Chennai metropolitan area
The Chennai Metropolitan Area ( . Engl Chennai Metropolitan Area , shortly CMA ; Tamil : சென்னை மாநகர பரப்பு ) is a metropolitan area in India . It includes the city of Chennai (Madras), the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu and the fifth largest city in India, and parts of the surrounding area. The metropolitan area of Chennai has 7,026,281 inhabitants on an area of 1,189 km² (as of 2001). Urban planning and development in the metropolitan area is coordinated by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority .
The Chennai Metropolitan Area includes the city of Chennai and 16 townships (municipalities) , 20 after the Panchayat managed system cities (town panchayats) and 224 villages. Besides Chennai, the largest cities are Ambattur , Avadi , Tiruvottiyur , Alandur , Pallavaram and Tambaram . The metropolitan area extends over the area of three districts : it includes the district of Chennai, which is identical to the administrative urban area of Chennais, as well as parts of the adjacent districts of Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram . Area and inhabitants are divided as follows:
| District | surface | Population (2001) |
|---|---|---|
| Chennai District | 176 km² | 4,343,645 |
| Tiruvallur district | 637 km² | 1,574,847 |
| Kanchipuram District | 376 km² | 1,107,789 |
| all in all | 1,189 km² | 7,026,281 |