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Coastal Andhra or Kosta, is an unofficial region of India's Andhra Pradesh state. It includes the northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, from the northern border with Orissa to south of the delta of the Krishna River. It includes the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore. While the talukas of Munagala and Bhadrachalam are considered part of coastal andhra, they are administered by the Nalagonda and Khammam districts respectively, to maintain administrative continuity. These talukas will be transferred to Coastal Andhra in the event of further reorganisation of the Andhrapradesh state
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Livelihood
Visakhapatnam is the largest and most populated city and is the industrial capital of coastal Andhra. It boasts naval headquarters, shipyards, steel plants and refineries. It has a cosmopolitan culture and many educational institutes. Vizag as it is colloquially called, is also a tourist capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the city with the highest GDP(per capita)(as of 2006) of 36,000 Rs compared to 24,000 Rs of Vijayawada, the second richest city of this region. Visakhapatnam Port is an important harbour for the region.
Vijayawada, the second largest city, is the cultural and commercial capital and is also politically very active. It is also one of the educational centers of India.
Coastal Andhra has rich agricultural land, owing to the delta of the Godavari and Krishna rivers. The prosperity of Coastal Andhra can be attributed to its rich agricultural land and abundant water supply from these two rivers. Rice grown in paddy fields is the main crop, with pulses and coconuts also being important.
Lakes and wetlands
Andhra Pradesh contains 259 coastal wetlands covering an area of 18,552 sq. km.[1], out of which 88 are manmade. Lakes Kolleru and Pulicat are the two major lakes 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. Pulicat is the largest salt water lake in the country, located near the village Pulicat and spreads between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
This part of the State is also known for Konaseema, a small delta region in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. In this region, the river Akhanda Godavari splits into several distributary branches, including the Gouthami, Vasishta, Vintheya, and Vruddha Gouthami, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
See also
References
- ^ Wetlands of India report, ISRO
External links
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