Andhra Pradesh – State Series – Know Your State 10/05/2019 – Posted in: STATE SERIES – Tags:

ANDHRA PRADESH

Map of Andhra Pradesh

 

Capital
  • Hyderabad (Present capital).
  • Amarawati (After 2024).
  • Hyderabad (Common capital with Telangana till 2024).
Important Cities
  • Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Secunderabad, Vijayawada.
Date of Formation
  • October 1, 1953 (Carved out of Madras State).
  • June 2, 2014 (Reorganized – excluded Telangana).
Language
  • Telugu, Urdu
Known as
  • Egg bowl of Asia
  • Kohinoor of India
  • State with second longest coastline.
Regions
  • Coastal Andhra
  • Rayalseema
Boundaries with states
  • Odisha, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh, Puducherry (Yanam)
Physical Characteristics
  • Coastal Plains.
  • Eastern Ghats.
  • Deccan Plateau.
  • Forests can be divided into four major biotic provinces: Deccan Plateau- 53%, Central Plateau- 35%, Eastern Highlands- 11%, East Coastal Plains- 1%
Natural Vegetation
  • Tropical Dry forest
  • Tropical shrub land.
Minerals
  • Limestone, Oil and Natural Gas reserves, Maganese, Iron ore, Asbestos, Ball clay, Gold, Diamonds, Graphite, Silica, Dolomite, Quartz etc.
  • Most deposit and production of Mica in India found here.
  • It has about one third of India’s limestone reserves.
Rivers
  • Krishna (flowing from Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra to Andhra Pradesh).
  • Godavari (flowing from Brahmagiri Mountain in Maharashtra to Antardevi into the Bay of Bengal).
Important Ports
  • Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machlipatnam.
Valleys
  • Araku Valley (Visakhapatnam)
  • Horsley Hills (Chittoor districts)
  • Papi Hills (East Godavari)
Regional Festivals
  • Ugadi, Rama Navami, Maha Sivaratri, Triputi Brahmosavam.
Art forms
  • Muggulu floor painting.
  • Tirupati painitng.
  • Textile Art : Kalamkari.
Dance forms
  • Kuchipudi, Butta Bommalu, Veeranatyam, Lambadi, Harikatha, Dhimsa and Tappeta Gullu.
Biosphere Reserve
  • Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve.

