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Chennai, formerly known as, is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 7.5 million (2007), it is the fourth largest metropolitan city in India and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. The Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), spread over 1,189 km² (458 mi²), includes Chennai city and parts of Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts. The region around Chennai was ruled over by many South Indian kingdoms since the first millenium CE, until it was captured by European colonial powers in the seventeenth century. The city was established by the British, who developed it into a major commercial center and naval base. By the twentieth century, it became an important administrative center, as the capital of the Madras Presidency.

Chennai's economy has a broad industrial base in the automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing and healthcare industries. The city is home to a major percentage of India's automobile industry and is the country's second-largest exporter of information technology (IT) and information technology enabled services (ITES), behind Bangalore. The city is served by an international airport and two major ports; it is connected to the rest of the country by five national highways and two railway terminals. Thirty-five countries have consulates in Chennai.

Chennai hosts a large cultural event, 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 form. 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 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) event, the Chennai Open. Due to growing population, 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.

Names
The name Chennai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Chennapatnam, the name of the town that grew up around Fort St George, built by the British in 1640. The town was most likely named after Damarla Chennappa Nayak, father of the ruling chieftain of the area, Venkatapathy Nayak, although some believe Chennapatnam was named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal temple, as the word Chenni in Tamil means face, and the temple was thought of as the face of the city.

The former name, Madras, is derived from Madraspatnam, a fishing village that lay to the north of Fort St. George. The origin of the name Madraspatnam is a subject of disagreement. One theory holds that the Portugese, who arrived in the area in the sixteenth century, may have named the village Madre de Deus. However, historian S. Muthiah believes that the village's name came from the once prominent Madeiros family (variously known as Madera or Madra in succeeding years), who had consecrated the Madre de Deus church in Santhome in 1575 (demolished in 1997). Another theory says that the village was named after a Mohammadan college (a madrasa) which was located in the area. After the British gained possession of the area in the seventeenth century, the two towns, Madraspatnam and Chennapatnam, eventually merged. The British referred to the united town as Madraspatnam, while the locals preferred to call it Chennapatnam.

The city was officially renamed Chennai in 1996, about the same time that many Indian cities were undergoing name changes. Madras was seen as a Portuguese name.