View source for Tamil Nadu

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2010}}
{{Infobox state
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Tamil Nadu
| type                    = [[States of India|State]]
| image_skyline           =
| image_alt               =
| image_caption           =
| image_blank_emblem      = Seal of Tamil Nadu.jpg
| blank_emblem_type       = Tamil Nadu Emblem
| blank_emblem_size       = 150px
| motto                   = Truth alone Triumphs
| anthem                  = [[Invocation to Goddess Tamil]] <center></center> 
| image_map               = India Tamil Nadu locator map.svg
| map_alt                 =
| map_caption             = Location of Tamil Nadu in [[India]]
| image_map1              = Tamil Nadu locator map.svg
| map_caption1            = Map of Tamil Nadu
| latd                    = 13.09
| longd                   = 80.27
| coor_pinpoint           =
| coordinates_type        = region:IN-TN_type:adm1st
| coordinates_display     = inline,title
| coordinates_footnotes   =
| coordinates_region      = IN-TN
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|India}}
| established_title       = Established
| established_date        = 26 January 1950{{ref|est|†}}
| parts_type              = [[List of Indian districts|Districts]]
| parts_style             = para
| p1                      = [[List of districts of India|32 total]]
| seat_type               = Capital
| seat                    = [[Chennai]]
| seat1_type              = Largest city
| seat1                   = Chennai
| government_footnotes    =
| governing_body          =
| leader_title            = [[Governors of Tamil Nadu|Governor]]
| leader_name             = [[Konijeti Rosaiah]] 
| leader_title1           = [[Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu|Chief&nbsp;Minister]]
| leader_name1            = [[Jayalalithaa]] ([[AIADMK]])
| leader_title2           = [[Legislature of Tamil Nadu|Legislature]]
| leader_name2            = [[Unicameral]] (234 seats)
| leader_title4           = [[Madras High Court|Chief Justice]]
| leader_name4            = [[M. Y. Eqbal|M. Yusuf Eqbal]]
| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes          =
| area_total_km2          = 130058
| area_note               =
| area_rank               = 11th
| elevation_footnotes     =
| elevation_m             =
| population_footnotes    =<ref name="GOI_2001">{{cite web|title = census of india|url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/|work=[[Census of India 2001]]|publisher=[[Government of India]]|date = 27 May 2002|accessdate = 14 April 2007}}</ref>
| population_total        = 72,138,958
| population_as_of        = 2011
| population_rank         = 7th
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_note         =
| timezone1               = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1             = +05:30
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:IN|IN-TN]]
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Human Development Index|HDI]]
| blank_info_sec1         = {{decrease}} 0.666 (<span style="color:#fc0">medium</span>)
| blank1_name_sec1        = HDI rank
| blank1_info_sec1        = 10th (2006)<ref name=hdi/>
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Literacy in India|Literacy]]
| blank_info_sec2         = 80.3% (11th)
| blank1_name_sec2        = Official languages
| blank1_info_sec2        = [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[Tamil language|தமிழ்]]
| area_code_type          = [[UN/LOCODE]]
| area_code               =
| registration_plate      =
| website                 = [http://www.tn.gov.in/ tn.gov.in]
| footnotes               = {{note|est|†}} Established in 1773; Madras State was formed in 1950 and renamed as Tamil Nadu on 14 January 1969<ref>[http://www.assembly.tn.gov.in/history/history.htm Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly].</ref>
}}
'''Tamil Nadu''' {{IPAc-en|'|t|ae|m|i-|l|_|'|n|ah|d|oo}} ({{IAST|Tamiḻ Nāṭu}} {{IPA-ta|t̪amɨɭ naːɖɯ||Tamil_Nadu.ogg}}) is one of the 28 [[States and territories of India|states]] of [[India]]. Its capital is [[Chennai]], the largest city. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the [[Indian Peninsula]] and is bordered by the [[union territory]] of [[Pondicherry]], and the states of [[Kerala]], [[Karnataka]], and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. It is bound by the [[Eastern Ghats]] in the north, the [[Nilgiri mountains|Nilgiri]], the [[Anamalai Hills]], and [[Palakkad]] on the west, by the [[Bay of Bengal]] in the east, the [[Gulf of Mannar]], the [[Palk Strait]] in the south east, and by the [[Indian Ocean]] in the south.

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the seventh most populous state. It is the fourth largest contributor (as of 2010)<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-indias-top-20-states-by-gdp/20110722.htm India's top 20 states by GDP]. [[Rediff]], Retrieved on October 06, 2011</ref> to India's [[GDP]] and ranks tenth in Human Development Index as of 2006.<ref name=hdi>16th if Union Territories are included [http://wcd.nic.in/publication/GDIGEReport/Part2.pdf HDI and GDI Estimates for India and the States/UTs: Results and Analysis]</ref><!--<ref>[http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tn-makes-its-way-to-top-5-states-in-hdi/287643/ TN makes its way to top 5 states in HDI Posted Monday, March 24, 2008]</ref><ref>[http://socialjustice.nic.in/pdf/tab16.pdf Human Development Index of India & Major States, 1981 - 2001, Union Ministry of Social Justice]</ref>--> Tamil Nadu is also the most urbanised state in India.<ref name="autogenerated3">[http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/18/stories/2008051853960400.htm Tamil Nadu the most urbanised State: Minister].</ref> The state has the highest number (10.56%) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97%) in India,<ref>[http://www.indcom.tn.gov.in/organisation.htm Enterprises in India].</ref> compared to the population share of about 6%.

The region has been the home of the [[Tamil people]] since at least 500 BCE. Its official language [[Tamil language|Tamil]] has been in use in inscriptions and literature for over 2000 years.<ref>Anwar S. Dil ''"Language and Linguistic Area: Essays by Murray Barnson Emeneau"'', Stanford University Press: Stanford, California - Reprinted (1980).</ref> Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources, Hindu temples of [[Dravidian architecture]], hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites and eight [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]s.<ref>[http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=29977 Press Information Bureau].</ref><ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list UNESCO World Heritage List].</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Tamil Nadu}}

===Prehistory===
Tamil Nadu's history dates back to [[pre-historic]] times. Archaeological evidence points to this area being one of the longest continuous habitations in India.<ref>{{cite book | title=Riding the Indian tiger: understanding India—the world's fastest growing market| edition=| author=William Nobrega, Ashish Sinha| date=| page=20| publisher=John Wiley and Sons, 2008| isbn=}}</ref> In [[Adichanallur]], {{convert|24|km|0|abbr=on}} 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]] [[celt (tool)|celts]], giving evidence confirming them to be of the Neolithic period, 3800 years ago.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1354201,prtpage-1.cms
|title=Skeletons dating back 3,800 years throw light on evolution|publisher=The Times of India|accessdate=11 June 2008|date=1 January 2006}}</ref> The ASI archaeologists have proposed that the script used at that site is "very rudimentary" [[Tamil Brahmi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/02/17/stories/2005021704471300.htm
|title=The Hindu: National: 'Rudimentary Tamil-Brahmi script' unearthed at Adichanallur|publisher=The Hindu|accessdate=11 June 2008}}</ref> Adichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/05/26/stories/2004052602871200.htm|title=The Hindu: National: Skeletons, script found at ancient burial site in Tamil Nadu|publisher=The Hindu|accessdate=11 June 2008|location=Chennai, India|date=26 May 2004}}</ref> About 60% of the total epigraphical inscriptions found by ASI in India are from Tamil Nadu and most of which are in [[Tamil language]].<ref>{{cite news|title= Students get glimpse of heritage |url= http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/22/stories/2005112215970400.htm |author= Staff Reporter |publisher= The Hindu |date = 22 November 2005 |accessdate= 26 April 2007 |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> Geologists have discovered hundreds of fossilized dinosaur eggs, perhaps 65 million years old, underneath a stream in a tiny village in Ariyalur district.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Radha Venkatesan |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Indias-Jurassic-nest-dug-up-in-Tamil-Nadu/articleshow/5073985.cms |title=India's Jurassic nest dug up in Tamil Nadu |publisher=[[The Times of India]] |date=1 October 2009 |accessdate=2 October 2009}}</ref> Researchers from the Salem-based Periyar University believe that the clusters of eggs belonged to the aggressive [[Carnosaur]] and the leaf-eating [[Sauropoda]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Radha Venkatesan, TNN, 1 October 2009, 12.48am IST |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Indias-Jurassic-nest-dug-up-in-Tamil-Nadu/articleshow/5073985.cms |title=India's Jurassic nest dug up in Tamil Nadu – India – The Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=1 October 2009 |accessdate=18 July 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Horse drawn chariot Darasuram.jpg|thumb|A sculpture at [[Airavatesvara Temple]], [[Darasuram]], built by Tamil Chola Kings. The group of [[Great Living Chola Temples|monuments]] are UNESCO World Heritage sites]]

===Medieval Period (600–1300)===
{{Main|History of Tamil Nadu}}
<!--  Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:Tiruchiramalai3.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tiruchirapalli]] [[Rockfort]]]] -->
The [[Cholas]] who were very active during the Sangam age were entirely absent during the first few centuries.<ref>K.A.N. Sastri, ''The CoLas'', p. 102</ref> The period started with the rivalry between the [[Pandyas]] and the Pallavas, which in turn caused the revival of the Cholas. The Cholas went on to becoming a great power. Their decline saw the brief resurgence of the Pandyas. This period was also that of the re-invigorated Hinduism during which temple building and religious literature were at their best.<ref>K.A.N. Sastri, ''A History of South India'', p. 387</ref>
The [[Chera Dynasty|Cheras]] ruled in [[southern India]] from before the [[Sangam period|Sangam]] era (300 BCE – 250 CE) over the [[Coimbatore District|Coimbatore]], [[Karur District|Karur]], [[Salem District|Salem]] Districts in present day Tamil Nadu and present day [[Kerala]] from the capital of [[Vanchi Muthur]] in the west, (thought to be modern [[Karur]]). They traded extensively from nearby [[Muziris]], in spices, ivory, timber, pearls and gems, with the ancient kingdoms of [[Egypt]], Rome, Greece, [[Ceylon]], [[Phoenicia]], [[Arabia]], [[Mesopotamia]] and [[Persia]]. The [[Kalabhras]], invaded and displaced the three Tamil kingdoms and ruled between the third and the seventh centuries CE of the [[Sangam period]]. This is referred to as the Dark Age in [[Tamil people|Tamil]] history. They were expelled by the [[Pallavas]] and the [[Pandyas]] in sixth century.

During Kalabhras' rule [[Tamil Jain|Jainism]] flourished in the land of the Tamils. The didactic work ''[[Naaladiyar]]'' was composed during their reign. It consists of moral sayings in the ''[[venpa]]'' meter, 400 in number in 40 chapters, each by one [[Tamil Jain|Jain]] ascetic, according to tradition. Following in the tradition of [[Tamil Jain|Jainism]], ''Naaladiyar'' emphasizes virtues such as control of the senses, asceticism, renunciation, and other desirable social qualities. Because the Kalabhras gave protection to [[Tamil Jain|Jains]] and perhaps Buddhists, too, some have concluded that they were anti-Hindu, although this latter view is not undisputed.

[[File:Mamallapuram view.jpg|thumb|[[Shore Temple]] built by the [[Pallavas]] at [[Mamallapuram]] (c. eighth century C.E.) – [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].]]
During the forth to eighth centuries century CE, Tamil Nadu saw the rise of the [[Pallavas]] under [[Mahendravarman I]] and his son ''Mamalla'' [[Narasimhavarman I]] and his uncle [[Bodhidharma]].<ref>K.A.N. Sastri, ''A History of South India'', pp. 91–92</ref> Pallavas ruled a large portion of [[South India]] with [[Kanchipuram]] as their capital. [[Dravidian architecture]] reached its peak during the Pallava rule. [[Narasimhavarman II]] built the [[Shore Temple]] which is a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].

The Pallavas were replaced by the Cholas as the dominant kingdom in the 10th century C.E. and they in turn were replaced by Pandyas in the 13th century C.E.   The Pandyan capital [[Madurai]] was in the deep south away from the coast. They had extensive trade links with the Southeast Asian maritime empires of [[Srivijaya]] and their successors, as well as contacts, even formal diplomatic contacts, reaching as far as the [[Roman Empire]]. During the 13th century C.E. [[Marco Polo]] mentioned the Pandyas as the [[richest country|richest empire]] in existence. Temples such as the [[Meenakshi Amman Temple]] at [[Madurai]] and [[Nellaiappar Temple]] at [[Tirunelveli]] are the best examples of Pandyan temple architecture.<ref name="AdvancedHistory">'Advanced History of India', K.A.Nilakanta Sastri (1970) p. 181-182, Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi</ref><ref>www.whatsindia.org</ref> The Pandyas excelled in both trade and literature. They controlled the pearl fisheries along the South Indian coast, between Sri Lanka and India, which produced some of the finest pearls in the known ancient world.

