Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh stretches along India's south-eastern coast, with one of the longest coastlines of any Indian state facing the Bay of Bengal. Its landscape moves from the fertile Godavari and Krishna deltas – the "rice bowl" of the south – to the forested Eastern Ghats and the dry plateau of Rayalaseema. For travellers it means the hill temple of Tirumala, the beaches of Visakhapatnam, the Araku Valley coffee country and the ancient Buddhist sites of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda.

The state in its present form dates from 2 June 2014, when Telangana was separated from it. Amaravati, on the banks of the Krishna, has been developed as its capital.

The region was home to powerful early dynasties such as the Satavahanas, under whom Amaravati became a great centre of Buddhist art, and later the Eastern Chalukyas and Kakatiyas. The Vijayanagara Empire ruled much of the south in the 15th–16th centuries, followed by the Qutb Shahis and, later, British rule as part of the Madras Presidency.

Andhra State was created on 1 October 1953 after a movement for a Telugu-speaking state, during which Potti Sriramulu died after a fast. It merged with the Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh on 1 November 1956, the first state organised on linguistic lines. Telangana became a separate state in 2014.

The coastal plain is crossed by the deltas of the Godavari and Krishna, two of the largest rivers of peninsular India. The Eastern Ghats run inland, rising to the Araku and Lambasingi hills, while Rayalaseema in the south-west is a dry plateau. The Pulicat lake lagoon lies on the border with Tamil Nadu.

Agriculture and aquaculture are major sectors – the state is one of India's leading producers of rice, chillies and farmed shrimp. Visakhapatnam is a major port and industrial city with shipbuilding and a steel plant, and Sriharikota, home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, is India's main spaceport.

Telugu is the main language. Kuchipudi, one of India's classical dance forms, takes its name from a village in Krishna district. The state is famous for Kalamkari textile painting, Kondapalli wooden toys, Etikoppaka lacquerware and fiery Andhra cuisine with its pickles such as gongura. Sankranti is the biggest festival, celebrated over several days in January.