Population Note: The population as per 2011 census calculated basis pre-expansion city area of 174 sq.km. was
4,646,732.[7] Post expansion of city limits to 426 sq.km.,[4] the population including the new city limits was provided by Government of Tamil Nadu was 6,748,026.[9] The 2011 census data for the urban agglomeration is available and has been provided.[7]
The city is coterminous with
Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the
Chennai Metropolitan Area,[c] the
35th-largest urban area in the world by population and one of the largest metropolitan economies of India. Chennai has the
fifth-largest urban economy, and had the third-largest
expatriate population in India. As a gateway to South India, Chennai is among the most-visited Indian cities ranking 36th among the most-visited cities in the world in 2019. Ranked as a beta-level city in the
Global Cities Index, Chennai regularly features among the best cities to live in India and is amongst the safest cities in India.
Chennai is a major centre for
medical tourism and is termed "India's health capital". Chennai houses a major portion of India's automobile industry and hence the name "Detroit of India". It was the only South Asian city to be ranked among
National Geographic's "Top 10 food cities" in 2015 and ranked ninth on
Lonely Planet's best cosmopolitan cities of the world. In October 2017, Chennai was added to the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list. It is a major
film production centre and home to the
Tamil-language film industry.
The name Madras is of native origin, and has been shown to have been in use before the British established a presence in India.[15] A Vijayanagara-era inscription found in 2015 was dated to the year 1367 and mentions the port of Mādarasanpattanam, along with other small ports on the east coast, and it was theorized that the aforementioned port is the fishing port of
Royapuram.[16]Madras might have been derived from Madraspattinam, a fishing village north of
Fort St. George but it is uncertain whether the name was in use before the arrival of Europeans.[17]
In August 1996, the
Government of Tamil Nadu officially
changed the name from Madras to Chennai.[18] The name Madras continues in occasional use for the city as well as for places or things named after the city earlier.[19]
Stone Age implements have been found near
Pallavaram in Chennai and according to the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Pallavaram was a
megalithic cultural establishment, and pre-historic communities resided in the settlement.[20] The region around Chennai was an important administrative, military, and economic centre for many centuries. During the 1st century
CE,
Tamil poet named
Thiruvalluvar lived in the town of
Mylapore, a neighbourhood of present-day Chennai.[21] The region was part of Tondaimandalam which was ruled by the
Early Cholas in the 2nd century CE by subduing
Kurumbas, the original inhabitants of the region.[22]Pallavas of
Kanchi became independent rulers of the region from 3rd to 9th century and the areas of
Mahabalipuram and Pallavaram were built during the reign of
Mahendravarman I.[23] In 879, Pallavas were defeated later by the Cholas led by
Aditya I and
Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan later brought the region under
Pandya rule in 1264.[22] The region came under the influence of
Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century.[24][22]
The
Portuguese arrived in 1522 and built a port named São Tomé after the Christian apostle,
St. Thomas, who is believed to have preached in the area between 52 and 70 CE. In 1612, the
Dutch established themselves near
Pulicat, north of Chennai[25] On 20 August 1639, Francis Day of the
British East India Company along with the
Nayak of Kalahasti Chennappa Nayaka met with the Vijayanager Emperor
Peda Venkata Raya at
Chandragiri and obtained a grant for land on the Coromandel coast on which the company could build a factory and warehouse for their trading activities.[26] On 22 August, he secured the grant for a strip of land about 10 km (6 mi) long and 1.6 km (1 mi) inland in return for a yearly sum of five hundred
lakhpagodas.[27][28] The region was then formerly a fishing village known as "Madraspatnam".[25] A year later, the company built
Fort St. George, the first major English settlement in India, which became the nucleus of the growing colonial city and urban Chennai.[29][30]
The city became a major naval base and became the central administrative centre for the British in South India.[35] The city served as the baseline for the
Great Trigonometrical Survey of India started on 10 April 1802.[36] With the advent of
