Kadapa was formerly called Cuddapah, is a city in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and the headquarters of the Kadapa district. Kadapa derives its name from the Telugu word Gadapa that means `threshold` or `gate`. Cuddapah was changed to Kadapa on 19th August 2005.The city is so named because it is the gateway from the north to the sacred hill-Pagoda of Shri Venkateshvara of Tirupati. Cuddapah is well connected by rail and air routes. It has a railway station on the Chennai-Tirupati-Pune-Mumbai line. The nearest airports are at Renigunta and Chennai.

Cuddapah (Kadapa) is situated in the south central part of Andhra Pradesh. It is located 8 Km south of the Penna river and is surrounded by the Nllamala and the Palakonda hill on three sides. Cuddapah was once a part of the Chola and the Kakatia Empire back in the 11th to 14th century. However, it was much later in the 14th century Cuddapah became a part of the Vijayanagar Empire

.In the 18th century the rulers of the region were the nawabs of Cuddapah and the relics of the Cuddapah Nawabs are found in this town. Most prominent among these are two towers and the dargahs. The biggest shrine in the region of Raya laseema is the Astahana of Maghdoom e Ilahi. The town also has three churches and numerous temples.A historical monument in the district is the ancient fort of Gurramkonda which stands on a hill at a height of 500 feet (150 metre).

Cuddapah is located at 14.47° N 78.82° E at an elevation of about 138 metres (452 feet). It covers an area of 8723 sq km and resembles the shape of an irregular parallelogram.The Eastern Ghats divide the district of Cuddapah into nearly two equal parts .One part constitutes the north ,east and southeast of the district and is a low lying plain, while the other part comprises the southern and the southwestern portion . The chief river is the Pennar, which enters the district from Bellary on the west, and flows eastwards into Nellore.The main tributaries of the river are Kundaur, Saglair, Cheyair and Papagni rivers.

Demographically ,Kadapa has a population of about 125,725 inhabitants.The population is equally divided between the male and the female according to the 2001 census.It has an average literacy rate of 70% which is quite high than the average literacy rate of 59.5%. Male literacy is 76% and, female literacy is 64%. In kadapa, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The abundant temples give the city a holy character.These temples are also the places of prime attraction.The Ankalamma Swamy temple ,Pushpa Giri temple,Sri veera Bhadra temple at Alladu Palle and Ontimitta Kodanda Rama Swami temple are the famous temples of this place.The Yellala Sanjeevaraya Swamy Temple is a well developed and famous temple in Cuddapah district.Tourist spots in Cuddapah are Pushpagiri ,Jyothi (a sculptured mandapam with thirty two pillars )and Gandi .Kadaposthavalu is one of the biggest celebrations in Cuddapah which lasts for five days.The Gangamma Jatra ,an annual Jatra of the shrine of Gangamma is an important event in Anantapuram and Kadapa district.It is a famous religious Jatara in Cuddapah.

Cuddapah has produced poets like Puttaparty Narayana Charyulu and Gadiyaram Venkata Sesha Sastry. Other well known writers of the district are the late Rachamallu Ramachandra Reddy, the late Y.C.V. Reddy, the late Sodum Jayaram, Dr. Kethu Viswanadha Reddy, Dadahayat, tavva Obul Reddy , Sannapu Reddy and Viswa prasad.

Academically ,the district is very rich as it has good schools and colleges .It has five engineering colleges and one medical institute which is under construction named the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Science(RIMS).

The district has an equal blend of agricultural and industrial industries.The principal crops grown in the district are millet, rice other food grains, pulse, oilseeds, cotton and indigo.The district is very fertile because 24% of the land have black corson soil. The main source of water to this district is Galer-Nagari-Sujalasravanthi Canal.Cuddapah is a huge repository of mineral wealth and provides employment to a lot of people for mineral related industrial activities. Kadapa is also famous for its stone called "cuddapah stone" used in building construction and for slabs especially in the south India. Electrical instruments industries are also established in the region.Cement industries like Zuari Cements, India Cement Ltd, Corus India Ltd arelocated here because of the availability of the limestone in the region.There is one paper industry in the district.