Tamil Nadu is a state in the southern part of the Indian Peninsula, functioning as a constituent unit of the Republic of India with its capital at Chennai. It is the home of the Tamil people and the Tamil language, which was the first to be recognized as a classical language in India.
The state's modern political entity originated from the Madras Presidency of British India. After India's independence in 1947, the region became the Madras State, which included parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala. The problem it solved was the demand for linguistic reorganization of states. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, which came into effect on November 1, 1956, redrew the state boundaries primarily along linguistic lines, leading to the formation of the Madras State in its current shape, with the Telugu-speaking northern districts having already been separated to form Andhra State in 1953.
The state's current name, Tamil Nadu, meaning "Tamil country," was adopted later. The Madras State was officially renamed Tamil Nadu on January 14, 1969, under then Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, following a political struggle that lasted over a decade. The renaming required a Constitutional amendment, which was approved by both Houses of Parliament in November and December 1968.
As a state, Tamil Nadu is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, with 234 seats, and contributes 18 seats to the Rajya Sabha and 39 seats to the Lok Sabha in the Parliament of India. It connects to the broader concept of India's federal structure and linguistic states, and its economy is the second-largest in India, with services contributing 54% and manufacturing contributing 33% to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A recent change involved a controversy in 2023 over Governor R.N. Ravi's suggestion to use the term 'Tamizhagam' instead of 'Tamil Nadu', which was strongly opposed by political parties.