Global InformationTamil Nadu information
Tamil Nadu | |
|---|---|
State | |
      Clockwise from top: Shore Temple; Thiruvalluvar Statue; Hogenakkal Falls; Nilgiri Mountains; Pamban Bridge; and Brihadisvara Temple | |
 Emblem of Tamil Nadu | |
| Etymology: Tamil Country | |
| Nickname: "Land of Temples" | |
| Motto: Vāymaiyē vellum (Truth alone triumphs) | |
| Anthem: "Tamil Thai Valthu" (Invocation to Mother Tamil) | |
 Location of Tamil Nadu in India | |
| Coordinates: 11°N 79°E / 11°N 79°E | |
| Country |  India |
| Region | South India |
| Before was | Madras State |
| Formation | 1 November 1956 |
| Capital and largest city | Chennai |
| Largest metro | Chennai metropolitan area |
| Districts | 38 (5 divisions) |
| Government | |
| • Body | Government of Tamil Nadu |
| • Governor | R. N. Ravi |
| • Chief minister | M. K. Stalin (DMK) |
| State Legislature | Unicameral |
| • Assembly | Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (234 seats) |
| National Parliament | Parliament of India |
| • Rajya Sabha | 18 seats |
| • Lok Sabha | 39 seats |
| High Court | Madras High Court |
| Area | |
| • Total | 130,058 km2 (50,216 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 10th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 1,076 km (669 mi) |
| Elevation | 189 m (620 ft) |
| Highest elevation (Doddabetta) | 2,636 m (8,648 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 72,147,030 |
| • Rank | 6th |
| • Density | 554.7/km2 (1,437/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 48.4% |
| • Rural | 51.6% |
| Demonyms |
|
| Language | |
| • Official | Tamil[2] |
| • Additional official | English[2] |
| • Official script | Tamil script |
| GDP [3][4] | |
| • Total (2022-23) |  ₹23.65 trillion (US$300 billion) |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| • Per capita | ₹275,583 (US$3,500) (9th) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-TN |
| Vehicle registration | TN |
| HDI (2021) |  0.686 Medium (14th) |
| Literacy (2011) | 80.09% (14th) |
| Sex ratio (2011) | 996♀/1000 ♂ (3rd) |
| Website | tn |
| Symbols of Tamil Nadu | |
 Emblem of Tamil Nadu | |
| Song | "Tamil Thai Valthu" (Invocation to Mother Tamil) |
| Bird | Emerald Dove |
| Butterfly | Tamil Yeoman |
| Flower | Gloriosa Lily |
| Fruit | Jackfruit |
| Mammal | Nilgiri Tahr |
| Tree | Asian Palm |
| State highway mark | |
 | |
| State highway of Tamil Nadu TN SH1 - TN SH223 | |
| List of Indian state symbols | |
Tamil Nadu (/ˌtæmɪl ˈnɑːduː/; Tamil: [ˈtamiɻ ˈnaːɽɯ] ⓘ, abbr. TN) is the southernmost state of India. The tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population, Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, who speak the Tamil language, one of the longest surviving classical languages and serves as its official language. The capital and largest city is Chennai.
Located on the south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula, Tamil Nadu is straddled by the Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Eastern Coastal Plains lining the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait to the south-east, the Laccadive Sea at the southern cape of the peninsula, with the river Kaveri bisecting the state. Politically, Tamil Nadu is bound by the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, and the union territory of Puducherry and shares an international maritime border with the Northern Province of Sri Lanka at Pamban Island.
Archaeological evidence points to Tamil Nadu being inhabited for more than 400 millennia and has more than 5,500 years of continuous cultural history. Historically, the Tamilakam region was inhabited by Tamil-speaking Dravidian people and was ruled by several regimes over centuries, such as the Sangam era triumverate of the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas, the Pallavas (3rd–9th century CE), and the later Vijayanagara Empire (14th–17th century CE). European colonization began with establishing trade ports in the 17th century, with the British controlling much of South India as the Madras Presidency for two centuries before the Indian Independence in 1947. After independence, the region became the Madras State of the Republic of India and was further re-organized when states were redrawn linguistically in 1956 into the current shape. The state was renamed as Tamil Nadu, meaning "Tamil Country", in 1969. Hence, culture, cuisine and architecture have seen multiple influences over the years and have developed diversely.
As the most urbanised state of India, Tamil Nadu boasts an economy with gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹23.65 trillion (US$300 billion), making it the second-largest economy amongst the 28 states of India. It has the country's 9th-highest GSDP per capita of ₹275,583 (US$3,500) and ranks 11th in human development index. Tamil Nadu is also one of the most industrialised states, with the manufacturing sector accounting for nearly one-third of the state's GDP. With its diverse culture and architecture, long coastline, forests and mountains, Tamil Nadu is home to a number of ancient relics, historic buildings, religious sites, beaches, hill stations, forts, waterfalls and four World Heritage Sites with the state's tourism industry, the largest among the Indian states. Forests occupy an area of 22,643 km2 (8,743 sq mi) constituting 17.4% of the geographic area of which protected areas cover an area of 3,305 km2 (1,276 sq mi), around 15% of the recorded forest area of the state and consists of three biosphere reserves, mangrove forests, five National Parks, 18 wildlife sanctuaries and 17 bird sanctuaries. The Tamil film industry, nicknamed as Kollywood, plays an influential role in the state's popular culture.
- ^ Population and decadal change by residence (PDF) (Report). Government of India. p. 2. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b The Tamil Nadu Official Language Act, 1956 (PDF). Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. 27 December 1956. p. 1.
- ^ Gross State Domestic Product (Current Prices) (Report). Reserve Bank of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Per Capita Net State Domestic Product (Current Prices) (Report). Reserve Bank of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.