Location, Extent & the Districts of Andhra Pradesh
In short: Location, extent, borders and the 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Geography › Location & Physiography · 34 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu
Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.
Where Andhra Pradesh sits on the south-east coast of India, its extent and long Bay-of-Bengal coastline, how the residuary state and its capital came to be, the 2022 reorganisation into 26 districts, and the 2011-Census demographic, tribal and agro-climatic profile of the state.
1. Where Andhra Pradesh Sits — the South-East Coast
Andhra Pradesh lies in the south-eastern part of India, on the Bay of Bengal, between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Unlike its landlocked neighbour Telangana, AP is a coastal state — the sea forms its entire eastern edge. Its land mixes the coastal plains in the east with the Eastern Ghats and the Deccan Plateau inland, and it stretches across two historic regions: Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
- Latitude & longitude — AP extends broadly from about 12°41′ North to 19°07′ North latitude and 77° East to 84°40′ East longitude (some references round this to ~19°54′N / 76°46′–84°46′E — the two are close and both are seen in exam material).
- A coastal state — AP has a coastline of about 974 km on the Bay of Bengal — long treated as the second-longest coastline of any Indian state, after Gujarat. This shapes its fishing, ports (Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam, Gangavaram) and cyclone exposure.
- Two regions — Coastal Andhra (the deltaic plains of the Godavari and Krishna, the old 'Northern Circars') and Rayalaseema (the drier, rockier interior of the south-west — Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapuramu and Chittoor country).
2. Extent & Area
The residuary State of Andhra Pradesh covers a geographical area of about 1,62,970 square kilometres — roughly 4.96% of India's total area. That places it as the 8th largest state in the country by area (a few sources round this to 7th–8th).
Andhra Pradesh — key figures| Measure | Value |
|---|
| Area | ≈ 1,62,970 sq km (≈ 4.96% of India; 8th largest) |
| Coastline | ≈ 974 km — 2nd longest in India |
| Population (2011) | ≈ 4,93,86,799 — 10th largest state (≈4.09% of India) |
| Districts | 26 (since 4 April 2022) |
3. The Long Coastline — 974 km on the Bay of Bengal
AP's 974 km coastline runs the length of nine coastal districts, from Srikakulam in the north to Tirupati/Nellore in the south. It carries three major ports — Visakhapatnam (a natural harbour), Krishnapatnam and Gangavaram — and exposes the state to Bay-of-Bengal cyclones almost every year.
4. Borders — Neighbours by Direction
Andhra Pradesh is bordered by five states and by the Bay of Bengal to the east. Fixing which neighbour lies in which direction is a standard one-mark question.
Andhra Pradesh's neighbours| Direction | Neighbour |
|---|
| East | Bay of Bengal (sea) |
| North-East | Odisha |
| North | Chhattisgarh |
| North-West / West | Telangana |
| West / South-West | Karnataka |
| South | Tamil Nadu |
5. Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema & the Uttarandhra Sub-Region
Administratively and culturally, Andhra Pradesh is described in two broad historical regions — but the northern coastal stretch is distinctive enough that it is very often named as a third, recognised sub-region: Uttarandhra (North Coastal Andhra).
- Coastal Andhra — The long eastern seaboard tract of the Godavari–Krishna deltas — the state's rice bowl, and the most densely settled part of AP.
- Uttarandhra (North Coastal) — The northern coastal belt — Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and the hill-tribal tracts around them (today also Parvathipuram Manyam, Anakapalli, Alluri Sitharama Raju) — often treated as a sub-region of Coastal Andhra because of its distinct hilly/tribal character and its port-industrial economy centred on Visakhapatnam.
- Rayalaseema — The drier, rockier south-western interior — Kurnool, Kadapa (YSR), Anantapuramu and Chittoor country (today also Nandyal, Sri Sathya Sai, Annamayya, Tirupati) — historically ruled by the Vijayanagara/Rayala kings, hence the name.
6. Birth of the Residuary State — 2 June 2014
Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, the state of Andhra Pradesh was split on 2 June 2014: Telangana became the new 29th state, and the remaining territory continued as the residuary (successor) State of Andhra Pradesh. So AP is not a 'new' state — it is the continuing state that carried forward the name after bifurcation.
7. The Capital — Amaravati
The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amaravati, a greenfield capital being developed on the south bank of the Krishna river, in the Vijayawada–Guntur region (in the NTR/Guntur district area). It is named after the ancient Buddhist site of Amaravati nearby.
8. From 13 to 26 Districts (4 April 2022)
At bifurcation in 2014 the residuary state had 13 districts. To take administration closer to people, AP was reorganised on 4 April 2022 under the same AP Districts (Formation) Act, 1974 framework, when the count was raised to 26 districts. The guiding idea was to make each new district roughly coextensive with one Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituency — so administrative, developmental and electoral boundaries would largely line up.
The reorganisation used Section 3 of the Act and produced an average district size of about 19.06 lakh population and 6,267 sq km area — though, as the superlatives ahead show, individual districts vary widely around that average.
9. The 26 Districts & Their Parent Districts
Every one of the 26 districts today was carved from one of the original 13 (some drew territory from more than one neighbour). Knowing the parent helps place a new district correctly on the map. (Confirm exact mandal-level splits against the current official notification, especially for the newest, multi-parent districts.)
