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Aug 8, 2023 · At a recently held talk titled Maps of Madras, to commemorate the beginning of the Madras Week celebrations in the city, international researcher and law expert Vikram Raghavan traced the...
Aug 15, 2014 · “The Indian national flag that was hoisted on the morning of 15 August, 1947, at Fort St. George is made of silk and measures eight feet by twelve feet,” said an official. The flag, which was part of the museum’s reserve collection, has been on display since Republic Day last year, the official said.
- Overview
- Relief, drainage, and soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
- Population composition
- Settlement patterns
Tamil Nadu is a state in southern India. It covers more than 50,200 square miles (130,000 square km). Tamil people constitute the majority of the state’s population, and Tamil is the state’s official language. Tamil Nadu’s capital is Chennai, which is an industrial centre, but the state is essentially agricultural.
Where is Tamil Nadu?
Tamil Nadu is located in the southernmost part of the Indian subcontinent. It is bounded by the states of Andhra Pradesh to the north, Karnataka to the northwest, and Kerala to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east and south.
What does Tamil Nadu mean?
Tamil Nadu means “Tamil Country.” Tamil people constitute the majority of the state’s population and are understood to be descendants of the early inhabitants of India (the so-called Dravidians). They were driven southward between about 2000 and 1500 BCE when the Aryans (speakers of Indo-Aryan languages) pushed into the Indian subcontinent.
When was Tamil Nadu established?
Tamil Nadu is divided naturally between the flat country along the eastern coast and the hilly regions in the north and west. The broadest part of the eastern plains is the fertile Kaveri (Cauvery) River delta; farther south are the arid flatlands surrounding the cities of Ramanathapuram and Madurai (Madura). The high peaks of the Western Ghats run along the state’s western border. Various segments of this mountain range— including the Nilgiri, Anaimalai, and Palni hills—have peaks exceeding 8,000 feet (2,400 metres) in elevation. Anai Peak, at 8,842 feet (2,695 metres) in the Anaimalai Hills, is the highest mountain in peninsular India. The lower peaks of the Eastern Ghats and their outliers—locally called the Javadi, Kalrayan, and Shevaroy hills—run through the centre of the region. Tamil Nadu’s major rivers—the Kaveri, the Ponnaiyar, the Palar, the Vaigai, and the Tambraparni—flow eastward from the inland hills.
Apart from the rich alluvial soil of the river deltas, the predominant soils of the state are clays, loams, sands, and red laterites (soils with a high content of iron oxides and aluminum hydroxide). The black cotton-growing soil known as regur is found in parts of the central, west-central, and southeastern regions of Tamil Nadu.
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The climate of Tamil Nadu is essentially tropical. In May and June, the hottest months, maximum daily temperatures in Chennai average about 100 °F (38 °C), while minimum temperatures average in the low 80s F (upper 20s C). In December and January, the coolest months, temperatures usually rise from about 70 °F (21 °C) into the mid-80s F (about 30 °C...
Forests cover roughly 15 percent of the state. At the highest elevations in the Western Ghats, the mountains support subalpine vegetation. Along the eastern side of the Western Ghats and in the hills of the northern and central districts, the plant life is a mixture of evergreen and deciduous species, some of which are markedly adapted to arid conditions.
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Tamil Nadu has several national parks and more than a dozen wildlife and bird sanctuaries. Among the most notable of these protected areas are the Mudlumbai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park in the Nilgiri Hills and the large Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park at the southern tip of the Western Ghats. These sanctuaries provide a safe habitat for a broad spectrum of fauna, including elephants, gaurs (wild cattle), Nilgiri tahrs (goatlike mammals), wild boars, sloth bears, and various species of deer. Tigers, leopards, and an assortment of primates, including macaques, langurs, and lorises, also inhabit these areas. Venomous king cobras are among the many species of reptiles that make their home in Tamil Nadu. Woodpeckers and flycatchers are common woodland birds; aquatic birds find a haven at the Vedantangal sanctuary in the south-central part of the state.
The area’s population evidently has changed little over the centuries. As speakers of a Dravidian language, the Tamils, who constitute the majority of the population, are understood to be descendants of the early inhabitants of India (the so-called Dravidians), who were driven southward between about 2000 and 1500 bce when the Aryans (speakers of Indo-Aryan languages) descended into the Indian subcontinent. In addition to the Tamils, the population includes various indigenous communities, who live primarily in the hill regions; these people also speak Dravidian languages. In Tamil Nadu, as in the rest of the country, the caste system is strong, even though discrimination has been banned by the constitution of India. Members of Scheduled Castes (an official category embracing those groups that traditionally occupy low positions within the caste system) account for about one-fifth of the population. Scheduled Tribes (those indigenous peoples who fall outside the caste hierarchy) account for just a small fraction of Tamil Nadu’s residents.
Tamil, the official state language, is spoken by most of the people. Other Dravidian languages used within the state include Telugu, which is spoken by roughly one-tenth of the population, as well as Kannada and Malayalam, which are spoken by much smaller numbers. In the western region—near the convergence of the borders of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala—Kannada (and its dialect Badaga) and Malayalam are stronger. There also is a community of Urdu (an Indo-Aryan language) speakers. English is used as a subsidiary language.
Although Tamil Nadu is one of the most urbanized states of India, more than half the population in the early 21st century continued to live in rural areas. The Chennai metropolitan region, covering the industrial areas, townships, and villages surrounding Chennai city, has the largest population. Other important urban agglomerations include Coimbat...
May 21, 2018 · Madras was founded by Francis Day of the English East India Company in 1639. It stood north of the Portuguese settlement of São Tomé on a strip of the Coromandel coast famous for its textiles. A fortification (named after St George) was built and became the headquarters of company activities.
1 day ago · Chennai, formerly known as Madras, city and capital of Tamil Nadu state, southern India, located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Known as the ‘Gateway to South India,’ Chennai is a major administrative and cultural center.
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Indian Naval Ensign. The ensign consists of the Indian national flag on the upper canton, a blue octagon encasing the national emblem atop an anchor to depict steadfastness, superimposed on a shield with the Navy's motto “Sam No Varuna” (a Vedic mantra invoking the god of seas to be auspicious) in Devanagari.
Madras Day is a festival organised to commemorate the founding of the city of Madras in Tamil Nadu, India. It is celebrated on 22 August every year, 22 August 1639 being the widely agreed date for the purchase of the village of Madraspatnam or Chennapatnam by East India Company factors Andrew Cogan and Francis Day from Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka ...
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