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Salem

File:AIRPORT_SALEM_INDIA.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ9863· pop 60· linked from 711 articles

Also known as Salem, Tamil Nadu

Metropolis in Tamil Nadu, India

OverviewAI-generated

Salem is a city in India that serves as the capital of Salem district. It is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu, with an elevation of 278 meters above sea level. The city covers an area of 102 square kilometers and has a population of 693,236. Its official name is Salem, also written as சேலம் in the local script.

The city operates in the UTC+05:30 time zone and uses the local dialing code 427. Postal codes for the area include 636001, while vehicle license plates use the codes TN-27, TN-30, and TN-54. Salem is described in the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition and is categorized as a big city.

Synthesized by Vinony from 50 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, Open Meteo, Openweathermap, OpenStreetMap, GeoNames, Vinony graph, Geo. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

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Place details

Locality
Salem
Region
Tamil Nadu
Country
India
Population
917,414
Timezone
Asia/Kolkata

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Air quality

60US AQIModerate
PM2.5
19.0 µg/m³
PM10
24.2 µg/m³
As of 2026-08-11 05:30 · Open-Meteo

~14 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Salem ( pronounced [seːlam] ) is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Thirumanimutharu River and surrounded by the Eastern Ghats. It is the fifth largest city in the state as per the 2011 census. It is the administrative capital of Salem District and is administered by the Salem Municipal Corporation which was established in 1994.

The history of the region dates back to the Sangam period (1st–4th centuries CE), when it was part of the Chera Empire. It was engaged in trade with the Roman Empire, evidenced by Roman coins, dating back to the era, found in archeological excavations in the region. The region was ruled by various successive dynasties including the Pandyas, Pallavas, Cholas, and Hoysalas. In the 14th century, it became part of the Vijayanagara Empire, and later ruled by the Madurai Nayaks. During the period, the governance was under the control of local chieftains known as Poligars.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Salem” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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