Tamil Nadu

The territory covers more than 130,000 square miles with coastal plains along the Coromandel Coast, hill stations in the Nilgiri Mountains and agricultural valleys irrigated by rivers including Kaveri and Vaigai.

Ancient Tamil kingdoms ruled the territory for two millennia before it became the center of the British Madras Presidency in 1639 and was reorganized as a separate state in 1956 following independence.

Dravidian culture shapes daily life through classical Bharatanatyam dance traditions, temple festivals and vegetarian cuisine centered on rice, lentils and fermented preparations like idli and dosa.

Chennai has an international airport with connections to major Asian and Middle Eastern hubs, while trains and buses reach smaller cities like Thanjavur and Kanyakumari, often multiple times daily during peak season.

More than 30,000 Hindu temples dot the landscape, including the major complexes at Madurai and Thanjavur where daily rituals have continued uninterrupted for over 1,000 years.

Location: India

Inception: January 26, 1950

Capital city: Chennai

Reference: TN

Part of: South India

Shares border with: Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry

Website: http://tn.gov.in

GPS coordinates: 11.00000,79.00000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:09