Basic information

| Attribute | Detail | | :--- | :--- | | **Official Name** | State of Tamil Nadu | | **Common Name** | Tamil Nadu | | **Native Name(s)** | தமிழ்நாடு | | **Nicknames** | Land of Temples, Gateway to South India | | **Motto** | வாய்மையே வெல்லும் (Satyameva Jayate / Truth Alone Triumphs) | | **Geographic Level** | State | | **Country** | India | | **State/Province** | Tamil Nadu | | **Capital** | Chennai | | **Government Type** | Parliamentary Democracy (State Government) | | **Date Founded** | January 26, 1950 (Reorganized November 1, 1956) | | **Time Zone** | IST (UTC+05:30) | | **Latitude** | 11.1271° N | | **Longitude** | 78.6569° E | | **Elevation** | Sea level to 2,637 m (8,652 ft) | | **Total Area** | 130,058 km² (50,216 sq mi) | | **Population** | 72,147,030 (2011 Census; estimated >76 million today) | | **Population Density** | 555/km² (1,440/sq mi) | | **ZIP/Postal Codes** | 600001 to 643253 (PIN Codes) | | **Area Codes** | +91 (Country), various local (e.g., 44 for Chennai) | | **Official Languages** | Tamil, English | | **Currency** | Indian Rupee (INR) | | **Demonym** | Tamilian / Tamil |