• Tamil Nadu is the seventh most populous Indian State, with a population of 72,138,958 (as per Census 2011). Covering an area of 130,058 sq km, it is the eleventh largest State in India.
• Administratively, the State is divided into 32 districts. It has 10 City Corporations, 125 Municipalities, 385 Panchayat Unions (Blocks), 559 Town Panchayats and 12,618 Village Panchayats.  Chennai is the capital and largest city in the State. Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli are other major cities.
• The State (i) ranks sixth in the state-wise Human Development Index rankings, surpassing the national average across key indicators; (ii) has the highest number of business enterprises in the country (10.56%); and (iii) stands second in total organised sector employment (9.97%) in India.
• Tamil is the official language of the State. It is also one of the most ancient languages in India thus lending itself to literary and cultural wealth. Tamil Nadu, the country's cultural hub, hosts a kaleidoscope of classical and folk festivals. The State is also home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, several tourist attractions, hill stations, beach resorts and multi-religious pilgrimage sites. Tamil Nadu's tourism industry is the second largest in India.
• The State is a major educational destination in the nation and is also home to some of the premier higher educational institutions especially in the fields of science and technology and information technology.

Tamil Nadu's Infrastructure at a Glance

• Tamil Nadu ranks second on the Relative Infrastructure Development Index. Being the second largest sub-national economy, second most industrialised and the most urbanised region in the country, the State holds tremendous scope for infrastructure development.
• Tamil Nadu's extensive road network covers a total distance of 1,99,040 km and is one of the most well connected networks in the country. Its density is 2.5 times higher than the national average.
• There are three major sea ports in the State — Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin and seven minor ports. Chennai port is the second busiest container hub in India.
• Tamil Nadu has three international airports with Chennai International Airport being the third busiest in India.
• The Mettur Dam is one of the largest dams in the country. It irrigates 1,310 sq km of land annually and has an installed capacity of 250 MW for hydro-power generation.