Andhra Pradesh echoes the aura of antiquity through every little aspect of it. The state is vibrant with historical monuments which may be considered as an embodiment of architectural wonder. It has a number of temples, mosques, palaces and is rich in arts, crafts, dance and literature. The stretches of beaches that are present in the state have increased the attractiveness of Andhra Pradesh immensely. Andhra Pradesh is described as the Rice Bowl of India and is also one of the important tourist sites. Hyderabad which is presently known as the technological hub of the country is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

History of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh has found its mention in Sanskrit epics like the Mahabharata and the Aitareya Brahmana. It is believed by many scholars that Andhra Pradesh had been home to the Pre- Dravidian dark colored inhabitants. Apart from the reign of the Mauryan dynasty there had been several other dynasties like the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, the Cholas and many others. The Kakatiyas were the feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. Around the year 1323, Ghiaz-ud-din Tughlaq, the Delhi Sultan had captured the Telugu state and had laid seige to Warangal. Soon after the reign of the Delhi Sultan, Warangal was ruled by Musunuri Nayaks for the next fifty years. By the 18th century the whole of Andhra Pradesh came under the British rule and it remained under the British rule till the year 1947. Only Hyderabad did not come under British rule. It was still ruled by the Nizams. In 1947, India became independent and Hyderabad became a part of the Republic of India in 1948 as Hyderabad State.

Under the efforts of Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu, the government was forced to declare a new state for the Telugu speaking people and a new state named Andhra was formed on 1st October 1953, with Kurnool as its capital. Again on 1st of November 1956 the state of Andhra merged with the Telangana region of Hyderabad State to form the state of Andhra Pradesh. This state also comprised a majority of Telugu speaking people. The capital of the newly formed state was Hyderabad.

Geography of Andhra Pradesh
The geographical position of Andhra Pradesh is between 12 degrees north and 22 degrees north latitude. Longitudinally the state lies between 77 degrees and 84 degrees east longitude. It is located in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. In terms of area it is the fourth largest state in India. On the north it has Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. Bay of Bengal is towards the east of the state. Towards the south is placed Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra is to the west of the state. Two major rivers which flow across the state are Krishna and Godavari. The origin of Krishna River is in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. Across Andhra Pradesh, the river moves eastward towards the Bay of Benagl. Apart from these two major rivers some of the other rivers flowing in the state of Andhra Pradesh are Tungabhadra River and the Pennar.

The Eastern Ghats are a major geographical feature for the state of Andhra Pradesh and is considered as a major dividing line in the geography of the state. Presence of hills here and there in the state has also enriched the geography of the state to a large extent. Not only that but it is an important reason as to why many tourists throng the state of Andhra Pradesh to get a combination of hills as well as beaches. The state Andhra Pradesh can be divided into three parts. They are namely the Coastal Andhra, Rayalseema and Telangana.

As far as the climate of Andhra Pradesh is concerned, the monsoons determine the climatic conditions of the state to a large extent. Summer months in Andhra Pradesh commences from the month of March and continues till June. The temperature during this time ranges between 20 degrees centigrade and 41 degrees centigrade. Major rainfall in the state is witnessed in the months of July to September. Andhra Pradesh receives heavy rainfall from the North-East Monsoon. Winter in Andhra Pradesh begin in November and stays till February. During this time the temperatures ranges between 13°C to 30°C.

As far as the flora of Andhra Pradesh is concerned it mostly comprises of dry deciduous mixed types of forest with patches of moist deciduous forests. Trees like Sandalwood, Redsanders, Shorea, Thumbergiana, Shorea talura, Terminalia pallida, Cycas beddomei, Syzygium alternifolium, etc are found in this region. There are almost 1500 plant species belonging to 176 families.

Tiger, panther, spotted deer, Sambar, black buck, bison, ibex, sloth bear, pig, bear, Bonnet monkey, mongoose, wild dogs, jackal, fox, wolf, civet cat, jungle cat, rare and endangered golden gecko, Indian giant squirrel, tree shrew, lizards etc and birds like partridges, quail, peacock, jungle fowl Crested Serpant Eagle, Ashy Crowned Finch Lark, Indian Roller, Kingfishers, White bellied Woodpecker and a lot more comprise the varied fauna of Andhra Pradesh.

Districts in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has 23 districts in all. They are:

Adilabad District

Anantapur District

Chittoor District

Kadapa District (Cuddapah)

East Godavari District

Guntur district

Hyderabad District

Karimnagar District

Khammam District

Krishna District

Kurnool District

Mahbubnagar District

Medak District

Nalgonda District

Nellore District

Nizamabad District

Prakasam District

Ranga Reddy District

Srikakulam District

Visakhapatnam District

Vizianagaram District

Warangal District

West Godavari District

Each district is again subdivided into a number of mandals and each mandal is basically a collection of villages.

Demographics of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is the fifth largest state in India by area and population. It is the biggest and most populous state in the south of India. The total population of the state is 66,508,854. Out of which the males constitute 33,723,738 and the females constitute to 32,781,116. The literacy rate of the state is 45.11 %. The languages spoken by the people here are Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and Tamil. 84 percent of the population speaks Telugu. English is also used as an official language along with Telugu. In the state there are Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

Administration in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh was officially formed in the year 1956. From 1956 till 1958, Andhra Pradesh had a unicameral legislature. 1958 onwards the legislature in Andhra Pradesh had become bi-cameral in nature. But in the year 1985 the bi-cameral form of legislature in Andhra Pradesh was abolished and it once again became unicameral in nature. The unicameral legislature in Andhra Pradesh comprises the Legislative Assembly of the State. The Governor appointed by the President of India is the ceremonial head of the state while most of the executive powers are vested with the chief-minister of the state. The Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh has 295 members in all including one member elected from the Anglo-Indian community. The smooth functioning of the state is looked after by the chief secretary and other secretaries heading various departments.

