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 The name Mumbai is an eponym, etymologically derived from Mumba or Maha-Amba — the name of the Koli goddess Mumbadevi — and Aai, "mother" in Marathi.The former name Bombay had its origins in the 16th century when the Portuguese arrived in the area and called it by various names like Mombai, Mombay, Mombayn, Mombaym, and Bombai, which finally took the written form Bombaim, still common in current Portuguese use. After the British gained possession in the 17th century, it was believed to be anglicised to Bombay from the Portuguese Bombaim. The city was known as Mumbai or Mambai to Marathi and Gujarati-speakers, and as Bambai in Hindi, Persian, and Urdu. It is sometimes still referred to by its older names, like Kakamuchee and Galajunkja. The name was officially changed to its Marathi pronunciation of Mumbai in 1996. This is in keeping with the policy of renaming colonial institutions after historical local names.
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 Lying in a tropical zone and the near the Arabian Sea, Mumbai observes mainly two seasons, such as the humid season and the dry season. The humid season, between March and October, is characterized by high humidity and temperature. Between June and September, the monsoon rains lash the city The dry season, between November and February, is characterized by moderate levels of humidity and warm to cool weather.
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 The metropolis consists of the Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban district and also the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane
Mumbai lies at the mouth of the Ulhas River on the western coast of India, in the coastal region known as the Konkan
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 Mumbai is India's largest city, and is considered the financial capital of the country. It serves as an important economic hub of the India, contributing 10% of all factory employment, 40% of all income tax collections, 60% of all customs duty collections, 20% of all central excise tax collections, 40% of India's foreign trade
Many of India's numerous conglomerates (including State Bank of India, LIC, Tata Group, Godrej and Reliance), and five of the Fortune Global 500 companies are based in Mumbai. Many foreign banks and financial institutions also have branches in this area, the World Trade Centre (Mumbai) being the most prominent one.
Along with the rest of India, Mumbai, its commercial capital, has witnessed an economic boom since the liberalization of 1991, the finance boom in the mid-nineties and the IT, export, services and outsourcing boom in 2000s. Mumbai has been ranked 48th on the Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index 2008. In April 2008, Mumbai was ranked seventh in the list of "Top Ten Cities for Billionaires" by Forbes magazine, but in terms of average wealth among the billionaires, Mumbai had the highest rank among these ten cities. |
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 Public transport systems in Mumbai include the Mumbai Suburban Railway, BEST buses, taxis, auto rickshaws, ferries, and aeroplanes.
Mumbai is served by National Highway 3, National Highway 4 and National Highway 8 of the Indian National Highways system. Mumbai-Pune Expressway was the first expressway ever built in India, while Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway is under construction.
 Public buses run by BEST cover almost all parts of the metropolis, as well as parts of Navi Mumbai and Thane. Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is the main aviation hub in the city and the busiest airport in South Asia. The Juhu aerodrome was India's first airport, and now hosts a flying club and a heliport. The proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport which is to be built in the Kopra-Panvel area has been sanctioned by the Government and would help relieve the increasing traffic burden on the existing airport.
With its unique topography, Mumbai has one of the best natural harbours in the world, handling around 60% of the country's passenger traffic, and much of India's cargo. It is also an important base for the Indian Navy, and the headquarters of the Western Naval Command is located here. Ferries from Ferry Wharf allow access to islands and beaches in the area. |
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