BANGALORE

Bangalore, also known as Bengaḷūru  (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು, is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.

Though historical references to the city predate 900 AD, a modern written history of continuous settlement exists only from 1537, when Kempe Gowda I, who many regard as the architect of modern Bangalore, built a mud-brick fort at the site and established it as a province of the imperial Vijayanagara Empire. During the British Raj, it became a centre of colonial rule in South India. The establishment of the Bangalore Cantonment brought in large numbers of migrants from other parts of the country.

Today, as a large and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to some of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation's leading IT exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India.

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Coordinates	12°58′0″N 77°34′0″E / 12.966667°N 77.566667°E / 12.966667; 77.566667
Country	India
State	Karnataka
District	Bangalore Urban
Commissioner	Bharat Lal Meena
Population • Density • Metro	5,840,155  (2009[update]) • 8,231 /km2 (21,318 /sq mi) • 6,466,271 (2009[update])
Spoken languages	Kannada English Tamil Telugu Hindi
Ethnic groups	Hindu Muslim Christian Jain Anglo-Indian
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area Elevation	709.5 km2 (274 sq mi) • 920 m (3,018 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 560 xxx • Telephone • +91-(0)80 • UN/LOCODE • IN BLR • Vehicle • KA 01, KA 02, KA 03, KA 04, KA 05, KA 41, KA 50, KA 51, KA 53