Cochin, or Kochi (pop. 596,473), is a port city in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It was also the name of a princely state that existed until India became independent in 1947. Cochin lies at the tip of a long peninsula, at the mouth of the Periyar River. Across the river from Cochin lies Ernakulam, a newer city that is a center of the engineering industry. Cochin has one of the best natural ports in India, and after independence, it became a training center for India's navy and the base of the Southern Command, one of India's three naval commands.