====Chola Empire====
{{Main|Chola dynasty}}
[[File:rajendra map new.png|thumb|[[Chola Empire]] under [[Rajendra Chola]] c. 1030 C.E.]]
By the 9th century, during the times of the second Chola monarch [[Aditya I]], his son [[Parantaka I]], [[Parantaka Chola II]] itself the Chola empire had expanded into what is now interior Andhra Pradesh and coastal Karnataka, while under the great [[Rajaraja Chola]] and his son [[Rajendra Chola]], the Cholas rose as a notable power in south Asia. The [[Chola Empire]] stretched as far as [[Bengal]]. At its peak, the empire spanned almost {{convert|3600000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Rajaraja Chola conquered all of peninsular [[South India]] and parts of the [[Sri Lanka]]. [[Rajendra Chola]]'s navies went even further, occupying coasts from Burma (now [[Myanmar]]) to [[Vietnam]],<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.en.articlesgratuits.com/the-last-years-of-cholas-the-decline-and-fall-of-a-dynasty-id1804.php |title=The Last Years of Cholas: The decline and fall of a dynasty |publisher=En.articlesgratuits.com |date=22 August 2007 |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref> the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], [[Lakshadweep]], [[Sumatra]], [[Java]], [[Malay Peninsula|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]]. Nearby this chola capital an sculptural carving temple is located at [[Melakadambur]], which is supposedly the only ''Karakkoil'' in Tamil Nadu.[[File:karakkoil.jpg|thumb|left|[[Melakadambur|Melakadambur temple]] located in [[Cuddalore district|Cuddalore]].]] [[File:Brahadeeswara Temple,Thanjavur.JPG|thumb|right|[[Brihadeeswara Temple]] built by [[Raja Raja Chola I]] in 1010 A.D.]] The Cholas excelled in building magnificent temples. [[Brihadeeswarar Temple|Brihadeshwara Temple]] in [[Thanjavur]] is a classical example of the magnificent [[architecture]] of the Chola kingdom. Brihadshwara temple is an [[UNESCO Heritage Site]] under "Great Living Chola Temples."<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250 Great Living Chola Temples].</ref> Another example is [[Annamalaiyar Temple]]  located at the city of [[Tiruvannamalai]]  and the [[Chidambaram Temple]] in the heart of the temple town of [[Chidambaram]].
[[Raja Raja Chola]] and [[Rajendra Chola]] period is said to be the golden period of Tamil Nadu, and under them the Chola empire rose to be the most powerful empire in all of South-India. With the decline of the Cholas between 1230 and 1280 CE, the Pandyas rose to prominence once again, under [[Maravarman Sundara Pandya]] and his younger brother, the celebrated [[Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan]].
[[File:Tirumalai Nayak Palace.jpg|thumb|right|[[Thirumalai Nayak Mahal]] at [[Madurai]].]]
This revival was short-lived as the Pandya capital of [[Madurai]] itself was sacked by [[Alauddin Khilji]]'s troops under General [[Malik Kafur]] in 1316. The Muslim invasion led to the establishment of the short lived [[Madurai Sultanate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://1483online.com/histories/india.php |title=Sultanate of Delhi |publisher=1483online.com |date= |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref>

===Vijayanagar and Nayak period (1336–1646)===
{{Main|Vijayanagara Empire}}
These Muslim invasions triggered the establishment of the Hindu [[Vijayanagara Empire]] in the Deccan. It eventually conquered the entire Tamil country (c. 1370 CE). This empire lasted for almost two centuries till the defeat of [[Vijayanagara]] in the Battle of Talikota in 1565. Subsequent to this defeat, many incompetent kings succeeded to the throne of Vijayanagara with the result that its grip loosened over its feudatories among whom the Nayaks of Madurai and Tanjore were among the first to declare their independence, despite initially maintaining loose links with the Vijayanagara kingdom."<ref name="AdvancedHistory" /> As the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] went into decline after mid-16th century, the [[Nayak (ethnic group)|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 in the 17th century. They reconstructed some of the oldest temples in the country such as the [[Meenakshi Temple]].

===Rule of Nawabs and Nizams (1692–1801)===
{{see also|Nawab of the Carnatic|Nizam of Hyderabad|Kingdom of Mysore}}

In the early 18th century, the eastern parts of Tamil Nadu came under the dominions of the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] and the [[Nawab of the Carnatic]]. While [[Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah|Wallajah]] was supported by the English, [[Chanda Shahib]] was supported by the French by the middle of the 18th century. In the late 18th century, the western parts of Tamil Nadu, came under the dominions of [[Hyder Ali]] and later [[Tipu Sultan]], particularly with their victory in the [[Second Anglo-Mysore War]].

===European rule (1801–1947)===
{{Main|Madras Presidency}}
[[File:Fort Dansborg.JPG|thumb|right|Fort Dansborg at [[Tharangambadi]] built by the Danish]]
Around 1609, the Dutch established a settlement in [[Pulicat]], while the Danish had their establishment in Tranquebar (Tharangambadi). In 1639, the British, under the [[British East India Company]], established a settlement further south of Pulicat, in present day Chennai. In the late 18th century, the British fought and reduced the [[French India|French dominions in India]] to [[Pondicherry]]. [[Nizam of Hyderabad|Nizams of Hyderabad]] and the [[Nawabs of the Carnatic]] bestowed tax revenue collection rights on the East India Company for defeating the [[Kingdom of Mysore]]. After winning the [[Polygar war]]s, the East India Company consolidated most of southern India into the [[Madras Presidency]] coterminous with the dominions of [[Nizam of Hyderabad]]. [[Pudukkottai]] remained as a [[princely state]].

===Tamil Nadu in independent India (1947 -)===
When India became independent in 1947, Madras Presidency became [[Madras State]], comprising present day Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh up to Ganjam district in Orissa, South Canara district Karnataka, and parts of Kerala. The state was subsequently split up along linguistic lines. In 1969, Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning ''Tamil country''.

==Geography==
[[File:Tamil Nadu from Space (Courtesy- NASA).jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view from space (Courtesy: NASA)]]
[[File:Tamil Nadu topo deutsch mit Gebirgen.png|thumb|Topographic map of Tamil Nadu]]
Tamil Nadu covers an area of {{convert|130058|km2|sqmi}}, and is the eleventh largest state in India. 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]] and the union territory of [[Pondicherry]]. The southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula is located in Tamil Nadu. At this point is the town of [[Kanyakumari (town)|Kanyakumari]] which is the meeting point of the [[Arabian Sea]], the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.

The western, southern and the north-western parts are hilly and rich in vegetation. The [[Western Ghats]] and the [[Eastern Ghats]] and they both meet at the [[Nilgiri hills]].<ref>[http://www.southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/elementary/geo_of_india.htm Geography of India by Joel Anderson].</ref> The Western Ghats dominate the entire western border with Kerala, effectively blocking much of the rain bearing clouds of the South West Monsoon from entering the state. The eastern parts are fertile coastal plains and the northern parts are a mix of hills and plains. The central and the south central regions are arid plains and receive less rainfall than the other regions.

Tamil Nadu has a coastline of about {{convert|910|km|mi|-2}} which is the country’s third longest coastline. Tamil Nadu's coastline bore the brunt of the 2004 [[Indian Ocean Tsunami]] when it hit India, which caused 7,793 direct deaths in the state.<ref>[http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/01724/effects_india.html Damage to tsunami-hit countries – India].</ref> Tamil Nadu falls mostly in a region of low seismic hazard with the exception of the 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.<ref>[http://asc-india.org/maps/hazard/haz-tamil-nadu.htm Amateur Seismic Centre, Pune].</ref>

==Climate==
[[File:Agasthiyamalai range and Tirunelveli rainshadow.jpg|thumb|A semi-arid wasteland near [[Tirunelveli]]. Monsoon clouds pour torrents of rain on [[windward and leeward|windward]]-facing [[Kerala]], but are [[rain shadow|prevented]] from reaching Tirunelveli by the [[Agastya Malai|Agasthyamalai Range]] of the Western Ghats (background).]]
Tamil Nadu is heavily dependent on monsoon rains, and thereby is prone to droughts when the monsoons fail. The climate of the state ranges from dry sub-humid to semi-arid. The state has three distinct periods of rainfall:

* advancing monsoon period, [[Monsoon|South West monsoon]] from June to September, with strong southwest winds;
*[[Monsoon#Late in Year|North East monsoon]] from October to December, with dominant northeast winds;
* dry season from January to May.

The normal annual rainfall of the state is about {{convert|945|mm|in|abbr=on}} 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.<ref name='unsys'>[http://www.unsystem.org/SCN/archives/india/ch16.htm United Nations, System of Organizations].</ref>

Tamil Nadu is classified into seven agro-climatic zones: north-east, north-west, west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly, and [[Cauvery river|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.<ref>[http://www.indiaandindians.com/tamilnadu/tamil_nadu.php IndiaAndIndians.com].</ref>

{| class="wikitable" |
|-
! || '''Plains''' || '''Hills'''
|-
| |Max. || style="background:#f60; color:#000;"|{{convert|43|°C|F}} || style="background:#f96; color:#000;"|{{convert|32.3|°C|F}}
|-
| Min. || style="background:#ffc; color:#000;"|{{convert|13.1|°C|F}} || style="background:#cff; color:#000;"|{{convert|0.0|°C|F}}
|}

{{Infobox state symbols
| state = Tamil Nadu<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tamilspider.com/resources/4148-Various-State-Symbols-Tamil-Nadu.aspx |title=Various State Symbols of Tamil Nadu |accessdate= 2011-06-24|work= |publisher= Tamil Spider}}</ref>
| country = India
| animal = [[Image:Niltahr.jpg|40px|left]] [[Nilgiri Tahr]]<br />
| bird = [[Image:Emerald dove444.jpg|40px|left]] [[Emerald Dove]]<br />
| dance = [[Image:bharatanatyam male.jpg|40px|left]] [[Bharatanatyam|Bharathanattiyam]]<br />
| flower = [[Image:Gloriosa Superba.jpg|40px|left]] [[Glory lily|Gloriosa Lily]]<br />
| song = [[File:Neerarum Kadaludutha.jpg|40px|left]] [[Invocation to Goddess Tamil]]<br />
| sport = [[Image:Kabaddi.jpg|40px|left]] [[Kabaddi]]<br />
| tree = [[File:Palm Tamil Nadu.jpg|40px|left]] [[Borassus flabellifer|Palm Tree]]<br />
}}

==Governance and administration==
{{Main|Government of Tamil Nadu|Legislature of Tamil Nadu}}

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 [[Konijeti Rosaiah]], J.&nbsp;Jayalalithaa and [[M. Y. Eqbal]] respectively.<ref>[http://www.tn.gov.in/tnassembly/prof-cj.htm Chief Justice of Madras High Court].</ref> Administratively the state is divided into 32 districts. It has 10 [[Municipal corporations of Tamil Nadu|city corporations]], 125 municipalities, 529 town panchayats and 12,524 village panchayats.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Municipalities in Tamil Nadu|url=http://www.tn.gov.in/cma/municipalities/municipalities_alphawise.html|publisher=Comm. of Municipal Admin., Govt. of Tamil Nadu|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Elections to Local Bodies|url=http://tnsec.tn.nic.in/pdf/press_release_210911.pdf|publisher=Tamil State Election Commission|accessdate=28 October 2011}}</ref>  [[Chennai]] (formerly known as Madras) is the state capital. It is the fourth largest city in India and is also one of the eight Metropolitan cities of India. The state comprises 39 [[Lok Sabha]] constituencies and 234 Legislative Assembly constituencies.

Tamil Nadu had a [[bicameralism|bicameral legislature]] until 1986, when it was replaced with a [[unicameralism|unicameral legislature]], like most other states in India. The term length of the government is 5 years, as is elsewhere in India. The present government run by the AIADMK led alliance came to power in 2011 and consists of a council of 33 ministers, headed by the Chief Minister [[J. Jayalalitha]]. The [[Tamil Nadu legislative assembly]] is housed at the [[Fort St. George (India)|Fort St. George]] in Chennai. The state had come under the [[President's rule]] rule on four occasions – first from 1976 to 1977, next for a short period in 1980, then from 1988 to 1989 and the latest in 1991.

