About Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Ahmedabad is one of India's largest cities with a metro area population of over 5 Million people. It is located in the Indian state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad is also frequently called Amdavad, the name of the city in Gujarati.

Ahmedabad Information City code AMD Country India Region Gujarat Population 4.5 Million Pop. density 22,450 / km2 Land area 205 km2 Elevation 53 m Currency Rupee (Rs) Annual GDP US$ 32 Bn Languages Gujarati Hindi English Latitude 23.01° N Longitude 72.34° E

Ahmedabad was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah. The British took over the city in 1818 as they expanded their empire. The Indian independence movement established strong roots in the city in the early 1900's. After independence, Ahmedabad became the capital of Gujarat when the state was formed in 1960, but later the capital was moved to Gandhinagar, a smaller city located 30 km to the north.

Ahmedabad has a strong and growing industrial and commercial economy. The chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries are well established. Information technology has become an important sector in recent years and Ahmedabad is now one of India's largest tech centers. Heavy manufacturing is also important. The textiles and garment industries, once the center of commercial activity, still remain strong.

Ahmedabad is an inland city located a couple hundred miles north of Mumbai and less than hundred miles south of the Pakistan border. It is located along the River Sabarmati in a dry, sandy region. Dry enough that in summer, the river often runs as a stream.

Ahmedabad is a very hot city with 3 distinct seasons: summer, monsoon (rainy), and winter. Even in winter, temperatures are generally don't fall below 15 °C (59 °F) and during the summer temperatures in excess of 40 °C (100 °F) are common. Total rainfall, even with the monsoons, is less than 100 cm per year (~37 inches) which, combined with the heat, accounts for the dryness of the place.

Ahmedabad has many scenic attractions and landmarks. Some of the main attractions of the city are the Gandhi Aashram, the Swaminarayan Temple, the Juma Masjid, and the Jhulta Minara.

Gujarat is the only Indian state where alcohol is prohibited, so this dampens the nightlife in Ahmedabad. The ban applies only to Indians - meaning visitors can legally drink alcohol. Not surprisingly, bootlegging and black market liquor (or 'hooch') sales are huge. but sometimes the situation leads to tragedy as in July, 2009 when over 130 people were killed by a poisonous liquor brewed on the banks of the Sabarmati River where most of the stills are located.

In Ahmedabad, Gujarati is the most widely spoken language. Hindi and English are also spoken widely, especially in business and commercial settings.

Most Ahmedabad residents are Gujaratis (native to the state of Gujarat), but there are many people from other states, including Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

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Related Topics

• Official Ahmedabad websites
• Ahmedabad bank holidays
• Ahmedabad phone numbers
• Ahmedabad telephone companies
• Ahmedabad calling cards
• Ahmedabad VoIP internet calling

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