Tamil Nadu
Subject Descriptions
Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the seventh most populous. It lies on the eastern coast of the southern Indian Peninsula, and is bound by the Eastern Ghats to the north, the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills and Palakkad to the west, Bay of Bengal on the east, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast, and the Indian Ocean on the south. It is the fifth largest contributor to India's GDP and the most urbanized state in India. The service industry, manufacturing and agriculture are the largest contributors to Tamil Nadu's economic activity. The region's climate ranges from dry sub-humid to semi-arid, and is heavily dependent on annual monsoons to replenish its water reserves. When monsoons fail, the area is prone to droughts. Tamil Nadu's coastline stretches 1,000 km and bore the brunt of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which killed 7,793 inhabitants of the state.