railways in India in the 19th century, the city was connected to other cities such as Bombay and Calcutta, promoting increased communication and trade with the
hinterland.[37]
In 1965,
agitations against the
imposition of Hindi and in support of continuing English as a medium of communication arose which marked a major shift in the
political dynamics of the city and eventually led to English being retained as an official language of India alongside Hindi.[40] On 17 July 1996, the city was officially renamed from Madras to Chennai, in line with then a
nationwide trend to using less Anglicised names.[41] On 26 December 2004, a
tsunami lashed the shores of Chennai, killing 206 people in Chennai and permanently altering the coastline.[42] The
2015 Chennai Floods submerged major portions of the city, killing 269 people and resulting in damages of ₹86.4 billion (US$1 billion).[43]
Chennai is located on the
south–eastern coast of India in the north–eastern part of Tamil Nadu on a flat coastal plain known as the
Eastern Coastal Plains with an average elevation of 6.7 m (22 ft) and highest point at 60 m (200 ft).[44][45] Chennai's soil is mostly
clay,
shale and
sandstone.[46] Clay underlies most of the city with sandy areas found along the river banks and coasts where rainwater
runoffpercolates quickly through the soil. Certain areas in South Chennai have a hard rock surface.[47][48] As of 2018, the city had a green cover of 14.9 percent, against the
World Health Organization recommendation of 9 square metres of green cover per capita in cities with a built-up area of 71 percent. Waterbodies cover an estimated 6 percent of the total area, and at least 8 percent of the area has classified as open space.[49]
Two major rivers flow through Chennai, the
Cooum River (or Koovam) through the centre and the
Adyar River to the south. The
Buckingham Canal, 4 km (2.5 mi) inland, runs parallel to the coast, linking the two rivers.
Kosasthalaiyar River traverses through the northern fringes of the city before draining into the Bay of Bengal, at
Ennore.[50] The
Otteri Nullah, an east–west stream, runs through north Chennai and meets the Buckingham Canal at
Basin Bridge.[51] The
ground water table in Chennai is at 4–5 m below ground on average and is replenished mainly by rain water.[52] Of the 24.87 km coastline of the city, 3.08 km experiences erosion, with sand accretion along the shoreline can be noticed at the
Marina beach and the area between the
Ennore Port and
Kosasthalaiyar river.[53]
Geology
Chennai is classified as being in
Seismic Zone III, indicating a moderate risk of damage from
earthquakes.[54] Owing to the geotectonic zone the city falls in, the city is considered a potential
geothermal energy site. The
crust has old granite rocks dating back to nearly a billion years indicating volcanic activities in the past with expected temperatures of 200 to 300 °C at 4 to 5 km depth.[55]
Climate
Chennai has a dry-summer
tropical wet and dry climate which is designated As under the
Köppen climate classification.[56][57] The city lies on the
thermal equator and is also on the coast, which prevents extreme variation in seasonal temperature.[56] The hottest time of the year is from April to June with an average temperature of 35–40 °C (95–104 °F).[58] The highest recorded temperature was 45 °C (113 °F) on 31 May 2003.[59] The coldest time of the year is in December–January, with average temperature of 19–25 °C (66–77 °F) and the lowest recorded temperature of 13.9 °C (57.0 °F) on 11 December 1895 and 29 January 1905.[60]
Chennai receives majority of rainfall from the
NE monsoon between October and December while smaller amounts come from the
SW monsoon between June and September. The average annual rainfall is about 120 cm (47 in).[61] The highest annual rainfall recorded is 257 cm (101 in) in 2005.[62] Prevailing winds in Chennai are usually southwesterly between April and October and north-easterly during the rest of the year.[63] The city relies on the annual monsoon rains to replenish water reservoirs.[64]Cyclones and depressions are common features during the season.[65] Water inundation and flooding happen in low-lying areas during the season with significant flooding in
2015 and
2023.[66]
Climate data for Chennai (Nungambakkam; rainfall from Chennai Airport) 1991–2020, extremes 1901–2012
A protected
estuary on the Adyar forms a natural habitat for several species of birds and animals.[73]Chennai is also a popular city for birding with more than 130 recorded species of birds have been recorded in the city.[74] Marshy wetlands such as
Pallikaranai and lakes also host a number of migratory birds during the monsoon and winter.[75] The southern stretch of Chennai's coast from Tiruvanmiyur to Neelangarai are favoured by the endangered