The local administration is divided into revenue administration and developmental administration. [[List of Revenue Divisions of Tamil Nadu|Revenue Divisions of Tamil Nadu]] provides the Revenue divisions and [[Taluk]]s of Tamil Nadu. These administrative units are classified based on the district. Each of the 32 districts in Tamil Nadu is divided into divisions, which are further divided to Taluks.<ref name="Muni">{{cite web
  | url = http://www.tn.gov.in/district_statistics.html
  | accessdate = 6 November 2011
  | publisher = Government of Tamil Nadu
  | title = Districts of Tamil Nadu}}</ref>  Each of these Taluks have a list of revenue villages under them. Tahsildar is the head of these Taluks. [[List of Developmental administrative units of Tamil Nadu|Developmental administration]], in contrast, is carried out by Panchayat Unions (called blocks) in rural areas. These panchayat unions have a set of panchayat villages under them. In urban areas, the governance is done by [[Municipal corporations of Tamil Nadu|municipal corporations]], municipalities or town panchayats based on the size of the town.<ref name="Muni"/> Tamil Nadu has 10 municipal corporations: [[Chennai Corporation|Chennai]], [[Madurai Municipal Corporation|Madurai]], [[Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation|Coimbatore]], [[Tiruchirappalli Municipal Corporation|Tiruchirappalli]], [[Salem Municipal Corporation|Salem]], [[Vellore Municipal Corporation|Vellore]], [[Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation|Tirunelveli]], [[Erode Municipal Corporation|Erode]], [[Tiruppur Municipal Corporation|Tirupur]] and [[Thoothukudi Municipal Corporation|Thoothukudi]]. 

Tamil Nadu has been a pioneering state of [[E-Governance]] initiatives in India. A large part of the government records like land ownership records are digitised and all major offices of the state government like [[Urban Local Bodies]] — all the [[Corporation]]s and [[Municipal]] Office activities — revenue collection, land registration offices, and transport offices have been computerised. Tamil Nadu is one of the states where law and order has been maintained largely successfully.<ref name='crimetrends'>[http://tnpolice.gov.in/ Tamil Nadu crime trends].</ref> The [[Tamil Nadu Police]] Force is over 140 years old. It is the fifth largest state police force in India and has the largest strength of women police personnel in the country.<ref name='tnpabout'>[http://tnpolice.gov.in/strength.html TN Police].</ref> As of 2003, the state had a total police population ratio of 1:668, higher than the national average of 1:717. The current Director General of Police (law and order) of Tamil Nadu is K. Ramanujan.<ref>[http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-21/chennai/29568181_1_letika-saran-new-dgp-director-general New DGP takes charge]</ref>

==Districts==
[[File:TN Districts Numbered on pic.jpg|thumb|Districts of TN]]
{{Main|Districts of Tamil Nadu}}
The 32 districts of Tamil Nadu are listed below with the numbers corresponding to those in the image at right.
{|
|- style="height:300px; vertical-align:top;"
|
# [[Ariyalur district]]
# [[Chennai district]]
# [[Coimbatore district]]
# [[Cuddalore district]]
# [[Dharmapuri district]]
# [[Dindigul district]]
# [[Erode district]]
# [[Kanchipuram district]]
# [[Kanyakumari district]]
# [[Karur district]]
# [[Krishnagiri district]]
# [[Madurai district]]
# [[Nagapattinam district]]
# [[Namakkal district]]
# [[The Nilgiris district]]
# [[Perambalur district]]
|
<ol start="17">
<li> [[Pudukkottai district]]
<li> [[Ramanathapuram district]]
<li> [[Salem district]]
<li> [[Sivaganga district]]
<li> [[Thanjavur District]]
<li> [[Theni district]]
<li> [[Thoothukudi district]]
<li> [[Tiruchirapalli district]]
<li> [[Tirunelveli district]]
<li> [[Thirupur district]]
<li> [[Thiruvallur district]]
<li> [[Thiruvannamalai district]]
<li> [[Thiruvarur district]]
<li> [[Vellore district]]
<li> [[Viluppuram district]]
<li> [[Virudhunagar district]]
|}

==Politics==
{{Main|Elections in Tamil Nadu|Politics of Tamil Nadu|Dravidian parties}}

{| class="toccolours"  cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin-left:.5em; margin-top:.4em; font-size:90%;"
|- style="background:#ccc; vertical-align:top;"
!Political<br />Alliance
![[Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 2011|Assembly]]<br />(2011)
![[Indian general election in Tamil Nadu, 2009|Lok Sabha]]<br />(2009)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="background:#90ee90;"|[[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|AIADMK+]]
||203
||12
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="background:#f66;"|[[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK+]]
||31
||27
|- style="text-align:center;"
| style="background:#ff9;"|Independent/Other
||0
||0
|-
| colspan="3" style="font-size:80%; background:#cef; text-align:center;"| Source: Election Commission of India.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistical Report of 2006 Tamil Nadu assembly results |publisher=Election Commission of India |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_2006/StatReport_TN_2006.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=List of Successful candidates  |publisher=Election Commission of India |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/archiveofge2009/Stats/VOLI/11_ListOfSuccessfulCandidate.pdf}}</ref>
|}

[[Image:Fort St. George, Chennai 2.jpg|thumb|right|<center>Fort St. George, Chief Secretariat, Govt. of Tamil Nadu</center>]]
Prior to Indian independence Tamil Nadu was under British colonial rule as part of the [[Madras Presidency]]. The main party in Tamil Nadu at that time was the [[Indian National Congress]] (INC). [[List of political parties in India|Regional parties]] have dominated state politics since 1916. One of the earliest regional parties, the South Indian Welfare Association, a forerunner to [[Dravidian parties]] in Tamil Nadu, was started in 1916. The party was called after its English organ, [[Justice Party (India)|Justice Party]], by it opponents. Later, [[South Indian Liberal Federation]] was adopted as its official name. The reason for victory of the Justice Party in elections was the non-participation of the INC, demanding complete independence of India. Freedom movement saw great leaders like [[Muthuramalinga Thevar]], [[K. Kamaraj]], [[Subramanya Bharathi]] (a poet who inspired the freedom movement by his poetic skills), Subramania Siva, 
[[V. O. Chidambaram Pillai]] (Industrialist, who managed ships under the free India banner), [[Tiruppur Kumaran]], Rajagopalachariar ([[Rajaji]]) and Sathyamurthi.

[[Periyar E. V. Ramasamy]] popularly known as ''Periyar'', believed in agitational politics and took the Justice Party away from its original path. The Justice Party which had a moribund existence under E.V.Ramaswamy. 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 EVR and [[Annadurai|C.N. Annadurai]], the party was split. Annadurai left the party to form the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (DMK). The DMK decided to enter politics in 1956.

[[File:AnnaMKMGR.jpg|thumb| Former chief ministers [[M Karunanidhi|M.Karunanidhi]] (centre), [[C. N. Annadurai]] (left) and [[MG Ramachandran|M. G. Ramachandran]] (right)]]
In the 19th century, western scholars discovered that the [[Dravidian languages]]  dominating [[South India]] formed a different linguistic group than the [[Indo-Aryan languages]]  predominant in [[North India]]. They also classified Indians into distinct Aryan and [[Dravidian peoples|Dravidian races]]. It was proposed that the generally darker-skinned Dravidians constituted a distinct [[race (classification of human beings)|race]]. This concept has affected thinking in India about racial and regional differences and had an impact on aspects of [[Tamil nationalism]], which has appropriated the claim that Dravidians are the earliest inhabitants of India, and the Aryan population were oppressive interlopers from whom Dravidians should liberate themselves.<ref>''The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration'' Debate By Edwin Bryant.</ref>

Re-organisation of Indian states according to linguistic and ethnic basis has moderated Tamil nationalism, especially the demand for separation from the Indian Union. The [[Anti-Hindi agitations]] in mid-1960s made the DMK more popular and a more powerful political force in the state. The DMK routed the INC in the 1967 elections and took control of the state government, ending INC's stronghold in Tamil Nadu. C.N. Annadurai became the DMK's first [[Chief Minister]].

[[M Karunanidhi|Muthuvel Karunanidhi]] took over as Chief Minister and party leader after Annadurai's death in 1969. Karunanidhi's leadership was soon challenged by [[MG Ramachandran|M.G. Ramachandran]], popularly known as MGR. In 1972, he split from DMK and formed the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) and later renamed the party as All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam. He was the Chief Minister of the state from 1977 until his death in 1987. After the death of MGR AIADMK was defeated in 1989 assembly polls because of the Split of the party into two factions headed by Janaki (Wife of MGR) and Jayalalithaa. Later on [[J. Jayalalithaa]] took control of the party. She was elected as the General Secretary of the unified AIADMK. There have been several splits in both the DMK and the AIADMK, but since 1967 one of those two parties has held power in the state.

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Tamil Nadu}}
{{IndiaCensusPop
| title= Population Growth
| 1951= 30119000
| 1961= 33687000
| 1971= 41199000
| 1981= 48408000
| 1991= 55859000
| 2001= 62406000
| 2011= 72138958
| estimate=
| estyear=
| estref=
| footnote=Source:Census of India<ref name="Census Population">{{cite web|url=http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2006-07/chapt2007/tab97.pdf|title=Census Population|work=Census of India|publisher=Ministry of Finance India|accessdate=18 December 2008|format=PDF}}</ref>
}}
{{bar box
|width=250px
|barwidth=100px
|title=Religions in Tamil Nadu<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census2001.tn.nic.in/religion.aspx |title=Tamil Nadu Census – Religions |publisher=Tamil Nadu Govt. |date= |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=left
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Hinduism]]|#FF8000|88.34}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity]]|#0080FF|6.08}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam]]|#009000|5.57}}
{{bar percent|Others|#FFFF00|0.26}}
}}
Tamil Nadu is the seventh most populous state in India with a population of 72,138,958 (5.96% of India's population; census 2011 fig.). It is the seventh most densely populated state in India with a population density of 555 persons per square kilometre as of 2011, having increased from 429 in 1991, significantly higher than the Indian average of 382 persons per square kilometre. 44% of the state's population live in urban areas, the highest among large states in India.<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/18/stories/2008051853960400.htm Tamil Nadu the most urbanised state].</ref>

Tamil Nadu's population grew by 15.6% between 2001 and 2011, the sixth lowest rate for that period amongst populous states (states whose population exceeded 20 million in 2011). Although its decadal rate of population growth has declined since 1971, the population growth during the last decade (2001–2011) has increased. The state has registered the lowest [[Indian states ranking by fertility rate|fertiliy rate]] along with [[Andhra Pradesh]] and [[Goa]] in India in year 2005–06 with 1.8 children born for each woman, lower than required for population sustainability.<ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement3.htm Distribution by Language – States and Union Territories – 2001].</ref><ref>[http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Population_by_religious_communities.htm Population by religious and linguistic communities].</ref>

Hinduism is followed by the majority of the people. The distribution of population based on their faith, as of the 2001 census, is shown in the bar graph above. Hinduism is the dominant religion has a higher percentage of adherents in Tamil Nadu (88%) when compared to the national average (80.5%). Christianity, though a minority, has the highest population in absolute numbers when compared to other states. [[Tamil Jains|Jains]] make up 0.13% of the population. Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes comprise 19% and 1% of the population respectively.<ref>Though an overwhelming percentage of SC/ST population identify themselves as Hindu, the SC/STs are enumerated separately in the census and not as a subgroup of Hinduism.[http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_sc_tamilnadu.pdf DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED CASTES]</ref><ref>[http://censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/SCST/dh_st_tamilnadu.pdf DATA HIGHLIGHTS: THE SCHEDULED TRIBES]</ref> Tamil is the official and the principal spoken language of the state. As of the 2001 Census, [[Tamil language|Tamil]] is spoken by 79.43% of the population followed by [[Telugu language|Telugu]] at 15.66%, [[Kannada]] at 1.68%, [[Urdu]] at 1.51% and [[Malayalam]] at 0.89%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement3.htm |title=Census of India – DISTRIBUTION OF 10,000 PERSONS BY LANGUAGE |publisher=Government of India |date= |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref>

