Neptune's Needle

Mumbai, formerly Bombay, city and district (area; 27 sq mi/70 sq km; 1991 pop. 3,175,000; Greater Mumbai Municipal Corp. 1991 pop. 9,908,547), (cap.) Maharashtra state, W India, on Bombay and Salsette isls.; 18º58'N 72º50'E. Bombay Isl. was created in the 19th cent. by reclamation projects that combined 7 basaltic islets and is a peninsula of the larger Salsette Isl. to the N. Salsette Isl. itself is connected to the mainland by causeways and RR embankments. Mumbai has the only natural deepwater harbor in W India. It is a transportation hub and industrial center. Bombay harbor was India’s chief passenger port before the advent of airlines. In 1534, the area was ceded by the sultan of Gujarat to Portugal, then the leading power operating on the W coast of the Indian peninsula. After passing to Great Britain in 1661, Bombay was the W Indian hq. (1668-1858) of the East India Co. By the early 19th cent. the British had formed the Bombay Presidency. During the Amer. Civil War, the port expanded to meet the world demand for cotton and became a leading cotton-spinning and weaving center. After India gained independence in 1947, all former native states within the provincial boundary joined Bombay.

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Peter Richards