olive ridley sea turtles to lay eggs every winter.[76]Guindy National Park is a protected area within the city limits and wildlife conservation and research activities take place at
Arignar Anna Zoological Park.[77]Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is a
herpetology research station, located 40 km (25 mi) south of Chennai.[78] The city's tree cover is estimated to be around 64.06 square kilometres (24.73 sq mi) with 121 species belonging to 94 genera and 42 families and
copper pod,
Indian beech and
Neem being the major species.[79] Chennai with a coastline and its water bodies houses a number of fresh water, salt water fishes and marine organisms.[80][81]
Environmental issues
Chennai had many lakes spread across the city but
urbanization has led to the shrinkage of water bodies and wetlands.[82][83] The number of wetlands in the city has decreased from 650 in 1970 to 27 in 2015.[84] Nearly half of the native plant species in the city's wetlands have disappeared with only 25 percent of the erstwhile area covered with aquatic plants still viable.[85] Adyar and Cooum rivers are heavily polluted with effluents and waste from domestic and commercial sources.[86][87] The encroachment of urban development on wetlands has hampered the sustainability of water bodies and was a contributor to the floods in 2015 and
2023 and
water scarcity crisis in 2019.[88][89]
The Chennai River Restoration trust set up by the government of Tamil Nadu is working on the restoration of Adyar River.[90]Environmentalist Foundation of India is a volunteering group working towards wildlife conservation and habitat restoration.[91][92]
A resident of Chennai is called a Chennaite.[100][101] According to
2011 census, the city had a population of 4,646,732, within an area of 174 square kilometres (67 sq mi).[102] Post expansion of the city to 426 km2, the population including the new city limits as per the 2011 census was 6,748,026 with Chennai Municipal Corporation being renamed as
Greater Chennai Corporation.[9][4][103] As of 2019[update], 712,000 (40%) of the 1.788 million families in the city live below poverty line.[104] As of 2017[update], the city had 2.2 million households, with 40 percent of the residents not owning a house.[105] There are about 1,131
slums in the city housing more than 3lakh households.[106]
Chennai city is governed by the
Greater Chennai Corporation (formerly "Corporation of Madras"), which was established in 1688.[107] It is the oldest surviving
municipal corporation in India and the second oldest surviving corporation in the world.[108] In 2011, the jurisdiction of the Chennai Corporation was expanded from 174 km2 (67 sq mi) to an area of 426 km2 (164 sq mi), dividing into three regions North, South and Central covering
200 wards.[109][110] The corporation is headed by a
mayor, elected by the
councillors who are elected through a popular vote by the residents.[111][112]
As of 2021[update], Greater Chennai had 135 police stations across four zones with 20,000 police personnel.[121][122] As of 2021[update], the crime rate in the city was 101.2 per hundred thousand people.[123] In 2009,
Madras Central Prison, the major prison and one of the oldest in India was demolished with the prisoners moved to the newly constructed
Puzhal Central Prison.[124]
Politics
Being the capital of the
Madras Province that covered a large area of the
Deccan region, Chennai remained the centre of politics during the British colonial era. Chennai is the birthplace of the idea of the
Indian National Congress, which was founded by the members of the
Theosophical Society movement basis the idea conceived in a private meeting after a Theosophical convention held in the city in December 1884.[125][126] The city has hosted yearly conferences of the Congress seven times, playing a major part in the
Indian independence movement.[127] Chennai is also the birthplace of regional political parties such as the South Indian Welfare Association in 1916 which later became the
Justice Party and
Dravidar Kazhagam.[128][129] Politics is characterized by a mix of regional and national political parties.[130] During the 1920s and 1930s, the
Self-Respect Movement, spearheaded by
Theagaroya Chetty and
E. V. Ramaswamy emerged in Madras.[131]
With the history of city dating back to centuries, the architecture of Chennai ranges in a wide chronology. The oldest buildings in the city date from the 6th to 8th centuries CE, which include the
Kapaleeshwarar Temple in
Mylapore and the
Parthasarathy Temple in
Triplicane, built in the