==Education and social development==
{{Main|Education in Tamil Nadu}}
[[File:Tamilnadu Literacy Map 2011.png|thumb|225px|District level literacy (2011 data)]]
[[File:CEG main building with leaf.JPG|thumb|The main building of [[College of Engineering, Guindy|CEG]] in Chennai]]
[[File:Trichynit1.jpg|thumb|Front entrance to [[National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli|NIT]] campus in [[Trichy]]]]
Tamil Nadu is one of the most literate states in India.<ref>{{cite news|author=TNN, 14 May 2003, 07.29 pm IST |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/Tamil-Nadu-Indias-most-literate-state-HRD-ministry/articleshow/46390844.cms |title=Tamil Nadu India's most literate state: HRD ministry – City – The Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=14 May 2003 |accessdate=18 July 2010}}</ref> Tamil Nadu has performed reasonably well in terms of [[Literacy in India|literacy growth]] during the decade 2001–2011. The state's literacy rate increased from 83.47% in 2001 to 90.3% in 2011 which is above the national average. A survey conducted by the Industry body Assocham ranks Tamil Nadu top among Indian states with about 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in primary and upper primary education.<ref name='8steps'>[http://indiaedunews.net/Tamil_Nadu/Tamil_Nadu_boosts_of_best_school_enrolment_figures_3890/ Tamil Nadu boasts of best school enrollment figures].</ref> One of the basic limitations for improvement in education in the state is the rate of absence of teachers in public schools, which at 21.4% is significant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DEC/Resources/36660_Teacher_absence_in_India_EEA_9_15_04_-_South_Asia_session_version.pdf |title=Teachers Absence from Public Schools in India – World Bank |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=4 November 2010}}</ref> The analysis of primary school education in the state by [[Pratham]] shows a low drop-off rate but poor quality of state education compared to other states.<ref>[http://images2.asercentre.org/aserreports/TAMIL_NADU_2010.pdf Aser Pratham Analysis of Primary Education in Tamil Nadu]</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/mar/15/education-goals-assessment-india-school Quality of Primary Education in States]</ref>
[[Image:Annadurai statue.jpg|thumb|The statue of [[C.N. Annadurai]] at the CEG campus of Anna University]]
Tamil Nadu has [[List of universities in Tamil Nadu|37 universities]],<ref>[http://www.highereducationinindia.com/india/tamil-nadu-universities.php Universities in Tamil Nadu]</ref> 455 engineering colleges, 449 Polytechnic Colleges<ref>{{cite web|title=DISTRICT WISE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES IN TAMILNADU DURING THE YEAR 2010-2011|url=http://www.tndte.com/statistics/POLY_DIST.pdf|publisher=DIRECTORATE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, TAMILNADU|accessdate=1 October 2011}}</ref> and 566 arts and science colleges, 34335 elementary schools, 5167 high schools, 5054 higher secondary schools and 5000 hospitals. Some of the notable educational institutes present in Tamil Nadu are [[University of Madras]], [[IIT Madras]], [[NIT Tiruchi]], [[Government College of Technology, Coimbatore]], [[College of Engineering, Guindy]], [[SRM University]], [[PSG College of Technology]], [[Thiagarajar College of Engineering]], [[Coimbatore Institute of Technology]], [[Madras Christian College]],<ref>[http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20070604/cs-science.html India Today<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> [[Thanjavur Medical College]], [[Madras Medical College]], [[Loyola College, Chennai|Loyola College]], [[Ethiraj College for Women]], [[Tamil Nadu Agricultural University]], [[Madurai Medical College]], [[Vellore Institute of Technology]],<ref>{{cite web|title=OUTLOOK Top 75: Engineering Colleges|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?250245|publisher=OUTLOOK |accessdate=1 Feb 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India Today : INDIA'S BEST ENGINEERING COLLEGES ,Adhiyamaan college of Engineering. 2011|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/specials/bestcolleges/2011/ranks.jsp?ST=Engineering&LMT=11&Y=2011|publisher=INDIA TODAY|accessdate=1 Feb 2012}}</ref> and [[Christian Medical College]].<ref>{{cite web|title=icbse :Top Medical Colleges in India|url=http://www.icbse.com/2009/top-medical-colleges-india|publisher=icbse |accessdate=1 Feb 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=India Today : INDIA'S BEST MEDICINE COLLEGES 2011|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/specials/bestcolleges/2011/ranks.jsp?ST=Medicine&LMT=3&Y=2011|publisher=INDIA TODAY|accessdate=1 Feb 2012}}</ref>  

India has a human development index calculated as 0.619, while the corresponding figure for Tamil Nadu is 0.736, placing it among the top states in the country.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/04/stories/2008070459040800.htm Glaring regional disparities in human development index].</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">[http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/ Human Development Reports].</ref> The [[life expectancy]] at birth for males is 65.2 years and for females it is 67.6 years.<ref>[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/10/20/stories/2004102000101100.htm " Top three States — a socio-economic comparison"] – BusinessLine.</ref> However, it has a high level of poverty especially in the rural areas. As of 2004–2005, the poverty line was set at {{INR}} 351.86/month for rural areas and {{INR}} 547.42/month for urban areas. Poverty in the state dropped from 51.7% in 1983 to 21.1% in 2001<ref>[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/04/09/stories/2004040900050800.htm Tamil Nadu Poverty].</ref> For the period 2004–2005, the Trend in Incidence of Poverty in the state was 22.5% compared with the national figure of 27.5%. The World Bank is currently assisting the state in reducing poverty, High drop-out and low completion of secondary schools continue to hinder the quality of training in the population. Other problems include class, gender, inter-district and urban-rural disparities. Based on URP – Consumption for the period 2004–2005, percentage of the state's population [[Poverty|Below Poverty Line]] was 27.5%. The [[Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative]] ranks Tamil Nadu to have a [[Multidimensional Poverty Index]] of 0.141, which is in the level of [[Ghana]] among the developing countries.<ref>[http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/multiple-poverty-dimensions-reveal-real-india Multidimensional Poverty Index of Tamil Nadu]</ref> Corruption is a major problem in the state with Transparency International ranking it the second most corrupt among the states of India.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/column/column-beware-the-political-superbug/20110517.htm Beware the political superbug: Hubris! - Rediff.com India News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

The [[Self-Respect Movement|Dravidian movement]], which championed the causes of educating Tamils and eradicating superstitions, began in Tamil Nadu. The movement was committed to social justice, which led to the expansion of [[Reservation in India|reservations]] for the deprived communities. Tamil Nadu now has 69% reservation in educational institutions, the highest among all Indian states.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/may/30spec.htm "Education is the means of social mobility"] – Rediff India Abroad.</ref>

The [[Midday Meal Scheme]] program in Tamil Nadu, initiated by [[K. Kamaraj|Kamaraj]], was expanded considerably during the rule of the AIADMK in 1983, although the state is among the 12 states in India that have an alarming level of hunger, according to the 2008 Global Hunger Index.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7669152.stm Tamil Nadu Hunger Problem Alarming].</ref><ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_fares_badly_on_global_hunger_index/articleshow/3596818.cms Tamil Nadu Hunger Level in Danger List].</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:Kolam outside a house in tamil nadu.jpg|thumb|right|[[Kolam]] - a Traditional art form of the [[Tamil people|Tamil]] people]]
{{Main|Tamil people|Temples of Tamil Nadu|Tamil literature}}

Tamil Nadu has a long tradition of venerable culture. Tamil Nadu is known for its rich tradition of [[literature]], music and dance which continue to flourish today. Unique cultural features like Bharatanatyam (dance), [[Tanjore painting]], and Tamil architecture were developed and continue to be practised in Tamil Nadu.

===Language and literature===
'''[[Tamil language|Tamil]]''' is the only official language of Tamil Nadu. English is also in common usage as an [[Languages with official status in India|official language of India]]. When India adopted national standards Tamil was the very first language to be recognized as a [[classical language of India]].<ref name = "BBC Classical language">BBC. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3667032.stm India sets up classical languages]. August 17, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.</ref> The Tamil people regard their language a very important part of their cultural identity.

Most early Tamil literary works are in verse form, with prose not becoming more common until later periods. Throughout its history, Tamil literature has sought to inform and inspire, educate and entertain.
{| border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; width:350px; margin:0 0 1em 1em; background:#f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;"
|-
|கேடில் விழுச்செல்வம் கல்வி யொருவற்கு<br />
மாடல்ல  மற்றை யவை-''(திருக்குறள் - 400)''
|-
|'Learning is a wealth that none could destroy<br />
Nothing else gives genuine joy'<br />
– ''([[Tirukkural]] – 400)''
|}
Notable examples of Tamil poetry include the ''[[Tirukkural]]'', written during the [[Tamil Sangams]] period. The poem encompasses a universal outlook, as the author, [[Tiruvalluvar]], does not mention his religion, land, or the audience for his work. He is often portrayed as a holy saint of Tamil Nadu today. Ancient Tamil literature is predominantly secular and deals with everyday life in the Tamil Context.<ref>The only religious poems among the shorter poems occur in ''[[paripaatal]]''. The rest of the corpus of Sangam literature deals with human relationship and emotions. See K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, ''A History of South India, OUP (1955) pp.330–335</ref>

The first Tamil printing press was established at Tarangambadi by the Danish missionaries. During the [[Indian independence movement|Indian freedom struggle]], many Tamil poets and writers sought to provoke national spirit, social equity and secularist thoughts among the common man, notably [[Subramanya Bharathy]] and [[Bharathidasan]]. Even today, Tamil Nadu is home to creative writers like [[Vairamuthu]].
{{Pie chart
| thumb = left
| caption = Languages of Tamil Nadu in 2001
| other =
| label1 = Tamil
| value1 = 79.43
| color1 = Green
| label2 = Telugu
| value2 = 15.65
| color2 = Purple
| label3 = Kannada
| value3 = 1.68
| color3 = Yellow
| label4 = Urdu
| value4 = 1.51
| color4 = Brown
}}
Tamil is spoken by 89.43% of the population. Minority languages include Telugu (5.65%), Kannada (1.68%), Urdu (1.51%), Malayalam (0.89%), Gujarati / Saurashtri (0.32%), Hindi (0.30%) and Marathi (0.10%).<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement - 3 Distribution of 10,000 Persons by Language - India, States And Union Territories - 1991| work=Census of India 2001|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement3.htm|publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner|accessdate=21 May 2011}}</ref>

===Religions===
[[File:Maduraitemple.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Meenakshi Amman Temple]] complex in [[Madurai]], one of the grandest Hindu temples in India]]

{|class="wikitable" style="float: right"
|-
!colspan="3" | Population by religion, 2001<ref>{{cite web|title=Religion wise Population - Census 2001|url=http://census2001.tn.nic.in/religion.aspx|publisher=Directorate of Census Operations - Tamil Nadu}}</ref>
|-
!| Religious group!! Population (million) !! %
|-
| Hindu ||  55.0 || 88.1
|-
| Christian || 3.79 || 6.1
|-
| Muslim || 3.47 || 5.6
|-
| '''Total '''<ref>{{cite web|title=Primary Census Abstract|url=http://census2001.tn.nic.in/framers.php?id=27|publisher=Directorate of Census Operations - Tamil Nadu}}</ref>|| '''62.4''' || '''100'''
|}

About 88% of the population identifies as Hindu and Tamil Nadu is the home of the core schools of medieval and modern Hinduism as well as several non-mainstream Hindu movements. These include [[Saiva Siddhanta]], [[Ramanuja|Ramanuja's]] [[Vishishtadvaita]], [[Alvars]]' [[Sri Sampradaya|Sri Vaishnavism]], and [[Nayanmars]] [[Saivisim]]. Several important Hindu Tamil figures became important figures for Hinduism as a whole (e.g.[[Ramanuja]].) In modern times, well known figures for Hinduism in the state include [[Ramana Maharishi]] and the Kanchi Paramacharya. [[Murugan]], Thirumal ([[Vishnu]]), [[Sivan]], [[Shakti|Sakthi]] in various forms and a large number of village deities are also worshiped by Hindus in Tamil Nadu. <!--The emblem of [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] depicts the Gopuram (Entrance Arch) of the temple at [[Srivilliputhur]]. But according to the following link [[http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2021%20No%206/the-artist-who-designed-the-state-emblem.html]] the emblem of Tamil nadu depicts the west side Gopuram (temple tower) of Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai.-->

[[File:Vailankanni Basilica1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health]] at [[Velankanni]], a Christian pilgrimage centre]]
[[File:ERWADIshariff ultimate.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Erwadi]] dargah in [[Ramanathapuram District]], a major pilgrimage center of Muslims in Tamil Nadu.]]
[[Christianity in Tamil Nadu|Christians]] and [[Tamil Muslims|Muslims]] together form over 11% of the population. Christians are mainly concentrated in the southern districts of Kanyakumari (44% of the population, 2001), Thoothukudi (17%, 2001) and Tirunelveli (11%,2001). [[St. Thomas Mount]] in Chennai, the place where [[Thomas the Apostle|St. Thomas]], one of the disciples of [[Jesus]], was believed to have been martyred, is an important pilgrimage site for Indian Christians. The [[Santhome Basilica]], widely believed by Christians in India to have been built atop the tomb of St. Thomas, and the [[Vailankanni]] [[Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health]] are churches revered by Christians in India. The [[Church of South India]] and the Pentecostal Mission Church are headquartered in Chennai.

Muslims are mainly concentrated in areas such as Adirampattinam, [[Kayalpatnam]], [[Kilakarai]], Pernambut, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, [[Madurai]], Nagore, and Melapalayam, with the state capital Chennai also home to a number of Muslims. Among Muslims, 97.5% are Sunni and the rest are [[Shias]]. The [[Sunni]]s adhere to either [[Hanafi]] or [[Shafi]] schools of thought. [[Erwadi]] in Ramanathapuram district and Nagore in Nagapattinam district are important pilgrimage sites for Muslims. [[Kazimar Big Mosque]] in [[Kazimar Street]], [[Madurai]] and Karpudaiyar masjid in Kayalpatnam are one of the earlier mosques in Tamil Nadu.  

[[Samanars]] or [[Tamil Jains]] have a legacy dating back 250 BC. They made significant contributions to Tamil literature. According to the 2001 census there were 83,359 [[Tamil Jain|Jains]] in Tamil Nadu. There is a popular atheist movement in the 1940s as well.

