| To the north of Tamil Nadu lies the Nilgiri Hills, covering an area of 2,500 sq km (965 sq m) and rising to 2,600 m (8,530 ft) in places. To the west lies the Western Ghats and in the south, the Cardamom, Anamalai, and Palani hills. East of the hills are the plains and the flat alluvial coast, with deltas at the mouths of the major rivers. The Cauvery River (also spelt Kaveri) and its tributaries are Tamil Nadu's most important sources of water for irrigation and power generation. Other rivers running through the state dry up during part of the year, as a result of the rain shadow effect of the hills. The climate is essentially tropical, with the plains being hotter than the uplands. During the October to December, in the monsoonl season, the coastal area often suffers severe damage from cyclones sweeping in from the eastern Indian Ocean. Rainfall averages between about 630 mm and 1,900 mm (25-75 in) a year. The hilly regions tend to receive most of the rains. Tamil Nadu, on the whole, is much drier than Kerala to its west |
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| Tamil Language |
| Tamil is one of the 15 major languages of India and the state language of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the classical languages of the world, with rich literature spanning over 2,000 years, making it arguably the oldest living language. The pride of many Tamilians is the language Tamil itself. Today, there are sizable Tamil speaking populations in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and other countries. Scholars recognize Tamil to be one of India's two languages of antiquity. Tamil, a Dravidian language of south India is comparable to Sanskrit in its antiquity and textual traditions. It is written in a derivative of the southern 'Brahmi' script (c. 250 BC) and its literary and grammatical works date from the same period. The alphabet of Tamil is unique, and is like English in that it is phonetic. That is, letters represent sounds, rather than ideas as in 'Mandarin'. Tamilians are avid readers, and there is a vibrant magazine publishing industry. Tamil literature is amongst the oldest in India. Much of the ancient culture of Tamil Nadu is still alive |
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| Weather |
| The climate in southern India shows only slight seasonal variations. The climate of Tamil Nadu is essentially tropical. The temperature in summer seldom 43º C and in winter seldom falls below 18º C. Temperatures and humidity remain relatively high all year round. Lightweight clothes and an umbrella are required throughout the year. A few extra layers of clothing may also be useful during the cooler months, as temperatures may drop slightly in the evening. The Cool Season and the beginning of the Summer Season is the best time to visit when rainfall is marginally lower which is between November and March |
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| Area |
1,30,058 Sq. km |
| Capital |
Chennai |
| Boundaries |
East-Bay of Bengal, |
| West-Kerala, |
| North-Andhra Pradesh, |
| South-Gulf of Mannar, |
| North-West-Karnataka. |
| Language |
Tamil, English |
| Literacy Rate |
64% |
| Best Time To Travel |
October to March. |
| Airport |
Tiruchirapally, Coimbattore, Salem, Chennai ( International Airport in the southern region is the main centre of airline routes). |
| Roads |
Well connected, The length of road network in Tamil Nadu is nearly 1,70,000 km. |
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