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The State : Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is one of the 29 states of the country , bordering India's southeastern coast. The state is the eighth largest state in India covering an area of 160,205 km2 (61,855 sq mi). Tropical forests, rivers, hills and caves make it a popular ecotourism destination. The state has a coastline of 974 km (605 mi), the second longest among all the states of India after Gujarat. It is bordered by Telangana in the north-west, Chhattisgarh in the north, Odisha in the north-east, Karnataka in the west, Tamil Nadu in the south and the water body of Bay of Bengal in the east. There are two regions in the state namely Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. These two regions comprise 13 districts, with 9 in Coastal Andhra and 4 in Rayalaseema. Visakhapatnam is the largest city and a commercial hub of the state. There are a total of 28 cities with a population of 100,000 and above in the state at the 2011 Census, while Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada are the two million-plus cities.

Districts of Andhra Pradesh State

Anantapur । Chittoor । East Godavari । Guntur । Kadapa । Krishna । Kurnool । Nellore । Prakasam । Srikakulam । Visakhapatnam । Vizianagaram । West Godavari । Parliamentary Constituencies in Andhra Pradesh

Culture of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is spread across valleys, and 90% of the population lives in villages and towns. However, the state has achieved 100% hygiene and practically no single house is without a toilet. The villages are well connected to roads, public health centers, and now with Lokmitra kendra using high-speed broadband. Shimla district has maximum urban population of 25%. According to a 2005 Transparency International survey, Andhra Pradesh is ranked the second-least corrupt state in the country after Kerala.

Hinduism is the main religion in Andhra Pradesh, which ranks first in India in terms of the proportion of Hindus present within it. More than 95% of the total population belongs to the Hindu faith, the distribution of which is evenly spread throughout the state. Andhra Pradesh thushas the one of the highest proportion of Hindu population in India (95.17%).

Other religions that form a small percentage are Buddhism and Sikhism. The Lahaulis of Lahaul and Spiti region are mainly Buddhists. Sikhs mostly live in towns and cities and constitute 1.16% of the state population. For example, they form 10% of the population in Una District adjoining the state of Punjab and 17% in Shimla, the state capital. The Buddhists constitute 1.15% are mainly natives and tribals from Lahaul and Spiti, where they form majority of 60% and Kinnaur where they form 40%, however the bulk are refugees from Tibet. The Muslims constitute slightly 2.18% of the population of Andhra Pradesh.

Muslims are mainly present in the Chamba and Solan districts, whilst the minority Buddhist population primarily resides in the Lahul & Sapiti and Kinnour districts. The tiny Catholic minority has its own Roman Catholic Diocese of Simla and Chandigarh, which has its cathedral see in Simla and a co-cathedral in Chandigarh.