Dravidian architecture encompassing various styles developed during the reigns of different empires.[165] In Dravidian architecture, the temples considered of large mantapas with gate-pyramids called Gopurams in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple.[166][167] The Gopuram, a monumental tower usually ornate at the entrance of the temple forms a prominent feature of
Koils and whose origins can be traced back to the
Pallavas who built the group of monuments in
Mamallapuram.[168][169] The associated Agraharam architecture, which consists of traditional row houses can still be seen in the areas surrounding the temples.[170] Chennai has the second highest number of heritage buildings in the country.[171]
Gothic revival style buildings include the
Chennai Central and
Chennai Egmore railway stations. The
Santhome Church, which was originally built by the Portuguese in 1523 and is believed to house the remains of the
apostleSt. Thomas, was rebuilt in 1893 in
neo-Gothic style.[175] By the early 20th century, the
art deco made its entry upon the city's urban landscape with buildings in
George Town including the United India building (presently housing
LIC) and the Burma Shell building (presently the Chennai House), both built in the 1930s, and the Dare House, built in 1940 examples of this architecture.[176] After
Independence, the city witnessed a rise in the
Modernism and the completion of the
LIC Building in 1959, the tallest building in the country at that time marked the transition from lime-and-brick construction to concrete columns.[177]
The presence of the
weather radar at the
Chennai Port prohibited the construction of buildings taller than 60 m around a radius of 10 km till 2009.[178][177] This resulted in the central business district expanding horizontally, unlike other metropolitan cities while the peripheral regions began experiencing vertical growth with the construction of taller buildings with the tallest building at 161 metres (528 ft).[179]
Arts
Chennai is a major centre for music, art and dance in India.[180] The city is called the Cultural Capital of South India.[181]Madras Music Season, initiated by
Madras Music Academy in 1927, is celebrated every year during the month of December and features performances of traditional
Carnatic music by artists from the city.[182]Madras University introduced a course of music, as part of the
Bachelor of Arts curriculum in 1930.[183]Gaana, a combination of various folk musics is sung mainly in the working-class area of North Chennai.[184]Chennai Sangamam, an art festival showcasing various arts of
South India is held every year.[185] Chennai has been featured in
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list since October 2017 for its old musical tradition.[186]
The city has a diverse theatre scene and is one of the important centres for
Bharata Natyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu and is the oldest dance of India.[187] Cultural centres in the city include
Kalakshetra and Government Music college.[188] Chennai is also home to some choirs, who during the Christmas season stage various carol performances across the city in Tamil and English.[189]
Chennai is home to many museums, galleries, and other institutions which engage in arts research and are major tourist attractions.[190] Established in the early 18th century,
Government Museum and
National Art Gallery are amongst the oldest in the country.[191] The museum inside the premises of Fort St. George maintains a collection of objects of the British era.[192] The museum is managed by the
Archaeological Survey of India and has in its possession, the first
Flag of India hoisted at
Fort St George after the declaration of India's Independence on
15 August 1947.[193]
Chennai is the base for
Tamil cinema, nicknamed as Kollywood, alluding to the neighbourhood of
Kodambakkam where a number of film studios are located.[194] The history of cinema in South India started in 1897 when a European exhibitor first screened a selection of silent short films at the
Victoria Public Hall in the city.[195]Swamikannu Vincent purchased a
film projector and erected tents for screening films which became popular in the early 20th century.[196]Keechaka Vadham, the first film in South India was produced in the city and released in 1917.[197]Gemini and
Vijaya Vauhini studios were established in the 1940s, amongst the largest and earliest in the country.[198] Chennai hosts many major film studios, including
AVM Productions, the oldest surviving studio in India.[199]
Chennai cuisine is predominantly
south Indian with rice as its base. Most local restaurants still retain their rural flavour, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf.[200] Eating on a banana leaf is an old custom and imparts a unique flavour to the food and is considered healthy.[201]Idly and
