Chennai is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is on the Coromandel coast, the Bay of Bengal. With an estimated population of 7.5 million (2007), it is the fourth largest metropolitan city in India and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. The city was founded in the seventeenth century by the British, who developed it in a large urban center and the naval base. By the twentieth century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Presidency of Madras. Chennai's economy has a large industrial base in the automotive, technology, manufacturing equipment, industries and health care. The city has a large proportion of India and the automobile industry is the country's second largest exporter of information technology (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITES), behind Bangalore. The city is served by an international airport and two major ports, it is connected to the rest of the country by five national roads and two railway terminals. Thirty-five countries have consulates in Chennai.

Chennai hosts a major cultural event, the season's annual Music of Madras, which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The city has a vibrant theatre and is an important centre for Bharatanatyam, a form of classical dance. The Tamil film industry, known as Kollywood, is based in the city, the soundtracks of films to dominate the music scene. Chennai is known for its sports venues and host an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) event, the Chennai Open. The city is facing problems of water shortage, traffic congestion and air pollution. The state and local governments have taken initiatives such as the Veeranam project and the construction of mini overflights to solve these problems. The name of Chennai is an eponym derived from Chennapatnam Etymologically, the name of the city that grew up around Fort St. George, built by the British in 1640. The city was named after the most likely Damarla Chennappa Nayak, father of the decision of Chief of the area, Venkatapathy Nayak, although some believe Chennapatnam was named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal temple, that the word means Tamil Chenni face, and the temple was thinking As the face of the city.

The former name of Madras, is a derivative of Madraspatnam, a fishing village which is located north of Fort St. George. The origin of the name Madraspatnam was a subject of disagreement. A theory that the Portuguese, who arrived in the region in the sixteenth century, perhaps the name of the village Madre de Deus. However, the historian S. Muthiah believes that the village's name came once the eminent family Madeiros (variously known as Madera Madra or subsequent years), who had spent the Madre de Deus Church in Santhome in 1575 (demolished in 1997). Another theory says that the village was named after a Mohammedan College (madrasa), which was in the area. After winning the British possession of the region in the seventeenth century, the two cities, Madraspatnam and Chennapatnam finally merged. The British referred to the city as Madraspatnam united, while local people prefer to call Chennapatnam. The city was officially renamed Chennai in 1996, roughly the same time that many Indian cities are in the process of changing the name. Madras, was seen as a Portuguese name.