(), and the 32nd largest
Metropolitan Area in the world.
1 The city was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban center and naval base.
Chennai is the third largest commercial and industrial centre in India. It is considered to be the automobile capital of India, with a major percentage
2 of the country’s automobile industry having a base in the city. Chennai is the second-largest exporter of
IT /
ITES services in India, behind
Bangalore , and is a base for the manufacture of hardware and electronics, with many
Multinational Corporation s setting up plants in its outskirts. The city is served by an international airport and two major ports; it is well connected to the rest of the country by five national highways and two railway terminals.
Chennai hosts one of the largest cultural events in the world, the annual
Madras Music Season , which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The city has a vibrant theatre scene and is an important center for the
Bharatanatyam , a classical dance. The
Tamil movie industry, known as
Kollywood , is based in the city; the soundtracks of the movies dominate its music scene. Chennai is known for its sport venues and hosts an
ATP tennis event, the
Chennai Open . It is also one of the few cities in the world to accommodate a national park, the
Guindy National Park , within its limits.
The city faces problems with water shortages, traffic congestion and air pollution. The state and local governments have undertaken initiatives such as the
Veeranam project and the construction of mini-flyovers to address these problems.
The city was
Renamed ''Chennai'' in August, 1996 as the name ''Madras'' was perceived to be of
Portuguese origin.
5 This move was among similar name changes of several other Indian cities. It is believed that the original
Portuguese name is ''Madre de Deus''.
6 The oldest church in the city, built in the 1516 and dedicated to ''Nossa Senhora da Luz'' ('Our Lady of Light') by Portuguese
Franciscan missionaries, who believed they owed their survival in rough seas to her divine intervention, could be linked to this. Another version by the city's historian
S. Muthiah holds that the city derived its name from the once prominent Madeiros family (variously known as Madera or Madra in succeeding years), who in 1575, consecrated another ''Madre de Deus'' church in
Santhome (demolished in 1997). There have been, however, suggestions that ''Chennai'' may not be a
Tamil name while ''Madras'' may be of Tamil origin.
See Also: History of Chennai
in
Mylapore is one of the oldest temples in Chennai.]]
Begins-->{{Infobox Information
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Yes <!--Entering Yes will swap unit order to metric first Leave blank for Imperial-->
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Chennai, India
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83
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87
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91
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96
|
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100
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99
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95
|
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94
|
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93
|
| |
89
|
| |
85
|
| |
83
|
| |
912
|
| |
28
|
| |
31
|
| |
33
|
| |
36
|
| |
38
|
| |
37
|
| |
35
|
| |
34
|
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34
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32
|
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29
|
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28
|
| |
329
|
| |
68
|
| |
70
|
| |
74
|
| |
79
|
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81
|
| |
81
|
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78
|
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78
|
| |
77
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| |
75
|
| |
72
|
| |
70
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7525
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20
|
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21
|
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23
|
| |
26
|
| |
27
|
| |
27
|
| |
26
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26
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25
|
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24
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22
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21
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24
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11
|
| |
13
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| |
02
|
| |
05
|
| |
15
|
| |
28
|
| |
48
|
| |
54
|
| |
63
|
| |
114
|
| |
94
|
| |
60
|
| |
508
|
| |
Jan_Precip_mm = 279
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| |
Feb_Precip_mm = 330
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| |
Mar_Precip_mm = 51
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Apr_Precip_mm = 127
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May_Precip_mm = 381
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Jun_Precip_mm = 711
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Jul_Precip_mm = 1219
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Aug_Precip_mm = 1372
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Sep_Precip_mm = 1600
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Oct_Precip_mm = 2905 <!-- weathercom does not have this data point this was manually collated from wundergroundcom -->
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Nov_Precip_mm = 2392 <!-- weathercom does not have this data point this was manually collated from wundergroundcom -->
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Dec_Precip_mm = 1524
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Year_Precip_mm = 12891
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