Salem, Tamil Nadu

Salem is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Thirumanimutharu River and ringed by the Eastern Ghats, between the Kalrayan and Pachaimalai hills. It is the administrative capital of Salem District and is governed by the Salem Municipal Corporation, set up in 1994. At the 2011 census the city had 829,267 inhabitants across 91.34 square kilometres, which made it the fifth largest city in the state. The English Wikipedia article traces the region back to the Sangam period, when it belonged to the Chera Empire and traded with Rome, and then through the Pandyas, Pallavas, Cholas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara Empire and the Madurai Nayaks to the Kingdom of Mysore. The British annexed it after the defeat of Tipu Sultan and formed Salem district in 1792. Its climate is described as tropical with high humidity.