Andhra Pradesh is a state in the southern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state and the tenth-most populous in the country. Telugu, one of India's classical languages, is the primary official language and the most widely spoken language. Amaravati is the state capital, while the largest city is Visakhapatnam.The state shares borders with Telangana to the northwest, Odisha to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the north, Karnataka to the southwest, Tamil Nadu to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. It has the second-longest coastline in India at about 974 km (605 mi). After existence as Andhra State and unified Andhra Pradesh, the state took its present form on 2 June 2014, when the new state of Telangana was formed through bifurcation.
Tourism in India is 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other sectors, tourism is not a priority sector for the Government of India. Forbes magazine ranked India as the 7th most beautiful country in 'The 50 Most Beautiful Countries In The World' rankings. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹13.2 lakh crore (US$160 billion) or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, these numbers were lower than the pre-pandemic figures; the country's economy witnessed a significant growth in 2021 after the massive downturn during 2020. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 7.8% to ₹33.8 lakh crore (US$400 billion) by 2031. India has established itself as the 5th largest global travel healthcare destination with an estimated market size of around $9 billion in 2019, out of the total global travel healthcare industry of $44.8 billion(2019). In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to seek medical treatment.
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area and 20% of India's population. It is bound by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The geography of the region is diverse, with two mountain ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats, bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non-perennial sources of water. Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas in the region.
Anantapur, officially Anantapuramu, is a city in Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Anantapuru mandal and also the divisional headquarters of Anantapur revenue division. The city is located on National Highway. It was also the headquarters of the Datta Mandalam in 1799. It was also a position of strategic importance for the British Indian Army during the Second World War.
Rajahmundry, officially Rajamahendravaram, is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and district headquarters of East Godavari district. It is the seventh most populated city in the state. During British rule, the district of Rajahmundry was created in the Madras Presidency in 1823. It was reorganised in 1859 and bifurcated into the Godavari and Krishna districts. Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district, which was further bifurcated into East Godavari and West Godavari districts in 1925. It is administered under Rajahmundry revenue division of the East Godavari district. The city is known for its floriculture, history, culture, agriculture, economy, tourism, and its heritage. It is known as the "Cultural Capital of Andhra Pradesh".
The West Godavari district is a coastal district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh with an administrative headquarters in Bhimavaram. As of the 2011 Census of India, the district has an area of 2,178 km2 (841 sq mi) and a population of 1,779,935. It is bounded by the Krishna district and Bay of Bengal to the south, East Godavari district to the east, and Eluru district, Kolleru Lake and Upputeru Drain to the northwest.
Tirupati is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple and other historic temples. It is located at a distance of 150 km from Chennai, 250 km from Bangalore, 406 km from Amaravati. It is one of the eight Svayam vyakta kshetras dedicated to Vishnu. Tirupati is a municipal corporation and the headquarters of Tirupati (urban) mandal, Tirupati (rural) mandal, and the Tirupati revenue division.
The economy of South India after independence in 1947 conformed to a socialist framework, with strict governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade and foreign direct investment (FDI). Through 1960–1990, South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth. In the 1960s, Kerala achieved above-average economic growth, while Andhra Pradesh's economy declined during this period. Similarly, Kerala experienced an economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka consistently exceeded national average growth rates after 1970. South India first started to overtake the rest of India economically in the 1980s. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were noted by some to be more reform-oriented in terms of economic policy when compared to other Indian states. Over the last decade South India has grown at 8% annually. Future economic growth will be shackled by a relatively low proportion of the active age population to the number of dependents. Today, South India has about 20% of India's population, and contributes about 31% of India's GDP; it is projected to contribute 35% by 2030.
Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, officially Andhra Pradesh Raastra Roadu Ravaana Samstha, is the state-owned road transport corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Its headquarters is located at NTR Administrative Block of RTC House in Pandit Nehru bus station of Vijayawada. Many other Indian metro towns in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, Yanam, Kerala, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh are also linked with the APSRTC services.
The Belum Caves, located in Nandyala district of Andhra Pradesh's Rayalaseema region, is the second largest cave system on the Indian subcontinent, known for its speleothems, such as stalactite and stalagmite formations. The Belum Caves have long passages, galleries, spacious caverns with fresh water and siphons. This cave system was formed over the course of tens of thousands of years by the constant flow of underground water from the now-disappeared river Chitravathi. The cave system reaches its deepest point at the point known as Pataalaganga. Belum Caves have a length of 3,229 m (10,593.8 ft), making them the second largest caves on the Indian Subcontinent after the Krem Liat Prah caves in Meghalaya. It is one of the centrally protected Monuments of National Importance.
The economy of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is primarily dependent on agriculture, which directly and indirectly employs 62% of the population. GSDP as per the first revised estimate, for the year 2023-24 is ₹15,40,000 crore.The state is ranked 1st in the country for the year 2021-22 in terms of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth at constant prices with growth rate of 11.43%. The state GSDP is expected to grow at a rate of 17% for the year 2023-24.
Konijeti Rosaiah was an Indian politician who served as the 15th chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 2009 to 2010. He also served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 2011 to 2016 and the Governor of Karnataka for two months. He was previously an MLC, MLA and MP from the Indian National Congress numerous times and handled many ministerial posts over his political career spanning over half a century.
Uppada Beach is located near Kakinada in Kakinada district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. APTDC undertakes the developmental activities in order to promote tourism.
Mypadu Beach is located on the East coast of Bay of Bengal, at a distance of 25 km (16 mi) from SPSR Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. The beach is maintained by the state tourism board, APTDC. The beach provides fishing opportunities for the local fishermen, and access to cruises for the tourists. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), is taking certain measures to promote Mypadu Beach as a tourist destination by setting up recreational activities such as water sports and development of resorts.
The state of Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of 970 km2 (370 sq mi) and hence, there exist many beaches. The seacoast extends along the Bay of Bengal from Srikakulam district to Nellore district.
Kalingapatnam Beach is located on the coast of Kalingapatnam, where Vamsadhara River empties into Bay of Bengal. It is located at a distance of 30 km from Srikakulam in Srikakulam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kalingapatnam Beach has been recognized by the State Government, with the state tourism board APTDC promoting it as a tourist destination. As it was an ancient harbor, it is equipped with a lighthouse where exporting of goods such as perfumes and textiles took place, before being closed during British rule. The beach is also known as Open Road Sea, due to the road ending in the sea shore bed.
Tirupati district is one of the eight districts of Rayalaseema region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The district headquarters is located at Tirupati city. This district is known for its numerous historic temples, including the Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and Sri Kalahasteeswara temple. The district is also home to Satish Dhawan Space Centre, a rocket launch centre located in Sriharikota. The river Swarnamukhi flows through Tirupati, Srikalahasti, Naidupeta, Vakadu and join into the Bay of Bengal.
The Department of Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments is one of the departments of Government of Tamil Nadu. The department has two major sub-departments, tourism and Hindu religious endowments.