dosa are popular
breakfast dishes.[202][203] Chennai has an active street food culture and various cuisine options for dining including
North Indian,
Chinese and
continental.[204][205] The influx of industries in the early 21st century also bought distinct cuisines from other countries such as
Japanese and
Korean to the city.[206] Chennai was the only South Asian city to be ranked among
National Geographic's "Top 10 food cities" in 2015.[207]
The economy of Chennai consistently exceeded national average growth rates, due to
reform-oriented economic policies in the 1970s.[208] With the presence of two major ports, an international airport, and a converging road and rail networks, Chennai is often referred to as the "Gateway of South India".[209][210] According to the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Chennai is amongst the most integrated with the global economy, classified as a
beta-city.[211] As of 2023[update], Chennai metropolitan area had an estimated
GDP of $128.3 billion, ranking it among the
most productive metro areas in India.[8] Chennai has a diversified industrial base anchored by different sectors including
automobiles,
software services,
hardware,
healthcare and
financial services.[212][213] As of 2021[update], Chennai is amongst the top export districts in the country with more than US$2563 billion in exports.[214]
The city has a permanent exhibition complex
Chennai Trade Centre at
Nandambakkam.[215] The city hosts the
Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet, a business summit organized by Government of Tamil Nadu.[216] With about 62% of the population classified as affluent with less than 1% asset-poor, Chennai has the fifth highest number of millionaries.[217][218][219]
Chennai is amongst the major
information technology (IT) hubs of India.[220]Tidel Park established in 2000 was amongst the first and largest IT parks in Asia.[221] The presence of
SEZs and government policies have contributed to the growth of the sector which has attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country.[222][223] In the 2020s, the city has become a major provider of
SaaS and has been dubbed the "SaaS Capital of India".[224][225]
The
automotive industry in Chennai accounts for more than 35% of India's overall automotive components and automobile output, earning the nickname "
Detroit of India".[226][227] A large number of automotive companies have their manufacturing bases in the city.[228]Integral Coach Factory in Chennai manufactures railway coaches and other rolling stock for
Indian Railways.[229]Ambattur Industrial Estate housing various manufacturing units is amongst the largest small-scale industrial estates in the country.[230] Chennai contributes more than 50 percent of India's leather exports.[231] Chennai is a major electronics hardware exporter.[232]
DRDO, India's premier defence research agency operates various facilities in Chennai.[243]Heavy Vehicles Factory of the
AVANI, headquartered in Chennai manufactures
Armoured fighting vehicles,
Main battle tanks, tank engines and armoured clothing for the use of the
Indian Armed Forces.[244][245]ISRO, the premier Indian space agency primarily responsible for performing tasks related to
space exploration operates research facilities in the city.[246] Chennai is the third-most visited city in India by international tourists according to Euromonitor.[247]Medical tourism forms an important part of the city's economy with more than 40% of total medical tourists visiting India making it to Chennai.[248]
The city's water supply and sewage treatment are managed by the
Chennai MetroWater Supply and Sewage Board. Water is drawn from
Red Hills Lake and
Chembarambakkam Lake, the major water reservoirs in the city and treated at water treatment plants located at Kilpauk, Puzhal, Chembarambakkam and supplied to the city through 27 water distribution stations.[249][250] The city receives 530 million litres per day (mld) of water from
Krishna River through
Telugu Ganga project and 180 mld of water from the
Veeranam lake project.[251] 100 million litres of treated water per day is produced from the Minjur
desalination plant, the country's largest sea water desalination plant[252] Chennai is predicted to face a deficit of 713 mld of water by 2026 as the demand is projected at 2,248 mld and supply estimated at 1,535 mld.[253] The city's sewer system was designed in 1910, with some modifications in 1958.[254]
Waste management
The city generates 4,500 tonnes of garbage every day of which 429 tonnes are plastic waste.[255] The Corporation of Chennai undertakes garbage collection and processing with collection in some of the wards contracted to private companies.[256][257] As of 2023[update], an average of 150 tonnes of garbage disposal is done in two landfill sites at
