeast Monsoon, with ecological zones ranging from tropical dry evergreen forests to mangrove stands at Pichavaram and fauna recorded in Mudumalai National Park and Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.
The state polity operates from Chennai at the Fort St. George complex and is administered under frameworks established by the Constitution of India and statutes like the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Political life features parties including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, and regional actors such as Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Notable leaders include C. N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi, J. Jayalalithaa, and K. Kamaraj with the legislature meeting in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and executives appointed under the post of Governor of Tamil Nadu.
The state's economy comprises sectors centered in urban hubs like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchirappalli with industrial clusters such as the Automotive Corridor and electronics parks connected to firms including TVS Motor Company and Ashok Leyland. Agriculture relies on crops like paddy, sugarcane, and cotton using waters from the Cauvery Water Dispute-related schemes and reservoirs such as Mettur Dam and Bhavani Sagar Dam. Infrastructure includes ports like Chennai Port and Tuticorin Port, airports at Chennai International Airport and Coimbatore International Airport, railways on routes of the Southern Railway zone, and energy installations from thermal plants to renewable projects linked to Gujarat State Electricity Board-style utilities and national grids.
The population features speakers of Tamil language with communities including Sri Lankan Tamils, Malayalis, Telugus, and Kannadigas plus religious groups of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians with sites like Meenakshi Temple attracting pilgrims. Urbanization patterns are evident in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, with social movements influenced by icons such as Periyar E. V. Ramasamy and reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy influencing wider debates. Cultural institutions include the Tamil Nadu State Archives, Government Museum, Chennai, and festivals such as Pongal and Chithirai Festival drawing diasporas to cities and towns.
Tamil Nadu's heritage is preserved in temple architecture exemplified by Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur, Meenakshi Amman Temple, and Shore Temple with sculptural programs chronicled in inscriptions and works such as Tirukkural and Thiruvachagam. Performing arts include Bharatanatyam, Carnatic music conservatories tied to composers like Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar, and cinematic traditions centered in Kollywood with studios in Kodambakkam and filmmakers like Satyajit Ray-era influences on regional auteurs. Handicrafts include Kanchipuram sari weaving, Tanjore painting, and bronzes from Swamimalai associated with metallurgical guilds recorded in medieval grants. UNESCO and national heritage lists include several monuments from the state.
Higher education and research institutions include University of Madras, Anna University, IIT Madras, Christian Medical College, Vellore, and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati-style centers contributing to science and technology. Medical infrastructure spans public tertiary centers like Government General Hospital, Chennai and private hospitals such as Apollo Hospitals with public health programs linked to national schemes like National Rural Health Mission and vaccination drives administered in coordination with agencies including World Health Organization and UNICEF.