?தமிழ்நாடு Tamil Nadu India
Chennai
Coordinates: 13°05′N 80°16′E / 13.09, 80.27
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	130,058 km² (50,216 sq mi)
Capital	Chennai
Largest city	Chennai
District(s)	30
Population • Density	62,405,679 (6th) • 478 /km² (1,238 /sq mi)
Language(s)	Tamil
Governor	Surjit Singh Barnala
Chief Minister	M Karunanidhi
Established	1956-11-01†
Legislature (seats)	Unicameral (235)
ISO abbreviation	IN-TN
Website: tn.gov.in
† Established in 1773; Madras State was formed in 1956 and renamed as Tamil Nadu on January 14, 1969 [7]
Seal of Tamil Nadu

Coordinates: 13°05′N 80°16′E / 13.09, 80.27 Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links India_Tamil_Nadu_locator_map. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Location of Mirzapur and the 82. ... The geography of India is diverse, with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts, plains, rainforests, hills, and plateaus. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 km² and 1,000,000 km². ... Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh National Capital Territory of Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar... Madras redirects here. ... Madras redirects here. ... The divisions of a district. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh National Capital Territory of Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar... As a large and linguistically diverse country, India does not have a single official language. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Governors of Tamil Nadu See Also Tamil Nadu Governors of India Links Categories: | | | | ... Surjit Singh Barnala being sworn in as the Governor of Tamil Nadu in 2004 Surjit Singh Barnala (born October 21, 1925) is the present governor of Tamil Nadu, India. ... List of All Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu See Also Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers of India Links Categories: India-related stubs | Tamil Nadu | Indian politicians | Office-holders | Government of India ... Categories: Indian people stubs | Tamil people | Indian politicians ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Government of India (Hindi: भारत सरकार [1]Bhārat Sarkār), officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called the Republic of... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard. ... ISO 3166-2 for India (ISO 3166-1 : IN) The purpose of this family of standards is to establish a worldwide series of short abbreviations for places, for use on package labels, containers and such. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 572 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (595 × 624 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Emblem of Government of Tamil Nadu I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Tamil Nadu (Tamil: தமிழ்நாடு, pronunciation (help· info) English: Country of the Tamils, IPA: [t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ]) is one of the 28 states of India. It lies on the eastern coast of the southern Indian Peninsula bordered by Puducherry (Pondicherry), Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu is bound by the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Palakkad on the west, Bay of Bengal in the east, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait in the south east and Indian Ocean in the south. It is the eleventh largest state in India by area (about the size of Greece) and the sixth most populous state.^[1] Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Image File history File links Tamil_Nadu. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Motherland is a term that may refer to a mother country, i. ... Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are a multi-ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... India is a federal republic comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: India Wikinews has news related to this article: India Look up India in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikibooks has more about this subject: India Wikisource has original text related to this article: India Official GOI Directory — Directory of governmental websites Indiaimage... This article is about the Union Territory. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... This article is about the Indian region. ... Andhra redirects here. ... The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains, eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri. ... Nilgiri, which literally means Blue Mountain in various Indo-Aryan languages, can refer to: Nilgiris (mountains), a range of mountains panning across the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India Nilgiri, a mountain located in Balasore District of the state of Orissa in East India Nilgiris (mountains in... Annamalai (Anamalai or Anamalah) Mountains are a mountain range and wildlife sanctuary in the Western Ghats range of southern India, straddling the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Look up Bay of Bengal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Gulf of Mannar is an arm of the Indian Ocean, lying between the southern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka at a width of between 160 and 200 km (100 to 125 mi). ... The Palk Strait is a 40-85 mi (64-137 km) wide strait that lies between Indias Tamil Nadu state and the island nation of Sri Lanka. ...

Tamil Nadu is the homeland of the Tamils and has existed since prehistoric times.^[2] The culture and artwork of this region are considered to be some of the oldest in the world. It is home to one of the world's classical languages, Tamil. The language has been documented as being around for at least 5,000 years in written form, but was spoken long before that.^[3][2][4] Tamil Nadu also has one of the oldest culinary heritages in the world. Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ...