===Festivals===

[[File:Bull Taming, Alanganallur India.jpg|thumb|200px|left|A bull tamed by [[Tamil people|Tamil]] youths at [[Alanganallur]], [[Madurai]]]]
[[Image:Thungapuram Ayyannar Ther.jpg|200px|right|thumb|[[Thungapuram]] [[Ayyanar]] car festival]]

[[Pongal]], also called as ''Tamizhar Thirunaal'' (festival of Tamils) or Makara Sankranti elsewhere in India, a four-day [[harvest festival]] is one of the most widely celebrated festivals throughout Tamil Nadu. The Tamil language saying ''Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum'' — literally meaning, the birth of the month of Thai will pave way for new opportunities — is often quoted with reference to this festival. The first day, Bhogi Pongal, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials by setting them on fire to mark the end of the old and emergence of the new. The second day, Surya Pongal, is the main day which falls on the first day of the tenth Tamil month Thai (14 January or 15 January in western calendar). The third day, Maattu Pongal, is meant to offer thanks to the cattle, as they provide milk and are used to plough the lands. [[Jallikattu]], a bull taming contest, marks the main event of this day. During this final day, Kaanum Pongal — the word "kaanum", means 'to view' in Tamil.

The first month in the Tamil calendar is ''Chitterai'' and the first day of this month in mid-April is celebrated as ''Tamil New Year''. Thiruvalluvar Calendar is 31 years ahead of Gregorian Calendar, that is 2000 AD in Gregorian calendar is represented as 2031 in Thiruvalluvar Calendar. ''Aadi Perukku'' is celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month ''Aadi'', which celebrates the rising of the water level in the [[Cauvery river|river Cauvery]]. Apart from these major festivals, in every village and town of Tamil Nadu, the inhabitants celebrate festivals for the local gods once a year and the time varies from place to place. Most of these festivals are related to the goddess [[Maariyamman]], the mother goddess of rain.

Other major Hindu festivals including Deepavali (Death of Narakasura), Ayudha Poojai, Saraswathi Poojai ([[Navratri|Dasara]]), [[Krishna]] Jayanthi and [[Vinayaka Chathurthi]] are also celebrated. [[Ayya Vaikunda Avataram]], is celebrated predominantly in the southern districts.<ref>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2006030305790400.htm&date=2006/03/03/&prd=th& Information on declaration of holiday on the event of birth anniversary of Vaikundar in ''The Hindu''], The holiday for three Districts:  '''Daily Thanthi''', Daily''(Tamil)'', Nagercoil Edition, 5 March 2006</ref>  In addition, [[Christmas]], [[Eid ul-Fitr]], Easter and [[Bakrid]] are celebrated by Christians and [[Muslims]] in the state.

===Music===
{{See also| Ancient Tamil music|Carnatic music}}
[[File:Nagaswaramplayers.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Nadhaswaram]] and Thavil players]]
The Kings of ancient Thamizhagam created sangams for Iyal Isai Nadagam (Literature, Music and Drama). Music played a major role in sangams. Music in Tamil Nadu had different forms. In villages where farming was the primary occupation, women who worked in the fields used to sing kulavai songs. Odhuvars, Sthanikars or Kattalaiyars offer short musical programmes in the temples by singing the devotional [[Thevaram]] songs. In sharp contrast with the restrained and intellectual nature of [[Carnatic music]], Tamil folk music tends to be much more exuberant. Popular forms of Tamil folk music include the [[Villuppattu|{{IAST|Villuppāṭṭu}}]], a form of music performed with a bow, and the [[Naattupurapaattu|{{IAST|Nāṭṭuppur̲appāṭṭu}}]], [[ballads]] that convey folklore and folk history. Some of the leading Tamil folk artists in the early 21st century are Pushpuvanam Kuppuswamy, [[Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan|Dr. Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan]], Chinnaponnu, Paravai muniammal etc.

Carnatic music is the classical music form of Southern India. This is one of the world's oldest & richest musical traditions.<ref name="origin">{{cite web| url=http://www.carnatica.net/origin.htm| title= History of Music, Origins|work=The Carnatica Group|publisher=Carnatica.net|accessdate=3 July 2007}}</ref> The Trinity of Carnatic music [[Tyagaraja]], [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]] and [[Syama Sastri]] were from Tamil Nadu. Thyagarajar ''Aaradhanai'' (worship) takes place every year in the month of Marghazhi in [[Thiruvaiyaru]] all carnatic musicians render their obesiance to Saint Thyagarajar by singing his compositions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/01/thyagaraja-aradhana-festival-at.html|title=Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival at Thiruvaiyaru|date=10 January 2009|work=Hindu-Blocg|publisher=[[The Hindu Group]]|accessdate=14 February 2010}}</ref>  The composers belonging to the [[Tamil Trinity]], namely [[Muthu Thandavar]] (?1560 – ?1640), [[Arunachala Kavi]] (1712–1779) and [[Marimutthu Pillai]] (1717–1787) composed hundreds of devotional songs in Tamil and helped in the evolution of Carnatic music. Chennai hosts a large cultural event, the annual [[Madras Music Season]] during December–January, which includes performances by hundreds of artists all over the city.
[[File:AR Rahman-2.jpg|thumb|200px|A R Rahman referred to as 'The [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] of [[Chennai|Madras]]']]
In terms of modern cine-music, [[Ilaiyaraaja]] was a prominent composer of film music in Tamil cinema during the late 1970s and 1980s. His work highlighted Tamil folk lyricism and introduced broader Western musical sensibilities to the South Indian musical mainstream. Tamil Nadu is also the home of the double Oscar Winner [[A.R. Rahman]]<ref>{{Cite news|author= |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4173337.cms |title=Oscars: Eight on ten for 'Slumdog Millionaire' – Oscars – Specials – NEWS – The Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=23 February 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7905003.stm |title=Indian joy at Oscar night glory |publisher=BBC News |date=23 February 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Media--Entertainment-/Entertainment/A-R-Rahman-wins-best-original-score-Oscar/articleshow/4174015.cms |title=A R Rahman wins best original score Oscar |publisher=Economictimes |date=23 February 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref> who has composed film music in [[Tamil films|Tamil]], [[Telugu films|Telugu]], [[Bollywood|Hindi films]], [[Hollywood|English and Chinese films]], was once referred to by [[Time (magazine)|Time magazine]] as "The [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] of [[Chennai|Madras]]".

===Arts and dance===
[[File:Bharatanatyam danseuse.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer]]
[[Tamil people|Tamils]] have a large number of folk dances. These are performed for every possible occasion, to celebrate the arrival of seasons, birth of a child, weddings and festivals. Tamil dance is closely intertwined with the Tamil theatrical tradition. The most celebrated of these is [[karakattam]]. In its religious form, the dance is performed in front of an image of the goddess [[Mariamman]]. The dancer bears on his or her head a brass pot filled with uncooked rice, decorated with flowers and surrounded by a bamboo frame, and tumbles and leaps to the rhythm of a song without spilling a grain. Karakattam is usually performed to a special type of song known as temmanguppāṭṭu or thevar pāṭṭu, a [[folk song]] in the mode of a lover speaking to his beloved, to the accompaniment of a [[nadaswaram]] and [[melam]]. Other Tamil folk dances include [[Mayilattam|{{IAST|mayilāṭṭam}}]], where the dancers tie a string of peacock feathers around their waist; [[ōyilāttam]], danced in a circle while waving small pieces of cloth of various colours; poikkal kuthiraiyaaṭṭam, where the dancers use dummy horses; manattam, where the dancers imitate the graceful leaping of deer; paraiyāṭṭam, a dance to the sound of rhythmical drumbeats, and thīppandāṭṭam, a dance involving playing with burning wooden torches.

[[Bharatanatyam]] is a classical dance form originating from Tamil Nadu. Prior to the colonial perriod, it used to be performed in Hindu temples by [[Devadasis]]. In this form, it as also been called ''sadir'' or ''chinna melam''. Many of the ancient [[sculpture]]s in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures. Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance-form known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses. It continues to be a popular dance style at present times and is practised by male and female dancers all over India. [[Terukkuttu]] or [[Kattaikkuttu]] is a traditional form of [[Tamil language|Tamil]] [[street theatre]] folk dance/drama. [[Kalaripayattu]] or [[varmakalai]] is actually a martial art of tamil origin. During the pallava rule it flourished to the present day kerala.

===Film industry===
{{Main|Cinema of Tamil Nadu}}
Tamil Nadu is also home to the [[Tamil cinema|Tamil film]] industry. It is known for being the second largest film industry in terms of revenue and worldwide distribution, in [[India]].<ref>[http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/prime-focus-expands-india-operations-_275679.html Prime Focus expands India operations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>Sreedhar Pillai, TNN, October 4, 2010 [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/news-interviews/Crucial-time-for-Kollywood/articleshow/6677613.cms TOI, Crucial time for Kollywood]</ref> It is based at [[Kodambakkam]] in Chennai city.

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Tamil cuisine}}
[[File:Vadai&Sambar.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Vadai with sambar, a traditionally used vegetarian food]]
[[File:Chettinad Cuisine.jpg|thumb|200px|Chettinad cuisine, typically served on a banana leaf]]
Tamil cuisine is basically South Indian cuisine, where rice and rice-derived dishes form the major portion of a diet (see [[rice and curry]]). There are regional sub-varieties namely Chettinadu, Kongunadu, Madurai, Tirunelveli varieties etc. Traditionally, food is served on a [[banana leaf]] instead of a [[plate (dishware)|plate]] and eaten with the right hand. Rice is the staple food of Tamils and is typically eaten mixed with [[Sambar (dish)|sambhar]] (with or without [[ghee]]), vegetarian or non-vegetarian kulambu, [[rasam]], [[curd]] and [[buttermilk]]. This is accompanied with various vegetarian and/or non-vegetarian dishes like [[kootu]], [[aviyal]], poriyal, [[Papad|appalam]], varuval, peratal, kothsu, varieties of [[Pickled cucumber|pickles]] and chicken, mutton, or fish fry. Breakfast and snack items include [[dosai]], Adai, [[idly]], [[vadai]], [[pongal]], appam (aappam), paniyaram, puttu, uppumavu (uppuma), santhakai (a sort of noodles), [[idiyappam]] and  [[uthappam]]. These items are eaten along with [[Sambar (dish)|sambar]], varieties of [[chatni]] and podi. Traditionally prepared filter coffee is unique in taste and popular all over the state. The [[Chettinad cuisine|Chettinad]] region is famous for its spicy non-vegetarian cuisine, while [[Ambur]], [[Dindigal]] and [[Sankarankoil]] are known for their [[Biriyani]]. Sweet items that are native to Tamil Nadu and prepared at homes are Athirasam, Chakkarai Pongal (prepared during Pongal) and Kuli Paniyaram. Tirunelveli is known for its unique wheat Halwa and Palani is renowned for its Panchamirtham. North Indian, Western, Chinese and [[fast food]] culture are also popular in Tamil Nadu.

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Tamil Nadu|List of conglomerates in Tamil Nadu|List of rivers in Tamil Nadu}}
{| border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="float:right;"
|+'''Gross State Domestic Product in {{INR}} Crores and Current Prices'''<ref>{{cite web|title= Gross Domestic Product of states as of 21 November 2006| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071127133251/http://www.tn.gov.in/dear/tab06/a16.pdf | archivedate = 27 November 2007}}{{dead link|date=March 2012}}</ref>
|- style="background:#c9be62;"
! Year
! GSDP
! Change
! Share of India
|- style="background:#ffdead;"
| 1994–95 || <div class="center">68,666</div> ||<div class="center"> [[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 19.32% </div>||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 7.49%</div>
|- style="background:#bdbbd7;"
| 1996–97 || <div class="center">89,237</div> ||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 29.96%</div>|| <div class="center">[[File:Red Arrow Down.svg|10px]] 7.18%</div>
|- style="background:#ffdead;"
| 1998–99 || <div class="center">118,209</div> ||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 32.47%</div> ||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 7.40%</div>
|- style="background:#bdbbd7;"
| 2000–01 || <div class="center">141,100</div> ||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 19.36%</div>||<div class="center">[[File:Red Arrow Down.svg|10px]] 7.33%</div>
|- style="background:#ffdead;"
| 2002–03 || <div class="center">155,099</div> ||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 09.92%</div>||<div class="center">[[File:Red Arrow Down.svg|10px]] 6.85%</div>
|- style="background:#bdbbd7;"
| 2004–05 || <div class="center">188,921</div> ||<div class="center">[[File:Green Arrow Up.svg|10px]] 21.81%</div>||<div class="center">[[File:Red Arrow Down.svg|10px]] 6.61%</div>
|}
Tamil Nadu's gross state domestic product for 2011 is estimated at US$ 97.970 Billion in current prices.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-indias-top-20-states-by-gdp/20110722.htm India's top 20 states by GDP. Rediff, Retrieved on October 06, 2011]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tn.gov.in/budget/budsp07_08_4.htm#Overall%20Financial%20Position|title= Official site |publisher=Government of Tamil nadu|accessdate=23 March 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070515003439/http://www.tn.gov.in/budget/budsp07_08_4.htm#Overall%20Financial%20Position |archivedate = 15 May 2007}}</ref> The state experienced a GDP growth rate of 12.1% for 2007-08.<ref name='8steps'/> It was the third largest economy (2007–2008) among all states in India,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cid.harvard.edu/archive/india/pdfs/fdi_tamilnadu_revised.pdf |title=Fdi.Pdf |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=4 November 2010}}</ref> and also the most industrialised state in India.<ref>[http://www.indcom.tn.gov.in/organisation.htm Most Enterprises in India].</ref> It ranks third in [[foreign direct investment]] (FDI) approvals (cumulative 1991–2002) of {{INR}} 225,826 million ($5,000 million), next only to Maharashtra and Delhi constituting 9.12% of the total FDI in the country.<ref name="3rd">[http://www.hindu.com/2005/04/22/stories/2005042211030100.htm Tamil Nadu ranks third in FDI, favoured destination].</ref> The per capita income in 2007–2008 for the state was {{INR}} 43,000 ranking second among the South Indian states and steadily been above the national average.<ref>[http://www.pbplanning.gov.in/pdf/Statewise%20Per%20Capita%20Income%20%20Current.pdf State-wise Per Capita Income At Current Prices].</ref>