Kodungaiyur and
Pallikaranai daily.[258][259] In market and business areas, the conservancy work is done during the night.[260] As of 2022[update], there are public toilets in 943 locations, managed by the city corporation.[261]
Newspaper publishing started in Chennai with the launch of the weekly The Madras Courier in 1785.[280] It was followed by the weeklies The Madras Gazette and The Government Gazette in 1795.[281][282]The Spectator, founded in 1836 was the first English newspaper in Chennai to be owned by an Indian and became the city's first daily newspaper in 1853.[283] The first Telugu journal printed from Madras was Satya Doota in 1835 and first Tamil newspaper, Swadesamitran was launched in 1899.[284][285] Chennai has a number of newspapers and magazines published in various languages including Tamil, English and Telugu.[286] The major dailies with more than one lakh circulation per day include
The Hindu,
Dina Thanthi,
Dinakaran,
The Times of India,
Dina Malar and
The Deccan Chronicle.[287] Several periodicals and local newspapers prevalent in select localities also bring out editions from the city.[288]
Fire services are handled by the
Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services which operates 33 operating fire stations.[297] The corporation also owns 52 community halls across the city.[298] Postal services are handled by
India Post which operates 568 post offices, of which nearly 460 operate from rented premises.[299] The first post office was established on 1 June 1786 at Fort St. George on 1 June 1786.[300]
The aviation history of the city began in 1910, when
Giacomo D'Angelis built the first powered flight in Asia and tested it in
Island Grounds.[301] In 1915,
Tata Air Mail started an airmail service between Karachi and Madras marking the beginning of civil aviation in India.[302] In March 1930, a discussion initiated by pilot G. Vlasto led to the founding of
Madras Flying Club.[303][304] On 15 October 1932,
J. R. D. Tata flew a
Puss Moth aircraft carrying air mail from Karachi to
Bombay's
Juhu Airstrip and the flight was continued to Madras piloted by aviator
Nevill Vintcent marking the first scheduled commercial flight.[305][306] The city is served by
Chennai International Airport located in
Tirusulam, around 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of the city centre.[307] It is the
fourth-busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic and cargo handled.[308] While the existing airport is undergoing expansion with an addition of 1,069.99 acres (433.01 ha), a new
greenfield airport has been proposed to handle additional traffic.[309]
The history of railway in the city can be traced back to 1832 when the first railway line in India was proposed between
Little Mount and
Chintadripet in the city which became operational in 1837.[313] The
Madras Railway was established later in 1845 and the construction on the first main line between Madras and
Arcot started in 1853, which became operational in 1856.[314] In 1944, all the railway companies operating in
British India were taken over by the Government.[315] In December 1950, the Central Advisory Committee for Railways approved the plan for Indian Railways into six zonal systems and the Southern Railway zone was created on 14 April 1951 by merging three state railways, namely, the
Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway, the
South Indian Railway Company, and the
Mysore State Railway with Chennai as the
headquarters.[316] The city has four major railway terminals at
Chennai Central,
Egmore,
Beach and
Tambaram.[317] Chennai Central, city's largest station provides access to other major stations nationally and is amongst the busiest stations in the country.[318]
Chennai has a well-established suburban railway network operated by Southern railway, which was established in 1928.[319] The
Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) is an elevated urban mass transit system established in 1995 operating on a single line from
Chennai Beach to
Velachery.[319]
Chennai Metro is a
rapid transit rail system in Chennai which was opened in 2015. As of 2023, the metro system consists of two operational lines operating across 54.1 km (33.6 mi) with
41 stations.[322] Chennai metro system is being expanded with a proposed addition of three more lines and extension of 116.1 km (72.1 mi).[323] Rapid rail projects for
Coimbatore and
Madurai have been proposed.[324][325]