Tamil Nadu is the epicentre of Dravidian politics in India, which are dominated by the DMK and AIADMK parties. It is one of the foremost states in the country in terms of overall development.^[5][6] One of the most industrialised and urbanised states^[1] in India, it is home to many natural resources, rare flora and fauna, cool hill stations, grand Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[7][8] This article is about the political party in Tamil Nadu, India. ... All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is a regional political party in India. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ...

History

Main article: History of Tamil Nadu

The Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram built by the Pallavas during 7th to 8th century CE

A temple from the Chola period. ... Image File history File links Shore_temple. ... Image File history File links Shore_temple. ... Shore temple The Shore Temple is a structural temple, built with blocks of granites, dating from the 8th century AD build on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mamallapuram, a tiny village south of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... Shore Temple, rescued from the sea Mahabalipuram (Tamil:மகாபலிபுரம்) (also known as Mamallapuram) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

Prehistory

Tamil Nadu's history dates back to pre-historic times and archaeological evidence points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in India. In Adichanallur, 24 km from Tirunelveli, archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India unearthed 169 clay urns containing human skulls, skeletons and bones, plus husks and grains of rice, charred rice and Neolithic celts, giving evidence confirming them to be of the Neolithic period, 3800 years ago.^[9] The ASI archaeologists have proposed that the script is "very rudimentary" Tamil Brahmi.^[10] Adhichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies.^[11] Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... Adichanallur is an archaeological site near 24 Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, India. ... , Tirunelveli (Tamil: ) is a Municipal Corporation, sixth largest city in Tamil Nadu(After Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Salem)in southern India and the district headquarter of Tirunelveli district. ... The Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency in the Department of Culture that is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of cultural monuments. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... Celt (pron. ... The Tamil Brahmi script, unlike standard Asokan Brahmi, distinguished between pure consonants and consonants with an inherent vowel marker Tamil-Brahmi was an early script used to write Tamil characters. ...

Chera, Chola, Pandya, Pallava Kingdoms

From early pre-historic times, Tamil Nadu was the home of the four powerful Tamil kingdoms of the Chera, Chola, Pandya(Madurai) and Pallavas. The oldest extant literature, dated between 500 BCE and 200 CE mentions the exploits of the kings and the princes, and of the poets who extolled them. The early Cholas reigned between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. An unknown dynasty called Kalabhras invaded and displaced the three Tamil kingdoms between the fourth and the seventh centuries CE. This is referred to as the Dark Age in Tamil history. They were eventually expelled by the Pandyas and the Pallavas. Around 580 CE, the Pallavas, great temple builders, emerged into prominence and dominated the south for another 150 years. They ruled a large portion of Tamil Nadu with Kanchipuram as their base. They subjugated the Cholas and reigned as far south as the Kaveri River. Among the greatest Pallava rulers were Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I. Dravidian architecture reached its peak during the Pallava rule. The Chera dynasty (Tamil: சேரர்) was one of the ancient Tamil dynasties that ruled southern India from ancient times until around the fifteenth century CE. The Early Cheras ruled over the Malabar Coast, Coimbatore, Karur and Salem Districts in South India, which now forms part of the modern day Kerala and... The Chola Dynasty (Tamil: , IPA: ) was a Tamil dynasty that ruled primarily in southern India until the 13th century. ... Context : Kingdoms of Ancient India Pandyas were fierce warriors who took part in the Kurukshetra War. ... , Madurai   (Tamil: , IPA: ) is a city and a municipal corporation with a city population of 922,913 according to 2001 census. ... The Pallavas were hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ... Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years 200 BCE and 300 CE.[1][2] This collection contains 2381 poems written by 473 poets, some 102 of whom are anonymous authors[3]. The period during which these poems were written is commonly referred to... The Early Cholas of the pre and post Sangam period (100 C.E. – 200 C.E.) were only the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country. ... Kalabhras were the South Indian dynasty who between the 3rd and the 6th century C.E. ruled over entire Tamil country, displacing the ancient Chola, Pandya and Chera dynasties. ... The ancient Tamil country refers to the areas of South India and the northeastern Sri Lanka in which Tamil was the major language during ancient times. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Languages Tamil Religions Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism Related ethnic groups Dravidian people Brahui people Kannadigas Malayalis Tamils Telugus Tuluvas Gonds The Tamil people are a multi-ethnic group from the Indian subcontinent with a recorded history going back more than two millennia. ... The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... The Pallavas were hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... The rock-cut temples at Mamallapuram. ... Narasimhavarman I was one of the most famous Pallava kings who ruled from A.D. 630 - 668. ... Dravidian architecture, as unique and spectacular as any Greek, Roman or Egyptian architecture, spans many thousands of years. ...