New district (2022) ↔ parent (pre-2022) district| New District (2022) | Primarily Formed From |
|---|
| Srikakulam | Srikakulam |
| Parvathipuram Manyam | Srikakulam & Vizianagaram ★ |
| Vizianagaram | Vizianagaram |
| Visakhapatnam | Visakhapatnam |
| Anakapalli | Visakhapatnam |
| Alluri Sitharama Raju | Visakhapatnam & East Godavari ★ |
| Kakinada | East Godavari |
| East Godavari | East Godavari |
| Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema | East Godavari |
| Eluru | West Godavari & Krishna ★ |
| West Godavari | West Godavari |
| Krishna | Krishna |
| NTR | Krishna |
| Guntur | Guntur |
| Palnadu | Guntur |
| Bapatla | Guntur |
| Prakasam | Prakasam |
| Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore | SPSR Nellore |
| Kurnool | Kurnool |
| Nandyal | Kurnool |
| Ananthapuramu | Anantapur |
| Sri Sathya Sai | Anantapur |
| YSR Kadapa | YSR Kadapa |
| Annamayya | YSR Kadapa & Chittoor ★ |
| Chittoor | Chittoor |
| Tirupati | Chittoor & SPSR Nellore ★ |
10. District Superlatives — Largest, Smallest & Most/Least Populous
'Which district is largest / smallest / most populous' facts are exam favourites. These use the current 26-district map.
District records (26-district map)| Record | District |
|---|
| Largest by area | Prakasam |
| 2nd largest by area | Alluri Sitharama Raju |
| Smallest by area | Visakhapatnam (a fully urban district) |
| Most populous | Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore (≈24.7 lakh) |
| Least populous | Bapatla (≈16 lakh) |
| Most mandals | Prakasam & Nellore (38 each) |
| Fewest mandals | Visakhapatnam (11) |
11. Demographic Profile (Census 2011)
The last full census, 2011, remains the anchor for every population figure quoted in the exam. Residuary AP's population then was 4,93,86,799 — about 4.94 crore — making it the 10th largest state by population (≈4.09% of India's total).
Andhra Pradesh at the 2011 Census| Indicator | Figure |
|---|
| Total population | 4,93,86,799 (≈49.39 million) |
| Density | 304 persons/sq km (India: 382) |
| Sex ratio | 997 (up from 983 in 2001; India: 943) |
| Literacy rate | 67.35% (India: 72.98%); male 74.77%, female 59.96% |
| Urbanisation | 29.47% urban (up from 24.13% in 2001) |
- Density extremes — Krishna district has the highest density (518/sq km); YSR Kadapa and Prakasam are the least dense, both below 200.
- Sex-ratio leaders — Vizianagaram and Srikakulam have the most favourable sex ratios; East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and Guntur all crossed from below 1,000 to above 1,000 between 2001 and 2011.
- Literacy & urbanisation leaders — West Godavari has the highest literacy (74.3%); Vizianagaram the lowest (58.89%). Visakhapatnam is the most urbanised district (47.45%); Srikakulam and Prakasam the least (16.16% and 19.56%).
12. Scheduled Tribes & Scheduled Castes
Scheduled Tribes
AP's Scheduled Areas cover about 16,267.63 sq km (≈10.15% of the state's area), spread over 3,512 villages across Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli and Eluru districts. The tribal population (2011) is 27.39 lakh — about 5.53% of the state, spread across 34 ST communities.
- PVTGs — Of the 34 ST communities, 7 are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): Chenchu, Gadaba, Kondh, Kolam, Konda Reddy, Porja and Savara. The Chenchu is the state's most vulnerable tribal group.
- ST indicators — ST literacy is 48.83% (male 58.37%, female 39.40%); ST sex ratio is 1009 (higher than the state average); ST poverty is around 24%, well above the state's overall ≈9.2%.
Scheduled Castes
The Scheduled Caste population (2011) is 84.69 lakh — 17.08% of the state, up from 74.28 lakh in 2001 (14.01% growth). SC literacy is 64.47%; the SC sex ratio is 1007 — higher than the SC literacy rate might suggest, and higher than the state's overall sex ratio.
13. Agro-Climatic Zones & State Symbols
The 6 agro-climatic zones
Agro-climatic zones group districts by climate, soil and topography to guide cropping choices. AP is divided into 6 such zones (named using the pre-2022, 13-district map, since the zones pre-date the district split).
AP's 6 agro-climatic zones| Zone | Districts (pre-2022 names) |
|---|
| North Coastal Zone | Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam |
| Godavari Zone | East Godavari, West Godavari |
| Krishna Zone | Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam |
| Southern Zone | Chittoor, YSR (Kadapa), SPS Nellore |
| Scarce Rainfall Zone | Kurnool, Anantapuramu |
| High Altitude & Tribal Areas Zone | High-altitude/tribal tracts of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam & East Godavari |
State symbols
Official state symbols of Andhra Pradesh| Symbol | Name |
|---|
| State animal | Black Buck (Antilope cervicapra) |
| State bird | Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) |
| State tree | Neem (Azadirachta indica) |
| State flower | Jasmine (Jasminum) |
| State emblem | Poorna Kumbham |
| State dance | Kuchipudi |
| State song | Maa Telugu Talliki |
| State sport | Kabaddi |
| State fruit | Mango |
| State water animal | Dolphin |
14. At a Glance — Quick Revision
Must-remember anchors| Question hook | Answer |
|---|
| Area of AP | ≈ 1,62,970 sq km (8th largest) |
| Coastline | ≈ 974 km — 2nd longest in India |
| Bifurcation day | 2 June 2014 (residuary state) |
| Capital | Amaravati (on the Krishna) |
| Number of districts | 26 (since 4 April 2022) |
| Neighbouring states | Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Population (2011) | 4,93,86,799 — sex ratio 997 |
| Largest / smallest district (area) | Prakasam / Visakhapatnam |
| Most / least populous district | Nellore / Bapatla |
| Agro-climatic zones | 6 |
| State bird / animal | Rose-ringed Parakeet / Black Buck |