According to the 2011 Census, Tamil Nadu has the highest level of urbanisation (49%) in India, accounting for 6% of India’s total population and 9.6% of the urban population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Tamil_Nadu&action=edit&section=1|title=e-CENSUSIndia|publisher=CensusIndia.net|accessdate=16 August 2006 }}</ref> and is the most [[urbanized]] state in India.<ref name="autogenerated3"/> Services contributes to 45% of the economic activity in the state, followed by manufacturing at 34% and agriculture at 21%. Government is the major investor in the state with 51% of total investments, followed by private Indian investors at 29.9% and foreign private investors at 14.9%. Tamil Nadu has a network of about 113 industrial parks and estates offering developed plots with supporting infrastructure.<ref name="IT park">Example include [http://www.tidelpark.com/ Tidelpark] and [http://www.itpchennai.com/ ITP Chennai].</ref>

According to the publications of the Tamil Nadu government the Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices (Base year 1999–2000) for the year 2008–2009 is {{INR}} 339,212 crores. The percapita income at current price is {{INR}} 51, 097.

===Agriculture===
{{Main|Agriculture in Tamil Nadu|Animal husbandry in Tamil Nadu}}
Tamil Nadu has historically been an agricultural state and is a leading producer of agricultural products in India. In 2008, Tamil Nadu was India's fifth biggest producer of Rice. The total cultivated area in the State was 5.60 million hectares in 2009-10.<ref name="tnstat">{{cite web|url=http://www.tn.gov.in/deptst/agriculture.pdf |title=Tamil Nadu - States and Union Territories - Know India: National Portal of India |publisher=India.gov.in |date=31 March 2009 |accessdate=4 November 2010}}</ref> The Cauvery delta region is known as the '''Rice Bowl of South India'''. In terms of production, Tamil Nadu accounts for 10% in fruits and 6% in vegetables, in India.<ref>[http://nhm.nic.in/ActionPlan/ActionPlan_TamilNadu.pdf National Horticulture Mission – Action Plan for Tamil Nadu].</ref> Annual food grains production in the year 2007–08 was 100.35 lakh mt.<ref name="tnstat"/>  [[Mango]] and [[banana]] are the leading fruit crops in Tamil Nadu accounting for over 87% of the total fruit production. The main vegetables grown are [[tapioca]], [[tomato]], [[onion]], brinjal ([[eggplant]]), and [[drumstick (vegetable)|drumstick]]. Tamil Nadu is also a leading state in the production of flowers with the total production of [[horticulture|horticultural crops]] standing at {{INR}} 99.47 Lakhs during 2003–04. The main flowers grown in Tamil Nadu are [[jasmine]], [[mullai]], [[chrysanthemum]], [[Tagetes|marigold]] and [[rose]].[[File:Nagercoil paddy fields.jpg|thumb|Paddy fields at [[Nagercoil]]]]

The state is the largest producer of [[banana]]s, flowers,<ref name='hortact'>[http://nhm.nic.in/ActionPlan/ActionPlan_TamilNadu.pdf National Horticulture Mission Action Plan for Tamil Nadu].</ref> tapioca,<ref name='hortact'/> the second largest producer of [[mango]],<ref name='hortact'/> [[rubber|natural rubber]],<ref>[http://www.rubberboard.org.in/RSN/RSNEWSOCT06.pdf "Rubber Statistical News"] – Rubber Board.</ref> [[coconut]],<ref>[http://www.indiancommodity.com/statistic/coconut.htm Coconut statistical info] from IndiaCommodity.com.</ref> [[peanut|groundnut]] and the third largest producer of [[coffee]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiacoffee.org/indiacoffee.php?page=CoffeeData#area |title=: Coffee Board of India – Coffee Data: |publisher=Indiacoffee.org |date=18 September 2009 |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref> [[sapota]],<ref name='hortact'/> [[Tea]]<ref>[http://www.teauction.com/statistics/indprodstate.asp "Production Of Tea In India During And Upto August 2002] – TeaAuction.com.</ref> and [[Sugarcane]].<ref name='sugar'>[http://www.indiancommodity.com/statistic/sugarstat.htm Sugar statistical info] from IndiaCommodity.com.</ref> Tamil Nadu's sugarcane yield per hectare is the highest in India.<ref name='sugar'/> The state has 17,000 hectares of land under oil palm cultivation, the second highest in India.<ref>[http://assets.wwfindia.org/downloads/palm_oil_study_in_india___a_report.pdf Oil Palm Sector in India] – World Wildlife Fund – India.</ref>
Tamil Nadu is the home to [[M. S. Swaminathan|Dr M.S. Swaminathan]], known as the "father of the [[Green Revolution in India|Green Revolution]]" in India.<ref name="MSS">[http://www.mssrf.org/index.htm M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation].</ref> [[Tamil Nadu Agricultural University]] with its seven colleges and thirty two research stations spread over the entire state contributes to evolving new crop varieties and technologies and disseminating through various extension agencies. Among states in India, Tamil Nadu is one of the leaders in livestock, [[poultry]] and [[fisheries]] production. Tamil Nadu had the second largest number of poultry amongst all the states and accounted for 17.7% of the total poultry population in India.<ref>[http://dahd.nic.in/relcensus.htm] Livesotck & Poultry Statistics from Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying & Fisheries, Government of India.</ref> In 2003–2004, Tamil Nadu had produced 37,836 lakhs of [[egg (food)|eggs]], which was the second highest in India representing 9.37% of the total egg production in the country.<ref>[http://dahd.nic.in/stat_files/table_6.htm "Estimates Of Egg Production"].</ref> With the third longest coastline in India, Tamil Nadu represented 27.54% of the total value of fish and fishery products exported by India in 2006.

===Textiles===

Textile mills and engineering industries are present around the city of [[Coimbatore]]. It is home to textile, automotive spare parts and motor pump manufacturing units. Cities of [[Tirupur]] and [[Erode]] are the country's largest exporters of knitwear.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.cid.harvard.edu/archive/india/pdfs/challenge_textile_lib_tewari0101.pdf The Challenge of Reform: How Tamil Nadu’s Textile and Apparel Industry is Facing the Pressures of Liberalization]|471&nbsp;KB}} by Meenu Tewari for ''the Government of Tamil Nadu, India and the Center for International Development, Harvard University, Cambridge MA.</ref> They are well known for textile manufacturing industries and exports to such extent that the districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Erode, Namakkal and Salem . The region around [[Coimbatore]], [[Tirupur]], [[Karur]] and [[Erode]] is referred to as the "Textile Valley of India" with the export from the Tirupur {{INR}} 50,000 million ($1,000 million) and Karur generates around {{INR}} 35,500 million ($750 million) an year in foreign exchange.. 56% of India's total knitwear exports come from Tirupur & Karur make above 60% of India's Home Textiles. [[Gobichettipalayam]], [[Pollachi]], [[Theni]] and [[Vedasandur]] are known for its cotton mills. [[Rajapalayam]] is famous for its cotton market.
[[Kanchipuram]] and [[Aarani, Tamil Nadu|Arani]] are world famous for their pure zari silk sarees and handloom silk weaving industries. [[Aruppukottai]], [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]], [[Sathiyamangalam]] are also famous for Art-Silk sarees. [[Andipatti]], [[Tiruchengodu]], [[Paramakudi]], [[Kurinjipadi]] are major handloom centres. Negamam, Cinnalapatti, Woraiyur, Pochampalli are famous for its soft cotton saree weavings. [[Madurai]] is well known for its Chungidi cotton saree.

===Automobiles===

Tamil Nadu has seen major investments in the automobile industry over many decades manufacturing cars, railway coaches, battle-tanks, tractors, motorcycles, automobile spare parts and accessories, tyres and heavy vehicles. Major global automobile companies including [[BMW]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Renault]]-[[Nissan]], [[Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar]], [[Hyundai]], [[Mitsubishi Motors]] and [[Michelin]] as well as local automobile majors like [[Ashok Leyland]], [[Hindustan Motors]], [[TVS Motors]], [[Irizar]]-[[TVS Motors|TVS]], [[Royal Enfield]], [[Madras Rubber Factory|MRF]], [[Apollo Tyres]], [[TAFE Tractors]], [[DaimlerChrysler AG]] Company also invested ({{INR}}) 4 billion for establishing new plant in Tamil Nadu<ref>[http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-657319-1-1282112-1-0-0-0-0-0-11701-614232-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html] Daimler Trucks Unveils Truck Test Track in Oragadam, PSA Peugeot Citroën Company also invested (Indian Rupee symbol.svg) 4 billion for establishing new plant in Tamil Nadu, India near Chennai, India.</ref> have manufacturing operations in Tamil Nadu. [[Karur]] is a hub for Bus body building industries. [[Namakkal]] is the major source of Heavy Vehicle and lorry body building.

===Heavy industries===

[[File:Trichi06.jpg|thumb|[[Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited]] at [[Tiruchirapalli]]([[Trichy]])]]
Tamil Nadu is one of the highly industrialised states in India. Over 11.2% of the ''S&P CNX 500'' conglomerates have corporate offices in Tamil Nadu. Many heavy engineering and manufacturing companies are located in and around the suburbs of [[Chennai]].
[[Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited]], one of India's largest electrical equipment manufacturing company, has manufacturing plants at [[Tiruchirapalli]] and [[Ranipet]]. India's leading steel producer, [[Steel Authority of India Limited|SAIL]] has a steel plant in [[Salem, Tamil Nadu|Salem]]. Sterlite Industries has their copper smelter plant in [[Tuticorin]] and aluminium plant in [[Mettur]]. The state government owns the [[TNPL Pugalur#TNPL|Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd.]] (TNPL),<ref name="tnpl">[http://www.tnpl.co.in/ TNPL].</ref> the world's biggest [[bagasse]] based Paper mills in [[Karur]], as well as the world's sixth largest manufacturer of watches together with [[Tata Group|TATA]] at [[Hosur]], under the brand name of "Titan". Number of large Cement factories such as Chettinad cements, Ramco cements, Tancem, Dalmia cements, Vajram cements, ACC are present across the state. [[Ariyalur]] is termed as the land of cement industries in the state.

===Others===

Namakkal is also one of the main source of [[Egg (food)|Egg]] production in India. [[Karur]] is also the major manufacturer of Nylon nets (HDPE) Filaments over 65% of India. [[Sivakasi]] is a major centre of fireworks and safety match production and offset printing in India, over 60% of firework production is contributed from sivakasi.

===Electronics and software===
[[File:Infosys Mcity,Building number 5.jpg|thumb|Infosys' campus at [[Mahindra World City, New Chennai|Mahindra World City]] near Chennai]]
Electronics manufacturing is a growing industry in Tamil Nadu, with many telecommunications giants like [[Nokia]], [[Flextronics]], [[Motorola]], [[Sony-Ericsson]], [[Foxconn]], [[Samsung]], [[Cisco]], [[Moser Baer]] and [[Dell]] having chosen Chennai as their South Asian manufacturing hub. Products manufactured include circuit boards and cellular phone handsets.<ref name="Flextronics">[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/10/07/stories/2005100702790400.htm Flextronics signs pact for Chennai facility].</ref>

Tamil Nadu is the second largest software exporter by value in India, second only to Karnataka. Software exports from Tamil Nadu grew from {{INR}} 76 billion ($1.6 billion) in 2003–04 to {{INR}} 207 billion {$5 billion} by 2006–07 according to [[NASSCOM]]<ref name="Software">[http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/05/07/stories/2006050702500300.htm The Hindu Business Line: TN software exports clock 32 pc growth<!-- Bot generated title -->].</ref> and to {{INR}} 366 billion in 2008–09 which shows 29% growth in software exports according to [[STPI]].<ref name="Software1">{{cite news| url=http://infotech.indiatimes.com/news/software/TN-logs-29-growth-in-software-exports-in-FY09/articleshow/4754105.cms | work=The Times Of India | title=The Times of India: TN logs 29% growth in software exports in FY09}}</ref> Major national and global IT Companies such as [[Syntel]], [[Infosys]], [[Wipro]], [[HCL Enterprise|HCL]], [[Tata Consultancy Services]], [[Mahindra Satyam]], [[Verizon]], [[Hewlett-Packard]], [[Amazon.com]], [[Paypal]], [[IBM]], [[Accenture]], [[Ramco Systems]], [[Computer Sciences Corporation]], [[Cognizant|Cognizant Technology solutions]], [[Tech Mahindra]], [[Polaris]], [[Aricent]], [[MphasiS]], [[MindTree]], and many others have offices in Tamil Nadu.

