Coastal Andhra



Coastal Andhra or Kosta Andhra (IAST: Kōstā Āndhra) is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Visakhapatnam is the largest city in this region. The region share borders with Rayalaseema region of the state and Telangana. It was a part of Madras State before 1953 and Andhra State from 1953 to 1956. According to the 2011 census, it has an area of 91915 sqkm which is 57.99% of the total state area and a population of 34,193,868 which is 69.20% of Andhra Pradesh state population. This area includes the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh on the Circar Coast between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, from the northern border with Odisha to Rayalaseema in the south.

Coastal Andhra is a fertile region suitable for agriculture, which is facilitated by the rivers Godavari, Krishna and Penna. The prosperity of Coastal Andhra can be attributed to its rich agricultural land and an abundant water supply from these three rivers. Rice grown in paddy fields is the main crop, with pulses and coconuts also being important. The fishing industry is also important to the region.

History
The region of Andhra rose to political power during the reign of the Maurya Dynasty. Megasthenes mentioned that Andhra was a flourishing empire of the Satavahanas' since before the common era. Coastal Andhra was also ruled by the famous Chalukyas in between the period of the 7th Century and the 10th century CE. This period was followed by the reign of many other dynasties such as the Cholas, the Kakatiyas as well as the Vijayanagara Empire.

According to 11th century inscriptions, coastal Andhra is bounded by Mahendragiri mountains (in north-eastern border with Gajapati district of Orissa), Kalahasti temple (in Chittoor district near the border of Nellore district), Srisailam temple (in Kurnool district near the border of Mahbubnagar district and Prakasham district).

The Gajapati and Ganjam districts of Odisha were granted to the French East India Company around 1752. Later they were transferred by the French to the British. Nellore, which extends as far as Ongole Taluk, was later received from the Nawab of Arcot, under an establishment. Some parts of present-day Nellore and Chittoor were in the hands of Venkatagiri Rajas. The British made an arrangement with the Raja of Venkatagiri in 1802 to claim power in those territories also.

The districts of Andhra (Circar) and Rayalaseema were ceded by the Nizam of Hyderabad to the British colonial administration, which became part of Madras Presidency.

Geography
Coastal Andhra is located in the eastern region of the state of Andhra Pradesh on the Circar Coast and comprises 18 districts: Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore districts. It borders Rayalaseema region of the state and the states of Telangana. The presence of the Godavari River, Krishna River and Penna River makes the area fertile for irrigation. The coastal line of this region is the second longest in the country, extending up to 974 km.

Demographics
The area had a total population of 34,195,655 as per 2011 Census of India.

Coastal Andhra is predominantly Hindu (around 93%). Estimates of the Christian population are around 1.51% of the Coastal Andhra population.

The main and most spoken language is Telugu.

Culture
Kuchipudi is the classical dance form of the state, which was originated in the Kuchipudi village of Krishna district.

Cuisine
Rice is the staple food in the coastal cuisine and is usually consumed with a variety of curries and lentil soups or broths. The cuisine of Coastal Andhra is influenced by various seafood varieties.

Politics
The 18 districts of Coastal Andhra region are: Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore.

Chief Ministers from the region are:
 * Tanguturi Prakasam Panthulu – 1st Chief Minister of Andhra State (Prakasam).
 * Bezawada Gopala Reddy – 2nd Chief Minister of Andhra State (Nellore).
 * Kasu Brahmananda Reddy – 5rd Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (Palnadu).
 * Bhavanam Venkatarami Reddy – 10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (Guntur).
 * N. T. Rama Rao – 12th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (Krishna).
 * Nadendla Bhaskara Rao – 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (Guntur).
 * K. Rosaiah – 17th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (Prakasam)

Cities and towns
Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Kakinada, Eluru, Rajahmundry are popular cities in this region. The other major cities of this region are Gudivada, Tenali, Narasaraopeta, Bhimavaram, Machilipatnam, Ongole, Tadepalligudem, Also other major towns in the region are, Chirala, Amalapuram, Palakollu, Narasapuram, Kavali, Chilakaluripet, Kandukur.

Buddhist hub
Coastal Andhra is one of the major Buddhist hubs in India after the Gangetic plains in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Many remnants from large monasteries to small stupas are found in this region from Srikakulam district in the North to Nellore district in the South. Archaeological excavations conducted at Gudivada yielded an ancient Buddhist stupa mound. The major Buddhist Remnant sites in this region are as Amaravathi, Salihundam, Ramatheertham, Thotlakonda, Bavikonda, Bojjannakonda, Kummarilova, Kodavali, Bhattiprolu etc.



Rivers, lakes and wetlands
Andhra Pradesh contains 259 coastal wetlands, covering an area of 18,552 km2, out of which 88 are manmade.

Lake Kolleru a major lake in Coastal Andhra. Kolleru, a natural sweet-water lake, is situated in the West Godavari district and serves as a natural flood-balancing reservoir for the two rivers. The lake is also an important habitat for up to 50,000 resident and migratory birds. The lake was declared a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India's Wildlife Protection Act, and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention. In this region, the river Akhanda Godavari splits into several distributary branches, including the Gouthami, Vasishta, Vainatheya, and Vruddha Gouthami, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.



Transport

 * Vijayawada railway station is one of the busiest railway junctions in India, serving many trains.
 * Buses and trains originate from stations in this region, including Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada Port, Kakinada Town railway station, Narsapuram, Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali, Nellore railway station, and Repalle. PNBS, Vijayawada is one of the largest bus terminals in the country.
 * The airports which are currently operating in this region are Vijayawada International Airport, Rajahmundry Airport. The airport which are under construction in this region is Nellore Airport.
 * Kakinada Port is the major ports in Coastal Andhra Region. The state of Andhra Pradesh is the second-busiest maritime state (after Gujarat) in terms of cargo handled. Visakhapatnam Port is one of the busiest cargo-handling ports in the country.
 * Krishnapatnam Port at Nellore is major private port in this region and there are minor ports at Machilipatnam Port and Nizampatnam Port in Guntur.

Notable personalities
National flag design
 * Pingali Venkayya

Singers
 * Bala Murali Krishna
 * S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
 * S. Janaki
 * P. Susheela

Telugu literature, arts and cinema
 * NTR
 * Nannayya
 * Tikkana
 * Tenali Ramakrishna
 * Gurajada Apparao
 * Kandukuri Veeresalingam
 * Devulapalli Venkata Krishna Sastri
 * Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Chowdary
 * Gurram Jashuva
 * S. V. Ranga Rao
 * Ghantasala
 * Pingali Venkayya
 * NTR
 * Akkineni Nageswara Rao
 * Krishna Ghattamaneni
 * Chiranjeevi
 * Nandamuri Balakrishna
 * Pavan kalyan
 * Goparaju Ramachandra Rao
 * S. S. Rajamouli