Tamil Nadu () is one of the states in India. The capital of this state is Chennai. Tamil is the language spoken in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur and Thoothukudi are other large cities of Tamil Nadu. It is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Indian Ocean on the south and also by the Arabian Sea in the west for a smaller area. Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are its neighbouring states. The Tamilians are very proud of their language and heritage. In traditional Indian geography it falls under the South Indian zone.