Chennai is a major educational hub and home to some of the premium educational institutions in the country.[343] The city has a 90.33% literacy rate and ranks second among the major Indian metropolitan city centres.[344] Chennai has a mix of public and private schools with the public school system managed by the school education department of Government of Tamil Nadu. As of 2023[update], there are 420
public schools run by Greater Chennai Corporation.[345] Public schools run by the Chennai Corporation are all affiliated with the
Tamil Nadu State Board, while private schools may be affiliated with either of Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education,
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE),
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE) or
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).[346] School education starts with two years of Kindergarten from age three onwards and then follows the Indian
10+2 plan, ten years of school and two years of higher secondary education.[347]
With temples, beaches and centres of historical and cultural significance including the
UNESCO Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram, Chennai is one of the most-visited cities in India with 1.1 crore domestic and 6.3 lakh foreign tourists visiting in 2020.[358] The city serves as the gateway to the
southern part of India.[359] Chennai was ranked among the top hundred destinations by
Euromonitor.[360][361] As of 2018[update], the city has about 7000 luxury room inventory across four- and five-star categories with 85 percent of the room demand coming from business travellers.[362][363] Chennai has a 19+ km coastline with many beaches including the
Marina spanning 13 km (8.1 mi) which is the second-longest urban beach in the world and
Elliot's Beach south of the Adyar delta.[364][365]
As of 2023[update], Chennai has 835 public parks maintained by the corporation.[366] The largest park is the 358-acre
Tholkappia Poonga, developed to restore the fragile ecosystem of the Adyar estuary.[367]Semmoli Poonga is a 20 acres (8.1 ha)
botanical garden maintained by the horticulture department.[368] Madras Crocodile Bank is a
reptilezoo located 40 km (25 mi) south of the city and has one of the largest collections of reptiles in the country.[369] Arignar Anna zoological park is a large urban zoo with more than 2 million visitors annually.[370] Guindy National Park is a protected area within the city limits and has a children's park and a
snake park associated with it.[371] Chennai also houses several theme parks and amusement parks.[372]
As of 2012[update], there are 120 cinema screens and multiplexes.[373] Stage plays and dramas of different genres and languages are enacted in theatres across the city.[374] Chennai is also home to several
several malls.[375] The city is an important market for
jewellery.[376]Anna Nagar and
Nungambakkam are amongst the expensive retail zones in the country.[377]
The consular presence in the city dates back to 1794, when William Abbott was appointed US consular agent for
South India.[411][412] As of 2022[update], there are 60 foreign representations in Chennai including 16 consulates general and 28 honorary consulates.[413][414]American Consulate in Chennai is amongst the top employment-based visa processing centres.[415] The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) is in charge of immigration and registration activities in the city.[416]
^The term Chennai is often used to denote the Chennai Metropolitan Area, colloquially applied for the wider area than just the city. This area includes the city/district of Chennai, and adjacent parts from its three neighbouring districts. This wider usage of the term has been documented as far back as 1639, when the Madras Municipal Corporation was created
^Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], Roach, Peter; Hartmann, James; Setter, Jane (eds.), English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
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^Rao, Velcheru Narayana; Shulman, David; Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (1998). Symbols of substance : court and state in Nayaka period Tamilnadu. Oxford : Oxford University Press, Delhi. p. xix, 349 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., maps; 22 cm.
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^Gill, B. (2001).
Surveying Sir George Everest(PDF). Professional Surveyor Magazine (Report).
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^Pulikesi, M; P. Baskaralingam; D. Elango; V.N. Rayudu; V. Ramamurthi; S. Sivanesan (25 August 2006). "Air quality monitoring in Chennai, India, in the summer of 2005". Journal of Hazardous Materials. 136 (3): 589–596.
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