Chola Empire

The Brahadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, built by Raja Raja Chola

By the 9th century, under Rajaraja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the Cholas rose as a notable power in Asia. The Chola Empire stretched as far as Bengal. Rajaraja Chola conquered all of peninsular South India and parts of Sri Lanka. Rajendra Chola's navies went even further, occupying coastal Burma (now Myanmar), the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Sumatra, Java, Malaya in South East Asia and Pegu islands. He defeated Mahipala, the king of the Bengal, and to commemorate his victory he built a new capital and named it Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Image File history File linksMetadata Bigtemple1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Bigtemple1. ... The Brihadisvara temple (also spelled Brahadeeswarar temple) is an ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... , Tanjore redirects here. ... Rajaraja Chola the first is considered the greatest of all Chola kings. ... Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I, the great Chola king of South India. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bengal (disambiguation). ... The geographical south of India includes all Indian territory below the 20th parallel. ... Anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw Largest city Yangon Official languages Burmese Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe  -  Prime Minister Soe Win  -  Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein Establishment  -  Bagan 849–1287   -  Taungoo Dynasty 1486–1752   -  Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885   -  Colonial rule... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Andaman Islands. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Sumatra (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Java island. ... The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Semenanjung Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ... Mahipala I (c. ... Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a village in the inland Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. ...

The Cholas revelled in building magnificent temples. Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur is a classical example of the magnificent architecture of the Chola kingdom. Brihadeshwara temple is an UNESCO Heritage Site under "Great Living Chola Temples."^[12] Another example is the Chidambaram Temple in the heart of the temple town of Chidambaram. The power of the Cholas declined around the 13th century. The Brihadeeswarar temple [Tamil:PERUVUDIAYAAR TEMPLE] Tamil: (பெருவுடையார் கோவில்) (also spelled Brihadeshvara Temple or Birhadeeshwara temple) ,originally called as Peruvudaiyar Koil in Tamil,[1] is an ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... , Tanjore redirects here. ... This article is about building architecture. ... Chidambaram Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the heart of the temple town of Chidambaram, 58 km south of Pondicherry in Cuddalore District, the east-central part of the Tamil Nadu state of southeastern India. ... , This article is about the town in Cuddalore district. ...

Muslim Invasion, Vijayanagara Conquest

With the decline of the Cholas, the Pandyas rose to prominence once again in the early 14th century. This was short-lived; they were soon subdued by Muslim Khilji invaders from the north in 1316. The invasion led to the establishment of the Madurai Sultanate. These Muslim invasions caused the establishment of Vijayanagara Empire in the Deccan. It eventually conquered the entire Tamil country (c. 1370 CE). As the Vijayanagara Empire went into decline after mid-16th century, the Nayak governors, who were appointed by the Vijayanagar kingdom to administer various territories of the empire, declared their independence. The Nayaks of Madurai and Nayaks of Thanjavur were most prominent of them all. They reconstructed some of the oldest temples in the country. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Khilji or Khalji was a ruling dynasty of Turkic origin that conquered and ruled northern India (1290-1320). ... Madurai Sultanate was a short lived kingdom based in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India during the 14th century CE. It lasted from 1323 until 1378. ... The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ... The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ... A Nayak (also Nayaka, Nayaker/Naicker (Tamil) or Nayadu/Naidu (Telegu) or Nair (Malayalam) Nayake/Naike (Sinhala) or Naik (Marathi) ) is the title of a government official, equivalent to a provincial governor or viceroy, in the Telugu kingdoms of southern India, including the Kakatiya kingdom of Warangal (11th-14th centuries... The Madurai Nayaks were rulers of Madurai state during the years 1559-1736. ... See ...

