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 I M PERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA

VOLUME IX

Madras Presidency.—The Presidency of Fort Saint George, as officially styled. It occupies with its dependencies, and with the State of Mysore, the entire south of the Peninstula of India. Its extreme length from north-east to soutlh-west is about 950 miles ; its extreme breadth about 450 miles. The Madras Presidency consists of three classes of territory-(1) the 22 British Districts within the Presidency; (2) the Agency Tracts of Ganjám, Vizagapatam, and Godávari, under a special administration; and (3) five Native States in political dependence on the Madras Government, namely, Travancore, Cochin, Pudukota, Banganapalli, and Sandúr. The aggregate area of the 22 British Districts was returned in 1881 at TI9,553 square miles; and the total population at 29,875,343 persons, dwelling in 226 towns and 42,719 villages. The Agency T racts comprise an area of 19,928 square miles, and a total population of y951,875, dwelling in go19 villages. The five Native States have an area of 9611 square miles and 3,344,849 inhabitants, dwelling in 5058 towns and villages. Including, therefore, the Agency Tracts and the Native States, the territory under the Madras Government (1881) contains an area of 149,092 square miles, and supports a population of 34,172,067 persons, dwelling in 57,022 towns and villages. The seat of Government is at the Presidency town, MADRAS CITY.

Bounduries.—On every side but the north, the Madras Presidency is bounded by the open sea north-east, extends the continuous coast-line of the Bay of Bengal, stretching for nearly 1200 miles, from Cape Comorin to the Chilká Lake; the western coast is formed by the shores of the Indian Ocean