Geography

Andhra Pradesh can be broadly divided into three regions, namely Coastal Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema. Coastal Andhra occupies the coastal plain between Eastern Ghats ranges, which run the length of the state, and the Bay of Bengal. Telangana lies west of the Ghats on the Deccan plateau. The great Godavari and Krishna rivers rise in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra and flow east across Telangana to empty into the Bay of Bengal in a combined river delta. Rayalaseema lies in the southeast of the state on the Deccan plateau, in the basin of the Penner River. It is separated from Telangana by the low Erramala hills, and from Coastal Andhra by the Eastern Ghats.

The Krishna and Godavari rivers together irrigate thousands of square kilometres of land, and create the largest perennial cultivable area in the country. Andhra Pradesh leads in the production of rice (paddy) and was called India's Rice Bowl.

Andhra Pradesh has 23 local administrative districts. Hyderabad is the capital of the state and also the largest city. Tirupati with the famous Venkateswara temple, is a major pilgrimage center. Other major cities by population include Visakhapatnam, India's fourth largest port, Vijayawada, an important trading center and major railhead, Guntur, the heart of the tobacco industry, and Warangal, capital of the erstwhile Kakatiya dynasty. Other cities include Nellore, Kurnool, Kakinada and Rajahmundry.