Fort Dansborg, built by the Danish, in Tranquebar (now Tharangambadi)

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Danish and other colonial settlements in India Tharangambadi (or Tranquebar) is a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

Western Colonial Rule

Around 1609, the Dutch established a settlement in Pulicat. In 1639, the British, under the British East India Company, established a settlement further south, in present day Chennai. The British used petty quarrels among the provincial rulers (divide and rule) to expand their sphere of influence. The British fought and reduced the French dominions in India to Pondicherry. They consolidated southern India into the Madras Presidency. Some notable chieftains or Poligars who fought the British East India Company as it was expanding were Veerapandya Kattabomman, Pulithevan and Dheeran Chinnamalai. Pudukkottai remained as a princely state under British suzerainty. The Dutch (Ethnonym: Nederlanders meaning Lowlanders) are the dominant ethnic group[1] of the Netherlands[2]. They are usually seen as a Germanic people. ... Pulicat is a town which lies in the Thiruvallur District, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... French India is highlighted in light blue on the subcontinent. ... Map of Pondicherry Region, Union Territory of Pondicherry, India Pondicherry (Tamil:புதுவை,Hindi: पॉण्डिचेरी) is a Union Territory of India. ... A poligar or polygar is the title of a class of officials or chiefs who governed portions of southern India from the 16th to the 18th centuries. ... // [edit] Veerapandiya Kattabomman Eighteen kilometres north west of Tirunelveli lies the hamlet of Panchalankurichi, a place of historical significance. ... Dheeran Chinnamalai born in 1756, Chinnamalai started off by forming a 1,000 strong army in support of Tipu Sultan. ... Pudukkottai (Tamil:புதுக்கோட்டை) is a city and a municipality in Pudukkottai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ... A princely state is any state under the reign of a prince and is thus a principality taken in the broad sense. ...

Independence

When India became independent in 1947, Madras Presidency became Madras State, comprising of present day Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh up to Ganjam district in Orissa, northern Karnataka, and parts of Kerala. The state was subsequently split up along linguistic lines. In 1968, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning Land of Tamil. Madras refers to: the Indian city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, the former Indian state, now known as Tamil Nadu (Plural of Madra): Ancient people of Iranian affinites, who lived in northwest Panjab in the Uttarapatha division of ancient India. ...

Geography and climate

A semi-arid wasteland near Tirunelveli. Monsoon clouds dump torrents of rain on lush forests that are only a few kilometers away in windward-facing Kerala, but are prevented from reaching Tirunelveli by the Agasthyamalai Range of the Western Ghats (background).

Tropical cyclone Baaz approaching the Coromandel Coast during November, 2004

Tamil Nadu covers an area of 130,058 square kilometres (50,216 sq mi),and is the eleventh largest state in India. West and North of the state has lofty hills while the East and South are coastal plains. The bordering states are Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the northwest and Andhra Pradesh to the north. To the east is the Bay of Bengal. The southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula is located in Tamil Nadu. At this point is the town of Kanyakumari which is the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 240 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Desert Tirunelveli Rainshadow Tirunelveli District Agastyamalai Wikipedia:Featured pictures candidates/August-2006 Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 240 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Desert Tirunelveli Rainshadow Tirunelveli District Agastyamalai Wikipedia:Featured pictures candidates/August-2006 Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates... , Tirunelveli (Tamil: ) is a Municipal Corporation, sixth largest city in Tamil Nadu(After Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Salem)in southern India and the district headquarter of Tirunelveli district. ... Example image showing definitions of windward (upwind) and leeward (downwind). ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow (TV series). ... A view of the Agasthyarkoodam from the base Agastya Malai (Agastyakoodam), a peak of 1868 m in the Western Ghats. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (6,400 × 6,400 pixels, file size: 6. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (6,400 × 6,400 pixels, file size: 6. ... Districts along the Coromandel Coast Map of the coast (French) The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... , Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... This article is about the Indian region. ... Andhra redirects here. ... Look up Bay of Bengal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Kanyakumari (disambiguation). ... The Arabian Sea (Arabic: بحر العرب; transliterated: Bahr al-Arab) is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui, the north-east point of Somalia...

Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) which forms about 18% of the country’s coastline (third longest).^[1] Tamil Nadu's coastline bore the brunt of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami when it hit India, which left behind 7,793 dead in the state.^[13] Tamil Nadu falls mostly in a region of low seismic hazard with the exception of western border areas that lie in a low to moderate hazard zone. As per the 2002 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) map, Tamil Nadu falls in Zones II & III. Historically, parts of this region have experienced seismic activity in the M5.0 range.^[14] Animation of the tsunami caused by the earthquake (see also the full-length version) From NOAA/PMEL. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December...