=== Leather industry ===
The state accounts for [http://tnenvis.nic.in/major_indus.htm 70] per cent of leather tanning capacity in India and 38 per cent of leather footwear and components. The exports from Tamil Nadu are valued at about US $ 762 million, which accounts for 42 per cent of Indian leather exports. Hundreds of [[leather]] and [[Tannery (facility)|tannery]] industries are located around [[Vellore]], [[Dindigul]] and [[Erode]] its nearby towns such as [[Ranipet]], [[Ambur]], [[Perundurai]], [[Nilakottai]] and [[Vaniyambadi]]. The Vellore district is the top exporter of finished [[leather]] goods in the country. That leather accounts for more than [http://vellore.nic.in/dic.htm 37%] of the country's Export of Leather and Leather related products such as finished leathers, shoes, garments, gloves and so on. The tanning industry in India has a total installed capacity of 225 million pieces of hide and skins of which Tamil Nadu alone contributes to an inspiring 70%. Leather industry occupies a pride of place in the industrial map of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu enjoys a leading position with 40% share in India 's export. It currently employs about 2.5 million persons Leather exports by the end of the year 2000-2001 were Rs. [http://www.tntdpc.com/business_directory.html 9000] crores.

==Infrastructure==
{{Main|Transport in Tamil Nadu|Road network in Tamil Nadu}}
[[File:Pamban-bridge.JPG|thumb|right|Pamban road (left) and rail (right) bridges, connecting the Indian mainland with the [[Pamban Island]]. The rail bridge was opened to traffic in 1914, and was considered an engineering marvel in its time]]
Tamil Nadu has a transportation system that connects all parts of the state. Tamil Nadu is served by an extensive road network, providing links between urban centers, agricultural market-places and rural areas. There are 28 national highways in the state, covering a total distance of {{convert|5036|km|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.morth.nic.in/statedetailsmain.asp | title=National Highways in Tamil Nadu | publisher=Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India | accessdate=January 24, 2012}}</ref> The state is also a terminus for the [[Golden Quadrilateral]] project. The state has a total road length of {{convert|167000|km|0|abbr=on}}, of which {{convert|60628|km|0|abbr=on}} are maintained by Highways Department. This is nearly 2.5 times higher than the density of all-India road network.<ref name="tnroads">[http://www.tnhighways.org/ Official site for Tamil Nadu Highways].</ref> The major road junctions are Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Karur, Krishnagiri, Dindigul, Kanniyakumari.

Tamil Nadu has a well-developed rail network as part of [[Southern Railway (India)|Southern Railway]]. Headquartered at [[Chennai]], the Southern Railway network extends over a large area of India's Southern Peninsula, covering the states of Tamil Nadu, [[Kerala]], [[Pondicherry]], a small portion of [[Karnataka]] and a small portion of [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Tamil Nadu has a total railway track length of {{convert|5952|km|0|abbr=on}} and there are 532 railway stations in the state. The system connects it with most major cities in India. Main rail junctions in the state include Chennai, Madurai, [[Coimbatore]], Salem, Tiruchirapalli ([[Trichy]]) and Erode. Chennai has a well-established [[Transport in Chennai|suburban railway]] network and is in the process of developing a metro.

Tamil Nadu has a major international airport, [[Chennai International Airport]], that is connected with 19 countries with more than 169 direct flights every week. This is the third largest airport in India after [[Mumbai]] and [[Delhi]] and has a passenger growth of 18%. Other international airports present in the state are [[Coimbatore Airport|Coimbatore International Airport]], and [[Tiruchirapalli Airport|Tiruchirapalli International Airport]]. The [[Madurai Airport]], [[Salem Airport (India)|Salem Airport]] and [[Tuticorin Airport]] are domestic airports which connect their respective cities to other parts of the country. Increased industrial activity has given rise to an increase in passenger traffic as well as freight movement which has been growing at over 18 per cent per year.

[[File:Tirumailai MRTS station Chennai (Madras).jpg|thumb|[[Mass Rapid Transit System (Chennai)|MRTS]] Train station in Chennai]]

Tamil Nadu has three major [[seaport]]s at [[Chennai Port|Chennai]], [[Ennore Port|Ennore]] and [[Tuticorin Port|Tuticorin]], as well as one intermediate port, at [[Nagapattinam]] (Seven other minor ports including [[Cuddalore]] and [[Nagapattinam]]).<ref name="tnstat"/> Chennai Port is an artificial harbour situated on the Coromandel Coast in South-East India and it is the second principal port in the country for handling containers. Ennore Port handles all the coal and ore traffic in Tamil Nadu. The volume of cargo in the ports grew by 13 per cent during 2005.<ref name="ennoreport">[http://www.ennoreport.gov.in/ Official website for Ennore Port].</ref><ref name="tutiport">[http://www.tuticorinport.gov.in/ Official website for Tuticorin Port].</ref>

As of 2005, Tamil Nadu is one of the few Indian states with surplus [[Electricity generation]] capacity, enabling the electrical authority to sell it to neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka. The [[Kalpakkam]] Nuclear Power Plant, Ennore Thermal Plant, [[Neyveli]] Lignite Power Plant, many hydroelectric plants including Mettur and the Narimanam Natural Gas Plants are major sources of Tamil Nadu's electricity. It is presently adding the [[Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant]] to its energy grid, which on completion would be the largest atomic power plant in the country, in terms of capacity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npcil.nic.in/main/ProjectConstructionStatus.aspx |title=NPCIL |publisher=NPCIL |date= |accessdate=23 September 2009}}</ref> The total installed capacity for electricity in the State is 8,249 MW. The installed capacity of State Sector is 5,288 MW, and that of Private Sector is 1,058 MW. Apart from this, 1,903 MW is available as share from Central Sector.<ref name="tnstat"/>

Tamil Nadu is a significant proportion of its power needs from renewable sources with wind power installed capacity at over 3600 MW<ref>[http://www.tn.gov.in/policynotes/energy.htm Policy Note 2008–2009 of Energy Department, Tamil Nadu, India] by Govt. of Tamil Nadu.</ref> or over 40% of the maximum peak demand. Tamil Nadu ranks [[States of India by installed power capacity|first nationwide]] in diesel-based thermal electricity generation with a national market share of over 34%.<ref>[http://www.cea.nic.in/reports/monthly/executive_rep/feb12/27-33.pdf Central Electricity Authority, GOI]</ref> 55% of all wind-generated electricity in India is created by windmills in Tamil Nadu. Renowned Danish wind power company [[NEG Micon]] has established its manufacturing unit in Chennai.

==Environment==
{{Main|Protected areas of Tamil Nadu|Wildlife of Tamil Nadu}}
[[File:Tig2.jpg|thumb|A [[Bengal tiger]] in the [[Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary]]]]
Tamil Nadu includes a wide range of [[Biomes]], extending east from the [[South Western Ghats montane rain forests]] in the [[Western Ghats]] through the [[South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests]] and [[Deccan thorn scrub forests]] to [[tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|tropical dry broadleaf forests]] and then to the [[beach]]es, [[estuaries]], [[salt marsh]]es, [[mangrove]]s, and [[coral reef]]s of the [[Bay of Bengal]].

The state has a range of flora and fauna with many species and habitats. To protect this diversity of wildlife there are  [[Protected areas]] of Tamil Nadu, including two [[Protected areas of Tamil Nadu#Biosphere Reserves|Biosphere Reserves]], five [[Protected areas of Tamil Nadu#National Parks|National Parks]] and several [[Protected areas of Tamil Nadu#Wildlife Sanctuaries|Wildlife Sanctuaries]].

There are about 2000 species of wildlife that are native to Tamil Nadu. Protected areas provide safe habitat for large mammals including [[Indian elephant|elephants]], [[Bengal tiger|tigers]], [[Indian leopard|leopards]], [[Dhole|wild dogs]], [[sloth bear]]s, [[gaur]]s, [[lion-tailed macaque]]s, [[Nilgiri Langur]]s, [[Nilgiri Tahr]]s, [[Grizzled Giant Squirrel]]s and [[Sambar deer]], resident and migratory birds such as [[Cormorant]]s, [[Darter]]s, [[Heron]]s, [[Egret]]s, [[Asian Openbill Stork|Open-billed Storks]], [[Spoonbill]]s and [[Black-headed Ibis|White Ibises]], [[Little Grebe]]s, [[Common Moorhen#Eurasian Common Moorhen|Indian Moorhen]], [[Black-winged Stilt]]s, a few migratory [[Duck]]s and occasionally [[Pelecanus philippensis|Grey Pelicans]], marine species such as the [[Dugong]]s, [[Turtle]]s, [[Dolphin]]s and [[Balanoglossus]] and a wide variety of fish and insects.

Indian [[Angiosperm]] diversity comprises 17,672 species with Tamil Nadu leading all states in the country, with 5640 species accounting for 1/3 of the total flora of India.<ref>[http://tnenvis.nic.in/biodiversity.htm Environmental Information System Centre, Tamil Nadu]</ref> This includes 1559 species of [[medicinal plant]]s, 533 [[endemism|endemic]] species, 260 species of wild relatives of cultivated plants and 230 [[red-listed]] species. The [[Gymnosperm]] diversity of the country is 64 species of which Tamil Nadu has four indigenous species and about 60 introduced species. The [[Pteridophyte]]s diversity of India includes 1022 species of which Tamil Nadu has about 184 species. Vast numbers of [[bryophyte]]s, [[Lichen]]s, [[Fungi]], [[Algae]] and [[Bacteria]] are among the wild plant diversity of Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tnenvis.nic.in/biodiversity.htm|title=Biodiversity of Tamil Nadu|year=2006|work= Environmental Information System (ENVIS) |publisher=Department of Environment, Govt. of Tamil Nadu &Ministry of Environment & Forests|accessdate=8 December 2009|location=Chennai}}</ref>

Common plant species include the state tree: [[Borassus flabellifer#Cultural symbolism|Palmyra Palm]], [[Eucalyptus]], [[Rubber]], [[Cinchona]], Clumping Bamboos ([[Bambusa|Bambusa Arundinacea]]), [[Tectona grandis|Common teak]], [[Anogeissus latifolia]], [[Terminalia tomentosa|Indian Laurel]], [[Grewia]], and blooming trees like [[Cassia fistula|Indian labumusum]], [[Ardisia]], and [[Solanaceae]]. Rare and unique plant life includes [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?311513 Combretum ovalifolium], [[Ebony]] (Diospyros nilagrica), [[Habenaria|Habenaria rariflora]] (Orchid), [[Cyathea sect. Alsophila|Alsophila]], [[Impatiens|Impatiens elegans]], [[Ranunculus|Ranunculus reniformis]], and [[Royal fern]]{{disambiguation needed|date=April 2012}}.<ref>Tamil Nadu Dept. of Forests, Retrieved 9 September 2007 [http://www.forests.tn.nic.in/WildBiodiversity/wildbiodiversity_home.html Biodiversity].</ref>

[[File:Emerald Lake Nilgiris.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The [[Emerald Lake, Ooty|Emerald Lake]] in the [[Nilgiris]].]]
There are number of [[environmental organization]]s involved with [[environmental conservation]] and [[environmental education]] in Tamil Nadu. These organizations are notable for the diversity of their members and their intended impact groups, ranging from urban to rural, local to national, elementary students to government policy makers and rich to poor. The intent of these organizations is increased awareness of [[environmentalism]] by the state's population.<ref name="wwf">
{{Cite book|title=Directory of Environmental Resource Persons in Tamil Nadu |publisher=[http://tnenvis.nic.in/actvities_yr_2008.htm ENVIS] & [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] – India/Tamil Nadu State Office |location=Chennai |date=2008, [http://tnenvis.nic.in/PDF/resource%20person.pdf 2nd source]
|url=http://assets.wwfindia.org/downloads/directory_of_environmental_resource_persons_in_tamil_nadu.pdf}}</ref>

The [[Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)|Ministry of Environment and Forests]] through its Department of Environment and the [[Tamil Nadu Forest Department]] is the primary Government organization planning and implementing [[environmental policy]] in the state.<ref name="moef">{{cite web|url=http://moef.nic.in/modules/about-the-ministry/introduction/|title=About the Ministry|publisher=Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Govt. of India|accessdate=7 December 2009}}</ref>
The Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology coordinates government scientific agencies and creates environmental awareness programs in the state, There are several prominent leaders worth public roles in these efforts. There are environmental NGOs working in the state who are characterized by funding from private sources, programs of [[environmental activism]] and a high degree of autonomy and [[volunteerism]].

