The port of Chennai, formerly known as Madras port, is the second largest container port in India, behind the port of Nhava Sheva, and the largest port in the Bay of Bengal. It is the third oldest port among the 13 major ports of India with official port operations from 1881, although maritime trade began much earlier in 1639 on the underdeveloped coast. It is an artificial port and all the time with moist springs. Once an important port of travel, it became an important container port in the post-Independence era. The port remains a major reason for the economic growth of Tamil Nadu, especially for the manufacturing boom in southern India, and has contributed greatly to the city's development. It is due to the existence of the port that the city of Chennai eventually became known as the South Gate of India. The port has become a central port for containers, cars and loads of projects on the east coast of India. From the handling of a low volume of cargo in the early years of its existence, which consists mainly of oil and engine imports and the export of peanuts, granite and minerals, the port has begun to handle more than 60 million tons of cargo in recent years. In 2008, the container traffic of the port crossed one million equivalent units of twenty feet (TEU). It is currently number 86 in the world in terms of containers and there are plans to expand capacity to about 140 million tonnes per year. It is an ISO 14001: 2004 certified ISPS port and has become a mainline port that has direct connectivity to more than 50 ports worldwide.