tamil nadu () is a state in the south of indian union. the capital of this state is madras. other large cities in tamil nadu include coimbatore, tiruchirapalli, salem, madurai, tirunelveli, thanjavur and thoothukudi. tamil is the language spoken in tamil nadu. it is surrounded by the bay of bengal to the east and the indian ocean to the south. a small part of tamil nadu borders the arabian sea to the west. it borders the indian states of kerala, karnataka, and andhra pradesh. the tamilians are very proud of their language and heritage. in traditional indian geography, it is part of the south indian zone.