Quick answerChennai is a city in India, with 6,748,026 people inside the city limits in 2011. The wider metropolitan area had about 8.7 million people in 2011. It is best known for the Marina Beach, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and the Tamil cinema. Its official language is Hindi and English, and its currency is the Indian rupee.
Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and the sixth-most populous city in India, with 6,748,026 residents in 2011. It stands on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal and is known for Marina Beach, its temples and Tamil cinema.
Key facts
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 6,748,026 (2011) |
| Population (metro) | 8,696,010 (2011) · Chennai Metropolitan Area, Census of India 2011 |
| Elevation | 7 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Asia/Kolkata |
| Language | Hindi, English |
| Currency | Indian rupee (INR, ₹) |
| Coordinates | 13.0825° N, 80.275° E |
Overview
Chennai is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. In the 2011 census it had 6,748,026 residents, making it the sixth-most populous city in India, and its metropolitan area had 8,696,010 people. The city is run by the Greater Chennai Corporation, which was incorporated in 1688 and is the second-oldest municipal corporation in the world, after the City of London.
The city began in 1639, when the British East India Company obtained a grant of land and built Fort St George, around which the trading town of Madras grew. The region had been ruled by the Chola, Pallava, Pandya and Vijayanagara kingdoms, and its temples — above all the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore — still anchor its Tamil culture.
Today Chennai is a major centre of Tamil cinema, music and dance, and of India's automobile industry. Its best-known sights are Marina Beach, one of the longest urban beaches in the world, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple and Fort St George.
What Chennai is known for
- Marina Beach
- Kapaleeshwarar Temple
- Tamil cinema
- Fort St George
Landmarks
- Marina Beach
- Kapaleeshwarar Temple
- Fort St George
- Government Museum
- San Thome Basilica
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Chennai?
Chennai had 6,748,026 residents in the 2011 census, making it the sixth-most populous city in India. Its metropolitan area had 8,696,010 people that year, the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration in the country. No newer census has been held since 2011, so these are still the latest official city figures.
Where is Chennai and what is it known for?
Chennai is on the Coromandel Coast of south-eastern India, in Tamil Nadu, on the Bay of Bengal. It is the capital of Tamil Nadu and is known for Marina Beach, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Tamil cinema and Fort St George, built after the British obtained land here in 1639. Its coordinates are 13.08° N, 80.28° E.
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Keep exploring
- India — the country Chennai is in
- Mumbai — another city in India
- Bengaluru — another city in India
- New Delhi — another city in India
- Mahatma Gandhi — Indian politics figure
- All cities in India
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.