Tamil Nadu, a coastal state, is prone to droughts. The climate of the state ranges from dry sub-humid to semi-arid. The state has three distinct periods of rainfall: (1) Advancing monsoon period, South West monsoon (from June to September), with strong southwest winds; (2) North East monsoon (from October to December), with dominant northeast winds; and (3) Dry season (from January to May). The normal annual rainfall of the state is about 945 mm (37.2 in)^[15] of which 48% is through the North East monsoon, and 32% through the South West monsoon. Since the state is entirely dependent on rains for recharging its water resources, monsoon failures lead to acute water scarcity and severe drought.^[1] Tamil Nadu is classified into seven agro-climatic zones: north-east, north-west, west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly, and Cauvery Delta (the most fertile agricultural zone). The table below shows the maximum and minimum temperatures that the state experiences in the plains and hills.^[16] For other uses, see Monsoon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Monsoon (disambiguation). ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The Cauvery River (also spelled Kaveri or Kavery) is one of the great sacred rivers of India. ...

Tamil Nadu has a wide variety of minerals with the most reserves in India lignite (almost 90% of India's reserves), magnesite (45%) and garnet (over 40%) among others.^[17] Tamil Nadu contributes 15% of the total Salt production in the country. Forests cover over 17% of the state's geographical area with several Protected areas of Tamil Nadu including wild life and bird sanctuaries.^[18] Strip mining lignite at Garzweiler, Germany Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is the lowest rank of coal and used almost exclusively as fuel for steam-electric power generation. ... Magnesite is magnesium carbonate, MgCO3. ... Garnet is a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. ... This article is about common table salt. ... // Tamil Nadu, India Tamil Nadu State in South India covers an area of 130,058 km 2 (50,215 mi2). ...

Governance and administration

Main article: Government of Tamil Nadu

Main article: Tamil Nadu Police

Emblem of Government of Tamil Nadu, showing the Temple tower of Srivilliputhur and Lion Capital of Asoka.

Tamil Nadu had a bicameral legislature until 1986, when it was replaced with a unicameral legislature, like most other states in India. The 'Governor' is the Constitutional head of the state while the 'Chief minister' is the head of the government and the head of the council of ministers. The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court is the head of the judiciary. The present Governor, Chief minister and the Chief Justice are S. S. Barnala, M. Karunanidhi and A. P. Shah respectively.The major administrative units of the state constitutes 39 Lok Sabha constituencies, 234 Assembly constituencies, 31 districts, 8 municipal corporations, 152 municipalities, 561 town panchayats and 12,618 village panchayats. Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the state capital. It is the fourth largest city in India and is also one of the five A1 Metropolitan cities of India. Ripon Building, which houses the Chennai Corporation, was completed 1913. ... The Tamil Nadu Police is the police force of Tamil Nadu, India, and is the fifth largest state police force in India. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 572 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (595 × 624 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Emblem of Government of Tamil Nadu I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 572 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (595 × 624 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Emblem of Government of Tamil Nadu I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under... An emblem consists of a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept - often a concept of a moral truth or an allegory. ... , Srivilliputhur (Tamil: ஸ்ரீவில்லிபுத்தூர் / திருவில்லிபுத்தூர்) is a city and a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ... Emblem of India. ... This article is about bicameralism in government. ... For unicameral alphabets, see the article letter case. For The unicameral, see Nebraska Legislature. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... A Chief Minister is the elected Head of Government of a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British overseas territory that has attained self-government. ... The Madras High Court, one of the landmarks of the metropolis of Chennai, and believed to be the second largest judicial complex in the world, is located near the Parrys Corner, one of the important central business districts of Chennai. ... The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth- or other countries with an Anglosaxon type of justice, such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the Supreme... The Lok Sabhha (alternatively titled, the House of the People, by the Constitution of India) is the lower house in the Parliament of India. ... Madras redirects here. ...

Tamil Nadu has been a pioneering state in E-Governance initiatives in India. A large part of the government records like land ownership records are already digitised and all major offices of the state government like Urban Local Bodies — all the Corporations and Municipal Office activities — revenue collection, land registration offices, and transport offices have been computerised, thereby improving the quality of service and transparency in operations. ... Local Governance in India can be divided into two categories, urban and rural. ... For other uses, see Corporation (disambiguation). ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ...