At this juncture it may be noted that Andhra Pradesh sends 42 members to the Lower House of Parliament or to the Lok Sabha and 18 members to the Rajya Sabha.

Culture of Andhra Pradesh
The state has a rich cultural heritage. The dance styles in the State are based on the standard treatises, viz. Abhinaya Darpana and Bharatarnava of Nandikeshwara. Kuchipudi is the state`s classical dance form. It is basically a blend of music and abhinaya. The dance form of Kuchipudi had originated from a village called Kuchelapuri or Kuchelapuram in the Krishna district. Along with the dance forms music also contributes to the heritage of the state. The Carnatic Music occupies an important position in the Indian music system. Even the folk songs in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh add to the rhythm of the country. Telugu literature has also been enriched with the contributions of some great litterateurs. Rather it can be said these pieces of literature occupies a prestigious position in Indian literature. The people of Andhra Pradesh also have a love for movies. The state produces about 200 top movies per year.

The festivals celebrated in Andhra Pradesh are :Diwali, Holi, Id-Ul-Fitr, Krishna Ashtami, Mahashivratri, Milad-Un-Nabi, Muharram, Dussehra, Christmas, Nagapanchami or Nagula Cahvithi, Sankranthi, Rama Navami, Ugadi, VaraLaxmi Vratam, Vinayaka Chavithi.

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is known as one of the spiciest Indian cuisine. Rice is the staple food of the state but it can be said that variety is the signature of Andhra Pradesh cuisine. Apart from the mouth watering cuisines Andhra Pradesh is also known for its tasty pickles.

Education of Andhra Pradesh
According to the 2001 census Andhra Pradesh has a literacy rate of 60.5 percent. The male literacy rate and the female literacy rate are 70.3 percent and 50.4 percent respectively. The student teacher ratio in the fields of higher education in Andhra Pradesh is 1:19. Although the state has 330 Arts, Science and Commerce colleges, 238 Engineering colleges and 53 Medical colleges which offers both bachelors as well as post graduate degrees in various fields including humanities, science, engineering, law, medicine, business and veterinary science yet the state is striving hard to set up institutes of high quality. The institutes of prestige in the state are the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Indian School of Business (ISB) and the Osmania University in Hyderabad.

Economy of Andhra Pradesh
Agriculture is the main source of the state economy. In the recent years the state has also started focusing on information technology and biotechnology. The IT sector in the state is expanding at a rate of 52.3 percent every year. Hyderabad, the state capital is also known as the drug hub of the country. Almost all the major pharmaceuticals companies are present in this state. Other important industries which add to the economy of the country are infrastructure space, mineral resources and certainly hydro-electric power generation because the state ranks first in the national hydro-electric power generation.

According to the estimates of 2005 the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) of the state was measured as 62 billion dollars. Among the major states of India, Andhra Pradesh ranks fourth in both GSDP and per capita GSDP.

Media in Andhra Pradesh
The media industry in Andhra Pradesh is well improved. Newspapers of various languages including Hindi, English, Telugu and Urdu are circulated in the state. The major Hindi newspapers of the state are Swatantra Varta and Hindi Milap. The English Newspapers which serve the state are Deccan Chronicle, The Hindu, The Times of India, Business Line and a lot more. Some of the important Telugu newspapers of the state are Enadu, Sakshi, Andhra Jyoti, Andhra Bhoomi and many others. The Urdu newspapers of the state are namely the Siasat Daily, Munsif Daily, Awam, Milap Daily and a few others.

Apart from the daily newspapers the state is also well served by a number of FM radio channels, the satellite television channels and undoubtedly by the national network or the Doordarshan.

Tourism in Andhra Pradesh
The state of Andhra Pradesh is promoted as the Kohinoor of India by the tourism department of India. It can be said that Andhra Pradesh is a haven for the tourists because they get all they demand within the same state. All kinds of tourism including nature tourism, religious tourism and even historical places of interest are major attractions of the state. As far as nature tourism is concerned Andhra Pradesh is a rare combination of beaches as well as hills. As a result a tourist can bask in the glory of the sea breeze and at the same time can experience the adventure of the hills. Important places of pilgrimage are also an important tourist attraction in Andhra Pradesh. For instance the Tirupati Temple draws a lakh of devotees to the state throughout the year.

Some places of natural interest in the state are the golden beaches of Vishakapatnam, the charming Araku Valley, a million year old Borra Caves made of limestone, the hill resorts in Horsley, waterfalls at Ettipotala and the narrow gorge of River Godavari in Papi Kondalu. Talakona is known for its rich bio diversity. The places which reflect the historical heritage of the state are the Golconda Fort, Charminar, the Chandragiri Fort, the Falaknuma Palace and the Chowmahalla Palace. Thus it can be said that apart from the various industries, tourism also accounts for a major source of income for the state.

It can be concluded that the state of Andhra Pradesh is varied from all aspects. It is a major tourist attraction of the country and can also be considered as a prime seat of Hindu religious leaders.