POLITY OF ANDHRA PRADESH 

The State of Andhra Pradesh was originally formed in 1956.

The language of most of the people in the State is denoted by the terms Telugu or Andhra, although they bear no phonetic or etymological affmity. 

There were two important stages in the formation of the State. At the time of Independence, the Telugu-speaking people 

were concentrated in the old multilingual Madras State and the princely State of 

Hyderabad. 

The Telugu-speaking areas of the Madras State were separated on 1st October 1953 to create the 'Andhra' state, with Kumool as capital. 

This Andhra region itself was composed of two sub-regions, namely the Andhra region 

(popularly called the Andhra), and the south interior region, known as Rayalaseema. 

Later, the Telugu-speaking districts (referred to as Telangana region) of the old Hyderabad Statewere merged with the Andhra State on 1st november 1956 under the State Reorganisation Act, to form the greater Andhra (Visalandhra), called Andhra Pradesh. 

Hyderabad, the former capital of the Nizam State, became the capital of the enlarged State (Rao, 1988; Narayana Rao, 1973; Sarojini, 1968; Venkatarangaiah, 

1965). It was the first State in Independent India to be formed on linguistic principle, 

creating one unified State for people speaking one language. 

Historians disagree on how these two terms came to be used to denote the same people. 

Some say that the Andhras came to the region from northern parts of the Indian sub-continent as part of their southward expansion. 

They found a comparatively developed people here whom they called the Nagas. 

The language of the local people was non-Sanskritic, and they probably called themselves Tillingas or Telingas. 

Both peoples lived together and united into one. 

The crossing of the Telugu/Tmugu and the Adhm gave rise to a hybrid and the synthesis has been so perfect that the two terms Andhra and telugu became synonymous with each other(Hamamantha Rao, 1996; Nagabhushana Sarma and veerabadra Sastry, 1995). 

• NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

 

Andhra Pradesh forms a major cultural and geographical link between the northern and southern parts of India. 

It is situated in the tropical region between the latitudes 1 3-20°north, and the longitudes 77-85" east.

It was bounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, Orissa in the north-east, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra in the north, Karnataka in the west and Tamil Nadu in the south. 

Andhra Pradesh has the second longest coastline in India (972 krn), running fiom Ichchapuram in Srikalculam district in the north to Sriharikota in Nellore district in the south. 

There are eight working ports in the State, including one major port (Visakhapatnam) and two intermediate ports (Kakinada and Machilipatnam). 

Krishnapatnarn port in the private sector is also making great progress. 

Andhra Pradesh is also rich in a variety of minerals, the most important of them being coal, limestone, natural gas, barytes, manganese, mica and iron ore.

 

Much of the industrial growth of the State is in mining and industries dependent 

upon these minerals.

• POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS 

Andhra Pradesh was the fifth largest State in India, in terms of both area and population. 

In 2001, the State's population stood at 75.73 million (Census of India, 2001), which accounts for 7.4% of India's total population.

The sheer enormity of the State can be gauged against the fact that only 12 nations of the world have a population larger than that of Andhra Pradesh. 

The State population has more than 

doubled since its formation, although its decennial growth rate of population came 

down to 13.86 between 199 1 and 2001.

 

Literacy rate in Andhra Pradesh increased fiom 44.1 % in 1 99 1 to 6 1.1 % in 

2001, but it is still lower than the all-India figure of 65.4%.

The difference in literacy rate between rural and urban population, tribal and non-tribal people, socially backward castes and the upper castes, and males and females is still very wide.