The hill ranges spread in parts of Chittoor and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh have been designated as Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in Andhra Pradesh on 20th September 2010. The decision is based on the proposal submitted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. This biosphere reserve will cover an area of 4755.997 Km2.
Industry
  • Sugar, Textiles, IT, Pearl jewellery, Silver filigree and Tobacco research and Farming.
  • Visakhapatnam – a major industrial center.
  • Kakinada – multiple fertilizer refineries (produces large scale of natural gas from the offshore of KG basin).
  • Vijayawada is famous for processing of agricultural products and automobile body building.
Agriculture
  • Rice, Maize, Millets, Sugar Cane, Cotton, Chili, Pepper, Nuts, Oil Seeds, Pulse, Nuts.
  • State has some of the richest livestock resources in the Country.
  • Rice is the major food crop.
  • Major Shrimp producing state.
Wildlife and Bird Sanctuaries
  • Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger reserve (India’s largest Tiger Reserve).
  • Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary (India’s second-largest lagoon; Largest is Chilka).
  • Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary
  • Rollapadu Bird Sanctuary.
  • Kondakarla Bird Sanctuary
  • Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (Mangrove forests)
  • Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Atapaka Bird Sanctuary – Kolleru Lake
  • Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Gundla Brahmeswara Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Gundla Brahmeswara Wildlife Sanctuary.
State Aminal
  • Blackbuck (Indian antelope)
State Bird
  • Indian Roller
State Flower
  • Lotus
Geographical Indications
  • Srikalasthi Kalamkari.
  • Machilipatnam Kalamkari
  • Shadow Puppets
  • Kondapalli Bommalu
  • Venkatagiri Sarees.
  • Mangalagiri Sarees
  • Dharmavaram Handloom Pattu Sarees
  • Guntur Sannam Chillis and Paavadas
  • Budithi Bell and Brass craft
  • Bobbili Veena.
Dams
  • Nagarjuna Sagar Dam (Krishna River) – one of the largest in Asia
  • Prakasham Barrage (Krishna River)
  • Srisailam Dam (Krishna River).
  • Telugu Ganga.
  • Polavaram Project
  • Somasila Reservoir  (Nellore district)
  • Thandava dam (visaka district)
  • Yeleru Reservoir (East Godavari)
  • Kalyani Reservoir (Chittoor).
Historical Sites
  • Borra Caves.
  • Adoni Fort.
  • Golconda Fort.
  • Talakona waterfall.
  • Victoria Museum.
  • Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple.
  • Bugga Ramalingeswara Swamy.
National Parks
  • Sri Venkateswara National Park.
Festivals
  • Ugadi (Telugu New Year)
  • Vinayaka Chavithi
  • Vasanthotsavam.
  • Attla Taddi.
Tribes
  • Andh, Bagata, Chenchu, Gadabas, Kondhsm Porja and Sawara.
Institutions
  • School of Planning and Architecture (Vijayawada).
  • National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (Tirupati).
  • Indian Space Research Organisation at barrier island of Sriharikota in Nellore district.
Peak
  • Arma Konda (1680 mt.)
World Heritage Sites
  • Tirumala Venkateswara temple in the town of Tirupati in Chittoor district.
  • Penchalakona Lakshmi Narasimha Swami Temple in Nellore district.
  • Kanaka Durga temple in the city of Vijayawada
  • Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in srisailam of Kurnool district.
  • Sri kalahasthi temple in Chittoor district.
Hydroelectric power plants
  • Srisailam Dam on Krishna River.
  • Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on Krishna River.
Seaports & Harbors
  • Vishakapatnam port is one of the largest cargo handling port in India.
Famous personalities
  • Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Bharat Ratna Award Winner) – 2nd president of India.
  • Sarojini Naidu – freedom fighter and poet; Bengali, married to a Telugu person.
  • Tanguturi Prakasam – known as “Andhra Kesari”
  • Alluri Sita Rama Raju – revolutionary, freedom fighter, led the Rampa Rebellion, Viplava Jyoti.
  • Potti Sreeramulu – a revolutionary, fasted to death in protest for separate Andhra Pradesh
  • Pingali Venkayya – designed the Indian national flag
  • Puchalapalli Sundaraiah – a founding member of Communist Party in India.
  • Dr D. Subbarao -(IAS) officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. He was appointed the 22nd Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Endemic Plants
  • Cycas beddomei, Pterocarpus santalinus, Terminalia pallida, Syzygium alternifolium, Shorea talura, Shorea tumburgia, Psilotum nudum.
Fauna
  • Tigers, panthers, hyenas, black bucks, cheetals, sambars, sea turtles and a number of birds and reptiles.
State Sport
  • Kabaddi
State Tree
  • Vepa (Neem).
State Dance
  • Kuchipudi
State Song
  • Maa Telugu Thalliki by Sankarambadi Sundarachari.

 

Tidbits about Andhra Pradesh

  • The forest in the state can be broadly divided into four major biotic provinces.
  • The vegetation found in the state is large of dry deciduous types with a mixture of teak, Terminalia, Dalbergia, Pterocarpus, Anogeissus, etc.
  • The estuaries of river Godavari and Krishna support rich mangrove forests with fishing cats and otters as keystone species.
  • The Minister of Tourism and Culture has issued a declaration of the Telugu language as a Classical Language.
  • The famous Ongole Bull looks similar to Nandi, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. It’s said all the stone sculptures of Nandi in all temples are modelled after the Ongole Bull.
  • Satish Dhawan Space Centre, located on the banks of Sriharikota in the Nellore District is one of the main attractions of the state.
  • Telugu, the official language of Andhra Pradesh, was described by Englishmen as the”Italian of the East ” for its sweetness.
  • First state to be created on the basis of the language ‘Telugu’ in 1953.
  • It has the second largest coastline (974Km Approx) just after Gujarat.
  • Tirupati, the most famous Holy Shrine in Chittoor district is situated on Tirumala Hills.
  • Andhra Pradesh is producing maximum amount of Virginia tobacco.
  • Tummalapalle mines are rich source of Uranium.
  • Operation Polo-Indian Integration of Nizam’s Hyderabad by Military Action is termed as operation Polo.
  • Visakhapatnam – only natural harbour on the east coast and it has country’s one of the largest sea port. It is also popularly known as “jewel of the east coast”.

 

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