India's largest city is not technically in India. With more than 17 million inhabitants, Bombay, as it was known historically, actually is on an island off the coast of India. What is known in the West as the city of Bombay now is called Mumbai, and really is not even a single city.

In fact, Mumbai is made up of seven islands off the West coast of India in the state of Maharashtra. The traditional name Bombay comes from one of those islands. Perhaps a natural extension of the city being on an island is that Mumbai is the largest seaport in western India, which handles more than one-half the country's passenger traffic.

History

People have lived on the seven islands that make up the city since the Stone Age. It has had numerous rulers, ranging from Buddhists in the 3rd century BCE as part of the Maurya empire, to Hindu rulers from the Silhara dynasty, who were in power until the 14th century. After that, it became part of the Gujarat kingdom, and some of the city's oldest structures date to that period.

Western rule came to Mumbai in the 16th century, first in the form of the Portuguese and then the British a century later when the area was ceded as part of the wedding dowry of Catherine of Braganza who married English King Charles II. Like most of the rest of India, Mumbai then became the property of the British East India Company who used its port as a trading center.

Financial Center

Mumbai also is India's leading financial center. Its Dalal Street is known as the Indian "Wall Street" and many Indian banks and financial institutions are headquartered there. It also is home to the Indian stock markets. Until the 1980s, the economic livelihood of the city came from its textile plants and the seaport. Since then, its economy has expanded. These days, municipal government, Mumbai is the state capital, is the source of income for many workers.

More highly skilled jobs also are outstripping the manufacturing sector as the leading part of the city's economy. Entertainment also ranks high on the list. The country's publishing and moviemaking centers are there. Bollywood, as it is known, puts out more movies per year than any other country in the world.