==Sports==
{{See also|List of sportspeople from Tamil Nadu}}[[Kabaddi]], also known locally as Sadugudu, is the state game of Tamil Nadu. But the most popular game just like rest of India is [[Cricket]]. [[M. A. Chidambaram Stadium]] in Chennai is an international cricketing arena with a capacity of 50,000 and houses the [[Tamil Nadu Cricket Association]].

The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) is the government body that is vested with the responsibility of developing sports and related infrastructure in the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tn.gov.in/citizen/sdat.htm |title=Youth Welfare & Sports Development Department |publisher=Tn.gov.in |date=15 October 1992 |accessdate=4 November 2010}}</ref> The SDAT owns and operates world class stadiums and organizes sporting events.<ref>[http://www.sdat.in/facilities.html Sports development authority of Tamil Nadu, Chennai 600 084].</ref> It also accommodates sporting events, both at domestic and international level, organized by other sports associations at its venues. It has national racing tracks like [[Irungattukottai Race Track]] in [[Sriperumpudur]] near [[Kanchipuram]] district, where national level Bike and Car races were conducted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.madrasmotorsports.in/home.htm |title=Madras Motor Sports Club Official site}}</ref> The [[YMCA]] College of Physical Education at Nandanam in Chennai was established in 1920 and was the first college for physical education in Asia.<ref>[http://www.indiastudychannel.com/colleges/7720-Y-M-C-A-College-Physical-Education.aspx Y.M.C.A. College of Physical Education NANDANAM].</ref>

Cricket contests between local clubs, franchises and teams are also popular across the state. Chennai, the capital of state is also one of the ten Indian cities to be featured in the nation level [[Twenty20|Twenty-20 Cricket competition]], the [[Indian Premier League]]. The team, owned by the cement manufacturers, India Cements, is called Chennai Super Kings.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chennai Super Kings owners and main sponsors|publisher=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_Super_Kings#Administration}}</ref>
The [[MRF Pace Foundation]] in Chennai is a much sought after fast bowling academy by pace bowlers all over the world. The state game of Kabaddi, and Silambam, are sports played in the rural areas.

The [[Association of Tennis Professionals|ATP]] [[Chennai Open]] tournament held in Chennai every January is the biggest Tennis event in [[South Asia]].<ref>[http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/nadal-other-tennis-greats-arrive-for-chennai-open-2008_10010658.html Nadal, other tennis greats arrive for Chennai Open 2008].</ref>
[[File:Racing action in Coimbatore.jpg|left|thumb|[[Kari Motor Speedway]] in Coimbatore]]
Tamil Nadu has a long standing motor sports culture. The sport was pioneered by [[Sundaram Karivardhan]] in its early days. Notable sports persons from Tamil Nadu in the field are [[Narain Karthikeyan]], the first Indian to participate in [[Formula One|F1]] racing, and [[Karun Chandhok]]. Motor racing events are held at the Irungattukottai track (near Sriperumbudur), Sholavaram track and Kari Motorspeedway near Coimbatore.

[[File:Viswanathan Anand 08 14 2005.jpg|thumb|[[Viswanathan Anand]], the world chess champion]]
The Tamil Nadu Hockey Association is the governing body of [[Field Hockey|Hockey]] in the state. [[Vasudevan Baskaran]] was the captain of the Indian team that won gold medal in 1980 Olympics at Moscow. The [[Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium]] in Chennai hosts international hockey events and is regarded by the [[International Hockey Federation]] as one of the best in the world for its infrastructure.<ref>[http://www.hindu.com/2004/10/20/stories/2004102004161800.htm Radhakrishnan Stadium to have new turf].</ref> Chennai hosted the SAF Games in 1995. [[Anju Bobby George]], a world renowned athlete, represents Tamil Nadu in the national arena.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/26757677.cms Anju B George to be felicitated].</ref>

The [[Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai|Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium]] in Chennai is a multi-purpose stadium hosting [[Soccer|Football]] and Track & Field events. The Indian Triathlon Federation and the Volleyball Federation of India are headquartered in Chennai. Chennai hosted India’s first ever International [[Beach Volleyball]] Championship in 2008.<ref>[http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/south-asia/india-seeks-to-popularise-beach-volleyball_10074262.html India seeks to popularise beach volleyball].</ref>

World Chess champion and Indian Grand Master [[Viswanathan Anand]] and Arjuna Awardee and two-time world carrom champion [[Maria Irudayam]] hail from Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu boasts of total of 8 Grand Masters and numerous International Masters.<ref>[http://tamilchess.com/TnGm_Im.aspx TN Chess Men's and Women's GM's & IM's].</ref>
[[Snooker]] was invented by General Sir Frederick Roberts at the Ooty Club in [[Ooty]], a hill station in the state.<ref>[http://library.thinkquest.org/C007555/history.html The History Of Snooker].</ref><ref>[http://www.ibsf.info/pdf/origin-of-snooker.pdf THE ORIGIN OF SNOOKER: THE NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN STORY].</ref>

The SDAT – TNSRA [[Squash (sport)|Squash]] Academy in Chennai, one of the very few modern squash facilities in South Asia, hosts international squash events.

Tamil Nadu has six 18-hole [[Golf]] courses,<ref>[http://www.golftoday.co.uk/clubhouse/coursedir/world/india/southernindia/indexsouthindia.html Golf Courses in Southern India].</ref> the most popular of which are [[Kodaikanal Golf Club]], established in 1895, [[Ooty Golf Course]], established in 1896, and [[Gymkhana Club, Chennai]]. The [[Madras Boat Club]], set up in 1867, hosts regular rowing races on the [[Adyar River]]. The 232-year-old Guindy race course in Chennai is a horse racing venue. Adventure sports have gained popularity, especially amongst the tourists visiting the state.<ref>[http://www.indialine.com/travel/tamilnadu/adventure.html Adventure Tourism].</ref>

==Tourism==
{{Main| Tourism in Tamil Nadu}}
[[File:Hogenakkal Tamil Nadu.JPG|thumb|left|Hogenakal Waterfall on Kaveri river, [[Dharmapuri district]]]]
Tamil Nadu's tourism industry is the second largest in India, with an annual growth rate of 16%. Tourism in Tamil Nadu is promoted by [[Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation]] (TTDC), a Government of Tamil Nadu undertaking. The tagline adopted for promoting tourism in Tamil Nadu is '''Enchanting Tamil Nadu'''. Approximately 2,804,687 foreign and 111,637,104 domestic tourists visited the state in 2010.<ref>[http://tourism.gov.in/writereaddata/CMSPagePicture/file/Primary%20Content/MR/pub-OR-statistics/2010Statistics.pdf Tourism Statistics of India]</ref> Tamil Nadu is a land of varied beauty. It boasts some of the grandest [[Hindu]] temples of [[Dravidian architecture]]. These temples are of a distinct style renowned for their towering [[Gopurams]]. The [[Brihadishwara Temple]] in [[Thanjavur]], built by the [[Cholas]], the Airavateswara temple in [[Darasuram]] and the [[Shore Temple]], along with the collection of other monuments in [[Mahabalipuram]] also called as Mamallapuram have been declared as [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]].<ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/250 Great Living Chola Temples – UNESCO World Heritage Centre].</ref><ref>[http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249 Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram].</ref>
The [[Nellaiappar Temple]] situated in the heart of [[Tirunelveli]] city. Madurai is home to one of the grandest Hindu temples in the World — [[Meenakshi Amman Temple|Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple]]. [[Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam]] is the largest functioning temple in the world, [[Tiruchirappalli]] where the famous Rockfort Temple is located, [[Rameshwaram]] whose temple walk-ways corridor (Praagarams) are the longest [1.2&nbsp;km] of all Indian temples in the world, [[Kanchipuram]] and [[Palani]] are important pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Other popular temples in Tamil Nadu include those in [[Gangaikonda Cholapuram]], [[Chidambaram]], [[Thiruvannaamalai]], [[Tiruttani]], [[Kumbakonam]], [[Karur]], [[Bhavani]], [[Srivilliputhur]], [[Namakkal]], [[Tiruchendur]], [[Tiruvarur]], [[Vellore]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Kanniyakumari]].
[[File:Udhagamandalam Botanical Gardens.jpg|thumb|Botanical Gardens, [[Udhagamandalam|Ooty]]]]
Tamil Nadu is also home to beautiful hill stations. Popular among them are [[Udhagamandalam]] (Ooty), [[Kodaikanal]], [[Yercaud]], [[Coonoor]], [[Topslip]], [[Valparai]], [[Yelagiri]] and Manjolai. The [[Nilgiri hills]], [[Palani hills]], Shevaroy hills, [[Kolli Hills]] and Cardamom hills are all abodes of thick forests and wildlife. [[File:Vendor at Seafront - Kanyakumari - India.JPG|thumb|left|[[Thiruvalluvar]] statue in Kanyakumari, southern tip of India]] [[Mukurthi National Park]] & [[Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve]] are the two tiger reserves in the state. Tamil Nadu has many National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Elephant and Bird Sanctuaries, Reserved Forests, Zoos and Crocodile farms. Prominent among them are [[Mudumalai National Park]], [[Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve|The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve]], [[Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park]], Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and [[Arignar Anna Zoological Park]]. The [[mangrove]] forests at [[Pichavaram]] are also eco-tourism spots of importance.
[[Kanyakumari (town)|Kanyakumari]], the southern most tip of peninsular India, is famous for its beautiful sunrise, [[Vivekananda Rock Memorial]] and [[Thiruvalluvar]]'s statue built off the coastline. [[Marina Beach]] in Chennai is one of the longest beaches in the world.<ref>[http://www.tamilnow.com/tourism/chennai/marina-beach.html Marina Beach, Chennai – One of the Longest Beaches in the World].</ref> The stretch of beaches from Chennai to Mahabalipuram are home to many resorts, theme parks and eateries. The prominent waterfalls in the state are [[Courtallam]], [[Hogenakkal Falls|Hogenakal]], Papanasam, Manimuthar, Thirparappu, [[Pykara]] and Silver Cascade. The Chettinad region of the state is renowned for its Palatial houses and cuisine. With medical care in Chennai, Vellore, Coimbatore and Madurai, Tamil Nadu has the largest numbers in [[Medical tourism]] in India.

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|Asia|South Asia|India|Tamil Nadu|Chennai}}
*[[Tamil Eelam]]
*[[Dravidian peoples|Dravidian]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
*Chitra, Madhavan. [http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2021%20No%206/the-artist-who-designed-the-state-emblem.html "The artist who designed the State emblem"], ''[[MADRAS MUSINGS]]'', CHENNAI, 1–15 July 2011. Retrieved on 30 March 2011.

==External links==
; Government
* [http://www.tn.gov.in/ Tamil Nadu Government Website]
* [http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/ Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu]
; Other
* {{Wikitravel|Tamil Nadu}}
* {{dmoz|Regional/Asia/India/Tamil_Nadu|Tamil Nadu}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Tamil Nadu
|North     = [[Andhra Pradesh]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Bay of Bengal]]
|Southeast = [[Palk Strait]]
|South     = Indian Ocean
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Kerala]]
|Northwest = [[Karnataka]]
}}

'''{{Tamil Nadu}}
{{States and territories of India}}

[[Category:Tamil Nadu| ]]
[[Category:States and territories of India]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1950]]
[[Category:Tamil-speaking countries and territories]]

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[[or:ତାମିଲନାଡୁ]]
[[pa:ਤਮਿਲਨਾਡੂ]]
[[pnb:تامل ناڈو]]
[[pl:Tamil Nadu]]
[[pt:Tamil Nadu]]
[[ro:Tamil Nadu]]
[[qu:Tamil Nadu]]
[[ru:Тамилнад]]
[[sa:तमिऴ्‌नाडु]]
[[simple:Tamil Nadu]]
[[sk:Tamilnádu]]
[[sr:Тамил Наду]]
[[sh:Tamil Nadu]]
[[fi:Tamil Nadu]]
[[sv:Tamil Nadu]]
[[ta:தமிழ்நாடு]]
[[te:తమిళనాడు]]
[[th:รัฐทมิฬนาฑู]]
[[tg:Тамилноду]]
[[tr:Tamil Nadu]]
[[uk:Тамілнаду]]
[[ur:تامل ناڈو]]
[[vi:Tamil Nadu]]
[[war:Tamil Nadu]]
[[yo:Tamil Nadu]]
[[diq:Tamil Nadu]]
[[zh:泰米尔纳德邦]]