Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is the most populous Indian city. It is located on an island off the west coast of India and has an estimated metropolitan population in 2005 of 17 million, making it the sixth largest metropolitan area in the world. Clustered along with its outlying satellite townships, it forms one of the world’s most populous conurbations. The city, which has a deep natural harbor, is also the largest port in western India, handling over half of the country’s passenger traffic. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India, and houses important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. Owing to the immense business opportunities available in Mumbai and the relatively high standard of living, it has attracted migrants from all over India and South Asia, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, derived from Mumba: the name of the local Hindu goddess Mumbadevi and Aai, which means mother in Marathi. In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahia, meaning Good Bay. Later corrupted to Bombaim, it is still known as such in Portuguese. After the British gained possession, it was anglicized to Bombay. The name was officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995.
Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, which lies at the mouth of Ulhas River off the western coast of India in the coastal region known as the Konkan. Most of Mumbai is at sea level and the average elevation ranges from 33 to 49.5 feet (10 to 15 meters). The northern part of Mumbai is hilly and the highest point of the city is at 1,450 feet (450 meters). Three Lakes are within the metropolitan limits: the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and the Powai Lake. The first two are present within the Borivali National Park and supply part of the city’s drinking water. Mumbai also has three small rivers within the city limits originating in the National Park. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays. On the eastern seaboard, large mangrove swamps rich in biodiversity occupy most of the region. Soil cover in the city region is predominantly sandy owing to its proximity to the sea. The underlying rock of the region is composed of black Deccan basalt flows and their acid and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene geological eras. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. The area is classified as a Zone III region, which means an earthquake of magnitude of up to 6.5 can be expected.
Bombay Harbor is the premier port on the West coast of India; its fine harbor, about 14 miles long with a general width of about 5 miles lies East of Bombay Island. Bombay was ceded to the Portuguese by the sultan of Gujarat in the early 16th century. It later passed to Britain as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza on her marriage to Charles the second of England. Its rise to the status of major port began when ships of the Dutch East India Company started, in the eighteenth century, to make it a regular port of call and received further impetus with the establishment of cotton mills in 1850.
With its unique topography, it is well sheltered to wind and waves by Mumbai Island to the west and the mainland of Konkan to the east, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbors in the world, handling 50% of the country's passenger traffic, and much of India's cargo. It is also an important base for the Indian Navy, being the headquarters of the Western Naval Command. The former name Bombay had its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called it by various names, which finally took the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use. The name was officially changed to its Marathi pronunciation of Mumbai in 1996.
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and is the most populous Indian city. It is located on an island off the west coast of India and has an estimated metropolitan population in 2005 of 17 million, making it the sixth largest metropolitan area in the world. Clustered along with its outlying satellite townships, it forms one of the world’s most populous conurbations. The city, which has a deep natural harbor, is also the largest port in western India, handling over half of the country’s passenger traffic. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India, and houses important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies. Owing to the immense business opportunities available in Mumbai and the relatively high standard of living, it has attracted migrants from all over India and South Asia, making the city a potpourri of various communities and cultures. The appellation Mumbai is an eponym, derived from Mumba: the name of the local Hindu goddess Mumbadevi and Aai, which means mother in Marathi. In the 16th century, the Portuguese named the area Bom Bahia, meaning Good Bay. Later corrupted to Bombaim, it is still known as such in Portuguese. After the British gained possession, it was anglicized to Bombay. The name was officially changed from Bombay to Mumbai in 1995.
Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, which lies at the mouth of Ulhas River off the western coast of India in the coastal region known as the Konkan. Most of Mumbai is at sea level and the average elevation ranges from 33 to 49.5 feet (10 to 15 meters). The northern part of Mumbai is hilly and the highest point of the city is at 1,450 feet (450 meters). Three Lakes are within the metropolitan limits: the Tulsi Lake, Vihar Lake and the Powai Lake. The first two are present within the Borivali National Park and supply part of the city’s drinking water. Mumbai also has three small rivers within the city limits originating in the National Park. The coastline of the city is indented with numerous creeks and bays. On the eastern seaboard, large mangrove swamps rich in biodiversity occupy most of the region. Soil cover in the city region is predominantly sandy owing to its proximity to the sea. The underlying rock of the region is composed of black Deccan basalt flows and their acid and basic variants dating back to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene geological eras. Mumbai sits on a seismically active zone owing to the presence of three fault lines in the vicinity. The area is classified as a Zone III region, which means an earthquake of magnitude of up to 6.5 can be expected.
Bombay Harbor is the premier port on the West coast of India; its fine harbor, about 14 miles long with a general width of about 5 miles lies East of Bombay Island. Bombay was ceded to the Portuguese by the sultan of Gujarat in the early 16th century. It later passed to Britain as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza on her marriage to Charles the second of England. Its rise to the status of major port began when ships of the Dutch East India Company started, in the eighteenth century, to make it a regular port of call and received further impetus with the establishment of cotton mills in 1850.
With its unique topography, it is well sheltered to wind and waves by Mumbai Island to the west and the mainland of Konkan to the east, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbors in the world, handling 50% of the country's passenger traffic, and much of India's cargo. It is also an important base for the Indian Navy, being the headquarters of the Western Naval Command. The former name Bombay had its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called it by various names, which finally took the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use. The name was officially changed to its Marathi pronunciation of Mumbai in 1996.
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