Mumbai Location and Orientation is of primary importance to understand the development of Mumbai as the commercial and financial capital of India. Mumbai city on the Western coast bordering the Arabian Sea is the 'Gateway of India'.
Geographical coordinates of the Mumbai city in Maharashtra are 18.96º N and 72.82º E. Being on the sea coast the average height of Bombay City is between 10 to 15 meters. Mumbai is not a single land mass but a conglomerate of seven islands, namely Kolaba, Mahim, Matunga-Sion, Mazagaon, Old Woman's Island, Parel, and Wadala. These seven islands formed part of Emperor Ashoka's empire.
Mumbai derived its name from "Mumbadevi' the deity of the local Kolis. Mumbai was ruled by Hindu rulers till the middle of the 14th century, after which it became a part the Muslim kingdom of Gujarat. After about two hundred years in 1534 the Portuguese who had already settled in Goa, possessed Mumbai by force. After occupation, they called Mumbai, 'Bom Baia' meaning 'Good Bay' in Portuguese. In 1662, King Charles II of England received these islands as dowry after he married Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. Subsequently in 1668, East India Company acquired Mumbai in lease from the British King for an annual rent of ten pounds in gold. The British termed 'Bom Baia' or 'Mumbai' as 'Bombay.'
Bombay India grew in importance after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the preceding American Civil War in 1860. European traders started buying Indian cotton at cheaper rates compared to American cotton. The growth in the demand for
Indian cotton which was grown mainly in the present
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day states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka was being traded out from Bombay port.
This growth in cotton trade induced people to settle in and around Bombay city. Consequently, the population of Bombay increased to nearly 650,000 in 1872 from about 14,000 in 1780 and subsequently to around a million in 1910. Cotton industries became the backbone of Bombay economy. The growth of the cotton industry caused the development of other industries both in the vertical and horizontal segments. This all round development of the economy helped Bombay to become the commercial capital of India.
Bombay renamed Mumbai in 1996 is the head quarters of leading nationalized banks (like State Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Bank of India), giant industrial organizations (like Reliance Group, Tata group, Mahindra group), and the head quarter for the Reserve Bank of India. Mumbai city also houses 117 markets, over 150,000 commercial establishments, more than 225,000 shops, nearly 1000 hotels, over 400 cinema halls, and nearly 30 auditoriums.
Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra state is spread over an area of 440 square kilometers with a population of approximately 18 million. Mumbai is the largest cosmopolitan city of India with suburbs in the Western, Central and Northern regions of the main city. The suburbs include Bandra, Juhu, Malad, Kurla, Dahisar, Goregaon, and Kandvili, Borivili, Santa Cruz, Andheri, Mulund, Powai, Ghatkopar, and Khar.
Mumbai Maharashtra is located at an aeronautical distance of 1385 km from New Delhi, 1280 km from Chennai, 1960 km from Kolkata, and 1210 km from Bangalore.
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