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Geography:
Tmil Nadu, one of the 28 states of the Republic of India, has its largest city Chennai (the erstwhile Madras) as its capital. The town of Kanyakumari, where the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean meet is the southernmost tip of mainland India. Tamil Nadu is the only state in India to have both the Western and the Eastern Ghats. Their junction is at the Nilgiri hills, the Blue Mountains. Tamil Nadu is bordered by Puducherry (Pondicherry), Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The Eastern Ghats are its northern limits, the Nilgiri, the Anamalai, and Palakkad Hills the western, the Bay of Bengal the eastern, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait the south eastern, and the Indian Ocean the southern. Tamil Nadu has an area of 130,000 sq km and a population of over 68 million. In contributing to India's GDP, it ranks fifth. The state has the highest percentage (11%) of business enterprises in India, vis-à-vis its proportion of population. |
Demographics:
Tamil Nadu is India's eleventh most densely populated state. 44% of the state's population have moved into urban areas, making it the most urbanised large state. Tamil Nadu's rate of growth of population has been close to 10%, the second lowest (after Kerala) amongst large states. If statistics are considered, its rate of population growth per decade
has been declining since 1971. Along with Goa and Andhra Pradesh, its fertility rate is below the required sustainable figure of 2 children per woman. While nobody wishes to acknowledge it, the fact remains that female infanticide is very high in rural Tamil Nadu. Girls are considered a burden in the state. Hinduism is the principal religion and Hindus are the dominant community.
Christianity, a minority religion, has the highest numbers of bodies when compared to other Indian states. Unruly elements have often accused the Christian leaders of proselytisation, leading to unrests. Tamil is the official and leading spoken language of the state. 90 % of the population speaks Tamil. English is spoken by almost 35% of the overall population. 97% of the Muslims speak Tamil, the others Urdu, but all speak English.
How to Get There:
By Air: Tamil Nadu has a major international airport, Chennai International Airport, the third largest airport in India after Mumbai and Delhi. Other international airports of the state are Coimbatore and Tiruchirapalli. The remaining airports are domestic, viz. Madurai, Salem and Tuticorin which provide connectivity to other parts of the country.
By Rail, Road and Sea: Increased industrialisation has seen an increase in passenger traffic as well as freight movement, growing at double digits per year. Tamil Nadu has three major seaports, Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin, as well as one intermediate port, Nagapattinam. Brandix City, a Sri Lankan Special Economic Zone close to Ennore has made local authorities speed up port capacities. Moreover, the state is well served by an extensive and efficient road and rail network throughout the state.
Climate:
The state has two distinct seasons. The incoming monsoons from June to September, the withdrawing monsoons from October to December and the intervening dry period, with temperatures rising from about 15° C to 40° C. Rains are key to this state’s survival.
Tamil Nadu Hill Stations:
Some of the best hill stations in India are in this state and do not have the problem of rains, as their altitude guarantees them enough and more. Most people find it hard to believe that Coonoor, Uthagamandalam (Ootacamund, or Ooty as most Indians know it) and Kodaikanal, three of the many hill stations in the state are at an altitude higher than Srinagar in Kashmir. They all cross 7,000 feet above sea level, whereas Srinagar is at 6,000 feet! Almost all natives of these cities speak English. For a tourist, the hill stations of Tamil Nadu are a must see.
Other Cities:
Tamil Nadu has it all. Temples, religious cities, beaches, you name it……Chennai,
Chidambaram, Kancheepuram, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Mahabalipuram, Rameshwaram,
Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli and Vellore are a few names that come to mind. Chidambaram Kapaleeswarar, Meenakshi Temple, Madurai Murugan Temple, Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari, all are renowned temples, with mind-boggling architecture. Monuments like Arjuna's Penance, Rock Fort Temple, Valluvar Kottam and Thanjavur Palace also feature on the list. Play golf on a course inside Coimbatore jail with the inmates watching you. Tamil Nadu’s Carnatic music and dances like the Bharat Natyam are part of its folklore.
Industries:
Tirupur, Coimbatore and Erode are major apparel producing cities, with Tirupur, a backwaters township, the leading knitwear exporter of India. Automobiles, motor pump and automotive spare parts makers are part of the industrialisation of the State, mainly because of the high literacy level, ability to converse in English, attitude and aptitude. Electronics are close too. Nokia, Flextronics, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Foxconn, Samsung, Cisco, Moser Baer and Dell have chosen Chennai as home base for their South Asian presence.
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