The 31 districts of Tamil Nadu are listed below, with the numbers corresponding to those in the image at the right. Ariyalur district, which was created in 2001 from the Perambalur district, was restored as the 31st district of Tamil Nadu on the 23rd November, 2007. Ariyalur is an administrative district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. ... Perambalur is an administrative district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. ...

Districts of Tamil Nadu

TN government has also announced that Tirupur will be the new headquarters of the Tirupur district which will be formed by splitting the Coimbatore and Erode district. ^[19] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (596x739, 121 KB) Summary Districts of Tamil Nadu numbered. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (596x739, 121 KB) Summary Districts of Tamil Nadu numbered. ... The Chennai district is a district of Tamil Nadu, India. ... Coimbatore District A typical farm in Coimbatore District in Tamil Nadu Coimbatore District is one of the most affluent and industrially advanced districts of Tamil Nadu. ... Cuddalore District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Dharmapuri district is an administrative region in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... Dindigul district is an administrative region in the south of Tamil Nadu, India. ... Erode district in Tamil Nadu, India Turmeric powder, used extensively in Indian cuisine, finds an important market centre in Erode District Erode District (Tamil: ஈரோடு மாவட்டம்) is a northern district of the state of Tamil Nadu, South India, with Erode as its headquarters. ... Kanchipuram, Kanchi, or Kancheepuram (also sometimes Conjeevaram) is a district is in the northeast of Tamil Nadu, adjacent to the Bay of Bengal. ... Kanyakumari District (also spelt Kanniyakumari or Kanniakumari District) is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and also the southernmost land area and district of mainland India. ... Karur District is located along the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu India. ... Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu, India Krishnagiri District (கிருஷ்ணகிரி மாவட்டம் in Tamil) is a district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. ... Sri Meenakshi temple Madurai district is one of the 30 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... Nagapattinam District is a coastal district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Namakkal district, headquartered at Namakkal is one of the 30 administrative districts of Tamil Nadu state in South India. ... Perambalur is an administrative district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. ... Pudukkottai District Pudukkottai District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu, India Ramanathapuram District is an administrative district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Salem District Salem District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Thanjavur district is one of the 30 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... The Nilgiris District The Nilgiris The Nilgiris District is in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu. ... Theni district in Tamil Nadu, India Manjalaru Dam. ... Thoothukudi District Thoothukudi District, also known as Tuticorin District, is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Tiruchirapalli District Map Tiruchirapalli District (also known as Tiruchchirapalli District) is located along the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu India. ... Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, India Tirunelveli District (திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டம் in Tamil) is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu, India Tiruvallur district is an administrative district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ... Tiruvannamalai district is one of the 30 districts of the state of Tamil Nadu, in South India, and Tiruvannamalai town is the district headquarters. ... Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu, India Tiruvarur district is one of the 30 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. ... Vellore district is one of the 30 districts in the Tamilnadu state of India. ... Viluppuram district in Tamil Nadu, India Viluppuram (also Villupuram and Vizhupuram) is one of the thirty districts which make up Tamil Nadu State situated on the southern tip of India. ... Virudhunagar District is an administrative district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. ... Ariyalur is an administrative district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. ...

Decrease in crimes registered in Tamil Nadu^[20]

