Chennai (/ˈtʃɛnaɪ/ ^ⓘ; Tamil: [ˈt͡ɕenːaɪ̯], ISO: Ceṉṉai), formerly known as Madras,^{[lower-alpha 2]} is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is the state's primate city and is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city in India and forms the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration. Incorporated in 1688, the Greater Chennai Corporation is the oldest municipal corporation in India and the second oldest in the world after London.

Quick Facts Madras, Country ...

Chennai Madras
Megacity
Clockwise from top: Chennai Central railway station; Valluvar Kottam; Kathipara junction; Marina beach; Ripon Building; the Triumph of Labour and Kapaleeswarar Temple
Coat of arms
Nicknames: Gateway of South India^[1] Detroit of India^[2] Health Capital of India^[3]
Chennai Location in Tamil Nadu Show map of Tamil Nadu Chennai Location in India Show map of India
Coordinates: 13°4′57″N 80°16′30″E
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Region	Coromandel
District	Chennai district^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Established	1639
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Greater Chennai Corporation
• Mayor	Priya Rajan
Area ^[4]
• Megacity	426 km² (164 sq mi)
• Metro ^[5]^{[lower-alpha 1]}	5,904 km² (2,280 sq mi)
Elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population (2011)^[6]^[7]
• Megacity	6,748,026
• Rank	6th
• Density	16,000/km² (41,000/sq mi)
• Metro	8,696,010
• Metro rank	4th
Demonym	Chennaiite
Languages
• Native	Tamil English
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Pincode(s)	600xxx
Area code	+91-44
Vehicle registration	TN-01 to TN-14, TN-18, TN-22, TN-85
GDP	$143.9 billion^[8]
Website	Chennai Corporation
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]

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Historically, the region was part of the Chola, Pandya, Pallava and Vijayanagara kingdoms during various eras. The coastal land which then contained the fishing village Madrasapattinam, was purchased by the British East India Company from the Nayak ruler Chennapa Nayaka in the 17th century. The British garrison established the Madras city and port and built Fort St. George, the first British fortress in India. The city was made the winter capital of the Madras Presidency, a colonial province of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent. After India gained independence in 1947, Madras continued as the capital city of the Madras State and present-day Tamil Nadu. The city was officially renamed as Chennai in 1996.

The city is coterminous with Chennai district, which together with the adjoining suburbs constitutes the Chennai Metropolitan Area,^{[lower-alpha 3]} 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 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, 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 in 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.