Tamil Nadu (Tamil: , Country of the states of India. It lies on the eastern coast of the southern Indian Peninsula bordered by Puducherry (Pondicherry), Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu is bound by the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Nilgiri, the Annamalai Hills, and Palakkad on the west, Bay of Bengal in the east, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Strait in the south east and Indian Ocean in the south. It is the eleventh largest state in India by size and the sixth most populous state. blank">United Nations, System of Organizations

Tamil Nadu is the homeland of the Tamils and has existed since prehistoric times. TamilNadu.org.in website The culture and artwork of this region are considered to be some of the oldest in the world. It is home to one of the world's classical languages, Tamil. The language has been documented as being around for at least 5,000 years in written form, but was spoken long before that. Tamil Nadu also has one of the oldest culinary heritages in the world.

Tamil Nadu is the epicentre of Dravidian politics in India, which are dominated by the _DMK and AIADMK parties. It is one of the foremost states in the country in terms of overall development. One of the most industrialised and urbanised states in India, it is home to many natural resources, rare flora and fauna, cool hill stations, grand Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.