The Tamil Nadu Police Force is over 140 years old. It is the fifth largest state police force in India.^[21] The administrative control of Tamil Nadu Police vests with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who holds the portfolio of Home Minister. The supervision and coordination of Police is done by the Home Department, Govt. of Tamil Nadu. The Force is headed by the Director General of Police. The State is divided into 4 police zones - North, Central, West and South. Each zone is headed by one Inspector General of Police. In each of the six metropolitan cities of Tamil Nadu, the City Police force is headed by a Commissioner of Police. These cities are Greater Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Salem and Tirunelveli. There are thirty police districts in Tamil Nadu, each headed by a Superintendent of Police. In each City and District, the Commissioner of Police / Superintendent of Police has, besides the civil police force, an armed reserve of police personnel. One Deputy Inspector General of police supervises the work of 2–3 districts, which constitute a Police Range. There are eleven ranges in Tamil Nadu. The special units of Tamil Nadu Police perform specific functions related to security, intelligence, criminal investigations and support services.^[21] Tamil Nadu has a police population ratio of 1 : 632.^[22] The Tamil Nadu Police force is regarded as one amongst the best in the country.^[22] Tamil Nadu is one of the states where law and order has been maintained largely successfully. Over the years, there has been a gradual decrease in the number of crimes registered.^[20] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,002 × 669 pixels, file size: 52 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,002 × 669 pixels, file size: 52 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Tamil Nadu Police is the police force of Tamil Nadu, India, and is the fifth largest state police force in India. ... In India the Director General of Police is the highest ranking police officer in Indian States. ... An Inspector General of Police is a high ranking police officer of the Indian Police Service or Royal Malaysian Police (Polis Di-Raja Malaysia) cadre or the Sri Lanka Police Service. ... The Commissioner of Police heads of the Hong Kong Police Force and reports to the Secretary for Security. ... Superintendent (Supt), often shortened to Super, is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. ...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Tamil Nadu

Periyar, Leader of the Dravidian Movement

Regional parties have dominated state politics since 1967. ... Image File history File links Periyar1973. ... Image File history File links Periyar1973. ...

Pre Independence

Prior to Indian independence Tamil Nadu was under British colonial rule as part of the Madras Presidency. Regional parties have dominated state politics since 1916. One of the earliest regional parties was the South Indian Welfare Association, which was a forerunner to Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu, was started in 1916. The party was called after its English organ, Justice Party, by it opponents and later the same was adopted as its official name. In the first general election to the then Madras Presidency, the Justice Party won the elections. The main reason for the tremendous victory for the Justice Party was the boycott of elections by the Congress party. Thereby, the first Justice Party ministry assumed office on 17th December, 1920, under the leadership of A.Subbarayalu Reddiyar. The first ministry of the Justice Party was consisted of only Telugu people and thus, the same was described as an “ Andhra Non-Brahmin Hindu Ministry. The second justice party ministry was constituted on 19th November, 1923, under the leadership of Raja of Panagal. Madras Presidency, also known as Madras Province and known officially as Presidency of Fort St. ... Judiciary Supreme Court of India Chief Justice of India High Courts District Courts Elections Political Parties Local & State Govt. ... Dravidian may refer to: Dravidian languages, including the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages spoken especially in southern India and Sri Lanka. ... Justice Party was the political wing of Then Nala Urimai Sangam (literal translation: The South Indian Welfare Association). ... Madras refers to: the Indian city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras, the former Indian state, now known as Tamil Nadu (Plural of Madra): Ancient people of Iranian affinites, who lived in northwest Panjab in the Uttarapatha division of ancient India. ... Look up Congress in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Andhra Pradesh (ఆంధర దేశం), a state in South India, lies between 12°41 and 22°N latitude and 77° and 84°40E longitude . ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... The term ministry can refer to the following: A ministry is a department of a government. ...

The election to the Imperial Assembly and to the Legislative Council took place on 8th November, 1926. The congress emerged as the largest party in the Madras Legislative Assembly by winning 41 out of 98 seats. Thus, it paved the way for the third ministry being formed by a Tamil leader, Dr.Subbaroyan , in the year 1926. The Congress party decided to boycott elections in 1930 elections demanding complete independence to India. Thereby, the electoral field was completely left to the Justice Party and results of the elections were very much in favor of the justice party. A third Telugu led ministry under the leadership of B.Muniswami Naidu was formed on 27th October, 1930 by the Justice Party. The congress party swept the election held in November, 1934 and again in February, 1937. Prominent leaders such as Raja of Bobbili, the leader of the Justice Party was defeated. At this juncture, the party leadership was given to E.V.Ramaswami Naicker who was a Telugu by origin.

E.V.Ramaswami Naicker popularly known as EVR and also as Periyar, believed in agitational politics and he took the Justice Party away from its original path. The Justice Party which had a moribund existence under E.V.Ramaswami Naicker, died at last in 1944 which he renamed the party Dravidar Kazhagam (DK for short) in 1944. DK was a non-political party which demanded the establishment of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. However, due to the differences between its two leaders Periyar and C.N. Annadurai, the party was split. Annadurai left the party to for