Formed on November 1, 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, Andhra Pradesh is the fifth largest state in India, both in area and population. Its area is 2,75,048 sq km and according to 2001 census provisional estimates, its total population is 7,57,27,541. It is fifth most populous state in the country, of this the rural population is 5,52,23,944. Literacy rate in the State is 61.11 per cent which is a little below the national average of 65.38 percent. There are 978 females for every 1000 males.

The state is surrounded by Chhatisgarh and Orissa in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the east, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the south and Maharashtra in the west. Andhra Pradesh forms the major link between the north and the south. The northern area of Andhra Pradesh is mountainous with an annual rain fall of 110 to 125 mm. The highest peak Mahendragiri rises 1500 m (4,920 ft) above the sea level. The climate is generally hot and humid. The state is principally fed by the southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon contributes about one-third of the rainfall.

Architecture in Andhra Pradesh ranges from pre-historic Cairns to Buddhist Stupas. The state offers an excellent example of a secular architecture. It has ancient Hindu and Jain temples, Muslim monuments and Sikh and Christian places of worship belonging to eighteenth and nineteenth century. The state has Hindu and Jain temples of great importance, imposing churches, monuments such as the Charminar of Hyderabad and some of the most beautiful mosques and Islamic tombs of India. The cities of Andhra Pradesh have interesting examples of European architecture as well as domestic vernacular architecture. Warangal, Penuconda, Bimlipatnam, Hazoor Sahib and Chandragiri are among the important historical towns and cities of the state besides old Hyderabad and the world famous Golconda Fort. The rock temples of Guntupalle near Eluru and Sankaran near Visakhapatnam are, however, assigned to the first few centuries of the Christian era.

Andhra handicrafts have made a name for themselves the world over. Ancient skills have been honed to perfection by craftsmen who have learnt the trade from their fathers, as did their fathers before them. This tradition continues over the centuries safeguarding the wide and varied artistic wealth of people. Today, this tradition unfolds itself in an overwhelming variety of products, combining aesthetic appeal with utilitarian value. To satisfy modern tastes and meet international demand, design institutes have been giving a new look to these traditional crafts. A variety of products is available today in all their regional splendour.

Telugu is the most widely spoken language of the state. In terms of population, Telugu ranks second to Hindi among the Indian languages. Some Kannada and Tamil words were also taken into Telugu. With the advent of the Muslim rule, several Persian and Arabic words entered into Telugu language. But they were confined to the spoken language and to the language of the judiciary and the executive. The influence of Persian and Arabic is discernible to a considerable extent in the languages spoken in Telangana due to its long association with the Muslim rule. There is also a great element of English words in the vocabulary of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema because these regions were directly under the British rule for nearly a century-and-a-half. The evolution of Telugu can be traced through centuries in terms of its form as well as its function.

The traditional dance of the state, Kuchipudi, a blend of music and abhinaya, is Andhra Pradesh’s unique contribution to dance.

Andhra Pradesh has a varied topography and climate, ranging from the seacoast to the hill ranges traversed with river valleys. The temperature and rainfall is equally varied. There are dry tracts as in Ananthapur, Mahaboobnagar and Kurnool and there are areas which receive over 120 mm of rainfall, as in the Eastern Ghats around Chintapalli in Vizag and in parts of the Nallamalais. Such variation has contributed to the formation of 10 different forest habitats creating a home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. There are 4 National Parks and 20 sanctuaries covering an area of 15,273 sq km or 5.6 per cent of the entire geographical area of the State. Among the large sanctuaries like Etunagaram, Kinnersani and Pakhal, the Rajiv Gandhi Tiger Reserve is the most prominent. It is also the largest tiger reserve project in India and is situated in the Nallamalai hill range on the banks of river Krishna. The Tiger Reserve comprises an area of 947 sq km and is open to wildlife enthusiasts throughout the year. Through untiring efforts at conservation, by 1996 the tiger population in the state rose to about 140. Besides the tiger, the other wildlife that can be seen in fairly good numbers are panthers, crocodiles, turtles, wild boars, chitals, sambars, nilgais, black buck and wolves.

Andhra Pradesh is rich in insect life, specially butterflies, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, spiders etc. There are more than 95 per cent of such species yet to be recorded. The amphibians and reptiles are also very varied and many have not yet been studied and listed. A notable find in 1985, near Tirumala, was the golden gecho, a very rare species of lizard.

The fish are again numerous, the notable among them being the fresh water fish like mural, catfish, rohu etc. Besides fish, prawns, crabs, lobsters, tortoise and turtles are also fairly well recorded.

The state is a heaven for birds of all kinds. The colourful and unique bird-life, peculiar to Andhra Pradesh, includes birds that are common and rare. Of the 142 species found in the sub-continent, 52 are recorded in the state. Vast majorities of these avian spend all seasons in their home range and familiar areas foraging, nesting and breeding. Of the numerous bird sanctuaries scattered around the state, the more famous ones are the Pullicat, Nelapattu, Kolleru and Manjira sanctuaries. The month of October is when migratory birds begin their journey in response to the climatic changes. Birds from the north and Northern Hemisphere migrate to the south through traditional flyways. A century ago, the great Indian bustard was a common bird found in the plains of the sub-continent. However, their numbers dwindled as they were hunted for food. This bird was last recorded in Kurnool district in 1953. After a gap of 30 years, they were again sighted in Rollapadu in Kurnool district. The sustained efforts of the government resulted in Rollapadu turning into an exclusive bustard sanctuary to protect this magnificent bird from extinction. The great Indian bustard is listed as an endangered species. Another bird of equal distinction is the Jerdon’s courser, named after its discoverer Dr Jerdon. It is the pride of Andhra Pradesh, as this bird is found nowhere else in the world. It is also listed as an endangered species. This bird was last reported in 1900 and was given up as extinct, until the chance sighting by the Bombay Natural History Society in 1985, near Cuddapah. Today, this long-legged, sleek bird with conspicuous white bands running across its chest is confined to the scrub jungles and is safely protected in Langamalleshwara Sanctuary. It is not just rare birds that have found a safe heaven in the state. Andhra Pradesh has the distinction of also saving and bringing the black buck from the Nehru Zoological Park to the wild at the Mahaveer Harini Vanasthali by acquiring a breeding stock of six animals. The chital too was released at Chilkur, Shamirpet and Pakhal. Through timely intervention, both these species have been saved from extinction and preserved for posterity. Apart from this, Andhra Pradesh has the distinction of releasing captive bred crocodiles into the rivers Godavari and Krishna for the first time in 1977.

The increasing awareness of the need to protect wildlife has improved the chances of restoring natural environment and giving back to nature what we have taken from it. This is a slow and time-consuming process. But a conscious effort by the people at large will help transform an ideal into a reality of helping our children grow up understanding nature better than we ever did.

Because of magnificent historical monuments, lush green forests, exquisite handicrafts, hospitable people and rapidly developing IT Parks, the state of Andhra Pradesh will continue to attract tourists of all shades from within the country and also abroad.