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Area : 2,75,069 sq km
Population : 76,210,007
Capital : Hyderabad
Principal Languages : Telugu and Urdu
The earliest mention of the Andhras
is said to be in Aitereya Brahmana
(2000 BC). It indicates that the Andhras,
originally an Aryan race living in north India
migrated to south of the Vindhyas and later
mixed with non-Aryans. Regular history of
Andhra Desa, according to historians,
begins with 236 BC, the year of Ashoka‘s death.
During the following centuries, Satavahanas,
Sakas, Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas,
Kakatiyas ruled the Telugu country. Other
dynasties that ruled over the area in succession
were the kingdoms of Vijayanagar and Qutub Shahi
followed by Mir Qumruddin and his successors,
known as the Nizams. Gradually, from the 17th
century onwards, the British annexed territories
of the Nizam and constituted the single province
of Madras. After Independence, Telugu-speaking
areas were separated from the composite Madras
Presidency and a new Andhra State came into
being on 1 October
1953. With the passing of the
States Reorganisation Act, 1956, there was a
merger of Hyderabad State and Andhra State, and
consequently Andhra Pradesh came into being on 1
November 1956.
Andhra Pradesh is bound on the north by
Orissa and Chhattisgarh, on the west by
Maharashtra and Karnataka, on the south by Tamil
Nadu and on the east by the Bay of Bengal with a
coastline of 974 km.
Agriculture
is the main occupation of about 62 per cent of
the people in Andhra Pradesh. Rice is a major
food crop and staple food of the State
contributing about 77 per cent of the foodgrain
production. Other important crops are jowar,
bajra, maize, ragi, small millets, pulses,
castor, tobacco, cotton and sugarcane. Forests
cover 23 per cent of the State's area. Important
forest products are teak, eucalyptus, cashew,
casurina, bamboo, softwood, etc.
Important
irrigation schemes implemented in the State are
Godavari Delta System, Krishna Delta System,
Nagarjunasagar project, Pennar Delta System,
Tungabhadra Project H.L.C. (Stage-I),
Tungabhadra Low-level Canal, Kurnool-Cuddapah
Canal, Kadam Project, Rajolibanda Diversion
Scheme, Nizam Sagar and Potharlanka. Other
important projects under implementation are
Vamsadhara Project Stage-I and II, Chagalnadu
L.I. Scheme, Yeleru Reservoir Project,
Tarakarama Krishnaveni L.I. Scheme, Veligonda
Project, Somasila Project, Telugu Ganga Project,
T.B.P.H.L.C. Stage-II, Pulivendla Branch Canal,
K.C. Canal Modernisation Scheme, S.R.B.C.,
S.L.B.C. (AMR Project), S.R.S.P. Stage-I &
II, Flood Flow Canal from S.R.S.P., Jurala
Project, R.D.S. Link Canal, Bhima L.I. Scheme,
T.B.P.H.L.C. Stage-I Modernisation, Guru
Raghavendra Swamy L.I. Scheme and Singur
Project.
Andhra Pradesh is the first state to involve
the farmers in the management of irrigation
sources, boasting of 9,922 water user
associations and 163 distributory committees
formed.
Important power
projects in the State are: the Nagarjunasagar
and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Sagar (Srisailam Hydel
Project), Upper Sileru, Lower Sileru,
Tungabhadra Hydel Projects and Nellore,
Ramagundam, Kothagudem, Vijayawada and Muddanur
thermal power projects. The Srisailam Hydro
Electric Project with an installed capacity of
770 MW and the Nagarjunasagar Complex with 960
MW are the principal sources of hydel
generation. Vijayawada Thermal Power Station
with an installed capacity of 1,260 MW and
Kothagudem Thermal Power Station with an
installed capacity of 1,180 mw are the main
sources of thermal power generation. The 1,000
mw coal-based Simhadri Thermal Power Station
aims at supplying the entire energy generated to
the State.
There are several major industries
in operation around Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.
They manufacture machine tools, synthetic drugs,
pharmaceuticals, heavy electrical machinery,
fertilizers, electronic equipments, aeronautical
parts, cement and cement products, chemicals,
asbestos, glass and watches. Andhra Pradesh has
the largest deposits of quality chrysolite
asbestos in the country. Other important
minerals found in the state are copper ore,
manganese, mica, coal and limestone. The
Singareni Coal Mines supply coal to the entire
south India.
The State
government is also promoting Indian Institute of
Information Technology (IIIT) at Hyderabad. IIIT
offers 4-year UG and 2/3 year PG programmes.
IBM, Oracle, Signal Tree, Satyam and Motorola
have established their corporate schools.
Roads : National
Highways passing through Andhra Pradesh
constitute 4,104 km. There are around 60,000 km
of state highways and close to 1,04,000 km of
Panchayati Raj roads in the State.
Railways :
Of the railways route covering 5,107 km
in Andhra Pradesh, 4,436 km is broad-gauge, 634
km is metre-gauge and 37 km is narrow gauge.
Aviation :
Important airports in the State are
located at Hyderabad, Tirupathi and
Visakhapatnam. International flights are
operated from Hyderabad.
Ports :
Visakhapatnam is a major port in the
State. Minor ports are located at Kakinada,
Machilipatnam, Bheemunipatnam, Krishnapatnam,
Vadarevu and Kalingapatnam.
Charminar, Salarjung Museum,
Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Thousand Pillar
Temple and Fort in Warangal, Sri Lakshmi
Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta, Buddha
Stupa at Nagarjunakonda and Nagarjuna Sagar, Sri
Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala-Tirupathi, Sri
Mallikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam, Kanaka
Durga Temple at Vijayawada, Sri Satyanarayana
Swamy Temple at Annavaram, Sri Varaha Narasimha
Swamy Temple at Simhachalam, Sri Sita Rama
Temple at Bhadrachalam, Araku Valley, Horsley
Hills, Nelapattu, etc., are the major tourist
attractions in Andhra Pradesh. Thirty-three
life-size statues of eminent Telugu
personalities of the State were erected on
Tankbund of Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad. A
giant statue of Lord Buddha of a height of about
60 feet has been erected on the Gibraltar rock
in the Hussainsagar lake, which separates
Hyderabad and Secunderabad cities.
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