Andhra Pradesh
[key], state, 61,855 sq mi (160,205 sq km), SE India, on the Bay of Bengal. The state was
created in 1956 from the Telugu-speaking portions of Madras (now Tamil Nadu) and Hyderabad
states. In 2014 the northwestern portion of the state was separated as the state of Telangana. The capital is Hyderabad, which is now located in
Telangana; it will be joint capital of the two states for 10 years. A new capital for Andhra
Pradesh is planned for Amaravati, in the central section of the state. Andhra Pradesh is
largely on a coastal plain drained by the Penner, Krishna, and Godavari rivers. Rice,
sugarcane, peanuts, and cotton are raised; coal, chrome, and manganese are mined. India's
largest shipyard is located in Vishakhapatnam, and a satellite
launch center is on Sriharikota island in the southeast. The state takes its name from the
Andhra people, the indigenous inhabitants of the area. After the state's creation, there was
sentiment in the section that had been part of Hyderabad in favor of a separate state, and
recurring strikes and demonstrations on the issue at times have led to deadly violence. In
2009 the Indian government announced it would began the process of creating the state of
Telangana, but it then backtracked in the face of opposition. In 2013, however, the government
agreed to a proposal for formation of the state. Andhra Pradesh is governed by a chief
minister and cabinet responsible to a bicameral legislature with one elected house and by a
governor appointed by the president of India.
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