Tamil Nadu is the southernmost state of India. The tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population, Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, who speak the Tamil language—the state's official language and one of the longest surviving classical languages of the world. The capital and largest city is Chennai.
Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city in India and forms the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration. Incorporated in 1688, the Greater Chennai Corporation is the oldest municipal corporation in India and the second oldest in the world after London.
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area and 20% of India's population. It is bound by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The geography of the region is diverse, with two mountain ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats, bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Penna, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non-perennial sources of water. Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas in the region.
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam is an Indian regional political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Dravidian party founded by the former leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Vijayakant (Captain) at Madurai on 14 September 2005. The party was led by its founder until 14 December 2023 from its date of founding. From 14 December 2023, the DMDK is led by Vijayakant's wife Premallatha Vijayakant as general secretary of the party. The party served as the main opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 27 May 2011 to 21 February 2016. The headquarters of the party is called Captain Aalayam, which is located at Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyambedu, Chennai.
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the States of Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is the tenth-largest state in India and the seventh most populous state.
The Consulate General of the United States of America in Chennai represents the interests of the United States government in Chennai, India and surrounding regions. The consulate reports to the ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The current Consul General, the 27th, is Christopher W. Hodges, incumbent since July 2023. He was preceded by Judith Ravin.
The British Deputy High Commission, Chennai is the United Kingdom diplomatic mission with responsibility for the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It was formed in 1947 with Sir Christopher Masterman, CSI, CIE, as its inaugural holder, who served as Deputy High Commissioner until the following year. The Deputy High Commissioner is equivalent to a Consul-General, and reports to the British High Commission. The current Deputy High Commissioner is Halima Holland. The first female head of the Chennai mission, she succeeds Oliver Ballhatchet.
The Consulate General of Malaysia for Southern India is one of the three missions of Malaysia in India focusing on Malaysian interests in the region. It is located in Chennai and its jurisdiction includes the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The other two are the Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai, in addition to an honorary office in Kolkata. The current Consul General of the Chennai Consulate is Saravana Kumar Kumaravasagam.
The Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Chennai represents the interests of the Russian government in the southern region of India. The other missions are the Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi and the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Kolkata and Mumbai. The current Consul General is Valerii Khodzhaev, incumbent since September 2024. He succeeds Oleg N. Avdeev.
The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chennai represents the interests of the German government in the Chennai and surrounding regions. The current Consul General is Michaela Küchler, incumbent since 2022. She succeeds Karin Christina Maria Stoll.
The Deputy High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Southern India is the mission of Sri Lanka in South India and represents the interests of the Sri Lankan government in the region. It is located in Chennai. The other missions are Consulate General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mumbai and High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, New Delhi. The Chennai Mission is responsible for the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The current deputy high commissioner is Doraisamy Venkateshwaran. He succeeds Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, who held the office for the second time.
The Consulate General of Thailand in Chennai is the mission of Thailand in South India representing the interests of the Thai government in the region. The other missions in the country are the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and the Royal Thai Consulates General in Kolkata and Mumbai. The Chennai Consulate covers the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala. The current Consul General is Racha Aribarg. He succeeds Nitirooge Phoneprasert.
The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bangalore represents the interests of the Government of Germany in the Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala. It was opened on 21 November 2008 in a temporary office in the central business district (CBD) of Bangalore. On 22 June 2012, the Consulate moved to its permanent premises in the corner of St. Mark's Road and Residency Road near the Bishop Cotton Girls' School. Achim Burkart is the current Consul General.
Tamil German or German Tamizhar refer to the German citizens of Tamil ethnic origins mainly from India in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry then Sri Lanka and Malaysia apart from other parts of the world. Tamil migration to Germany which was mainly composed of higher education and labor migrants increased in the late 1980s and onwards mainly due to the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War which saw tens of thousands of those belonging to the Tamil community fleeing the country and seeking asylum elsewhere abroad. The Tamil population figures in Germany currently range somewhere between 50,000-60,000. Karin Stoll is the consul general at the German Consulate in Chennai.
Tamilisai Soundararajan is an Indian politician belongs to Bharatiya Janata Party. She served as the second Governor of Telangana, and also served as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from 18 February 2021 to 18 March 2024. She was the National Secretary and Tamil Nadu State Unit President of the BJP prior to this appointment.
The 2015 Chennai floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 people were killed and over 1.8 million people were displaced. With estimates of damages and losses ranging from nearly ₹200 billion (US$2 billion) to over ₹1 trillion (US$12 billion), the floods were the costliest to have occurred in 2015, and were among the costliest natural disasters of the year.
The Consulate General of Israel in Bangalore represents the interests of the Government of Israel in the Indian states of Karnataka and surrounding states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. It was opened on 20 May 2013 at Murphy Road, Halasuru, Bangalore. The consulate reports to the ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi.
Dana Kurdish is the former Consul General of Israel in Bangalore with consular jurisdiction over Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. She served from August 2017 until 2020. She had previously served from June 2015 to July 2017 as Deputy Ambassador of Israel to India in New Delhi.
