Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the name derived from Chennapatnam. Tradition has it that Chennapatnam was the name of a fishing village near to Madras (madraspatnam). This city was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban centre and naval headquarters. By the 20th century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Madras Presidency. Today it is the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India, and is the country's fourth-largest city. It is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 8 million people, this 367 year old city is the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world and has the 2nd longest seashore in the world. More >>