Andhra Pradesh (English: , Telugu: [ãːndʱrɐ prɐdeːʃ] (listen) abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of 162,975 km2 (62,925 sq mi) and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants,. It is bordered by Telangana to the north-west, Chhattisgarh to the north, Odisha to the north-east, Tamil Nadu to the south, Karnataka to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. It has the second longest coastline in India after Gujarat, of about 974 km (605 mi). Andhra Pradesh was the first state to be formed on a linguistic basis in India on 1 October 1953. On 1 November 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking areas of the Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati serves as the capital with the largest city being Visakhapatnam.Andhra Pradesh was once a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in the country and a Buddhist learning center which can be seen in many sites in the state in the form of monastery ruins, chaityas and stupas. It is also known for being the land of Koh-i-Noor and other globally known diamonds from Kollur Mine. It is also a major producer of rice known as the "Rice bowl of India". Its official language is Telugu; one of the classical languages of India, the fourth most spoken language in India and the 13th-most spoken language in the world. Andhra Pradesh's second official language is Urdu.Early inhabitants were known as the Andhras, tracing their history back to the Vedic period, when they were mentioned in the 8th century BCE Rigvedic text Aitareya Brahmana. According to the Aitareya Brahmana, the Andhras left North India from the banks of the Yamuna river and migrated to South India. The Assaka Mahajanapada (700–300 BCE) was an ancient kingdom located between the Godavari and Krishna rivers in southeastern India. Accounts that people in the region are descended from the Viswamitra are found in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. The region also derives its name from the Satavahanas, who are also known as Andhras, the earliest kings of Andhra Pradesh and India.People of the said era supported local art and culture by building temples and sculptures of the Buddhist monuments in the state. It was ruled by the Mauryan Empire, Satavahana dynasty, Salankayanas, Andhra Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Gajapati Empire, Mughal Empire, Deccan sultanates, Qutb Shahi dynasty, and Asaf Jahis. In the 3rd century BCE, Andhra was a vassal kingdom of Ashoka, but after his death Andhra became powerful and extended its empire to the whole of Maratha country and beyond.Andhra Pradesh comprises three major regions namely Rayalaseema in the south-west, Coastal Andhra bordering the Bay of Bengal in the east and Uttarandhra at north-east. The state has 26 districts, 6 in Uttarandhra, 12 in Coastal Andhra and 8 in Rayalaseema. The state also borders a union territory, Yanam – a district of Puducherry, which lies to the south of Kakinada in the Godavari delta on the eastern side of the state. The economy of Andhra Pradesh is the 8th largest in India, with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹8.84 trillion (US$110 billion) and has the country's 17th-highest GSDP per capita of ₹170,000 (US$2,100). Andhra Pradesh ranks 27th among Indian states in Human Development Index (HDI). It has a jurisdiction over almost 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi) of territorial waters.Andhra Pradesh hosted 121.8 million visitors in 2015, a 30% growth in tourist arrivals over the previous year, making it the third most-visited state in India. The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati is one of the world's most visited religious sites, with 18.25 million visitors per year. The region is also home to a variety of other pilgrimage centres, such as the Pancharama Kshetras, Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga and Kodanda Rama Temple. The state's natural attractions include the beaches of Visakhapatnam, hill stations such as the Araku Valley and Horsley Hills, and the deltas of Konaseema in the Godavari river, and Diviseema in the Krishna river.

Kakinada (formerly called Kakinandiwada, Coringa, and Cocanada; listen ) is the sixth largest city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the district headquarters of the Kakinada District. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. J.N.T.U. College of Engineering Kakinada, established in 1946, is the oldest and popular Government college in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The First Polytechnic college of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Polytechnic was established here in 1946. It was also the origin point of Buckingham Canal where goods used to be transported by boats during the British rule. It was once home for Asia's largest sea port (now near the village Coringa). Many people from the city migrated from this sea port to countries like Burma, Mauritius, Fiji and various southeast Asian countries to work there as workers where they were called as Coringas.Kakinada is known for its sweet called kaja which became a famous recipe in South India known as Kakinada Kaja. Apart from this, it is also known for food. The city is popular for "Subbayya Gari Hotel" known across the country for its authentic Vegetarian meals. The city is also home to a snack called Bajji which is famous throughout the state. Along with these it is mostly known for its town planning, one of the most greatly well planned towns in the entire country. The Indian Standard Time (IST) exactly passes through this city in the southern part of India. Hope Island, which lies just off the city's coast, naturally acts as a barrier and protects the city from cyclones and tsunami effects which also serves as a tourist spot. It used to have more than 15 cinema theatres along a road (for which it has a dedicated road named after that as Cinema Road) and is known as Second Madras (because Madras [now Chennai], used to have many cinema theatres along a road). It also has a dedicated road for temples known as Temple street which justifies its status as the best-planned city. It is also known for its pleasant climate and recreating atmosphere for which, it is also known as Pensioner's Paradise indicating as a place to settle for mental peace and health. It is also a gateway for a region called Konaseema which is regarded as Second Kerala which is very famous for its scenic Coconut Trees and picturesque green farm fields surrounded by River Gouthami just like Kerala. It also has the second largest Mangrove forests in India near a village named Coringa which serves as a great tourist spot in Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. It also has one of the oldest and biggest Government Hospitals of the state known as Government General Hospital, Kakinada. Due to the love for Cinema and arts it had for years, the city is also home for many Telugu Cinema (Tollywood) Film Celebrities namely Suryakantham, Rao Gopal Rao, Relangi, P.B.Srinivas, C.S.Rao, Chitti Babu, P.Adinarayana Rao, Chaganti Koteswara Rao, Krishna Bhagawan, Goutham Raju, Ohmkar, Anchor Shyamala, Singer Anjana Sowmya, Pavala Syamala. Culturally, the city has a popular dialect known as Godavari Dialect which is one of the most famous dialects of Andhra Pradesh. Politically, it is also a very important seat of power as there is a sentiment of forming the Government in Andhra Pradesh if won in this region. It is also close to many famous holy temples of the district. It is one of the three smart cities of Andhra Pradesh under Smart Cities Mission. A second new port is being constructed by GMR Group which will become the biggest port in the state. A Petroleum Complex is constructed by the Indian government as the region is full of gas and petroleum resources. It is one of the most rapidly developing cities of the India.