Andhra Pradesh (English: , Telugu: [ãːndʱrɐ prɐdeːʃ] (listen) abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of 162,975 km2 (62,925 sq mi) and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants,. It is bordered by Telangana to the north-west, Chhattisgarh to the north, Odisha to the north-east, Tamil Nadu to the south, Karnataka to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east. It has the second longest coastline in India after Gujarat, of about 974 km (605 mi). Andhra Pradesh was the first state to be formed on a linguistic basis in India on 1 October 1953. On 1 November 1956, Andhra State was merged with the Telugu-speaking areas of the Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati serves as the capital with the largest city being Visakhapatnam.Andhra Pradesh was once a major Buddhist pilgrimage site in the country and a Buddhist learning center which can be seen in many sites in the state in the form of monastery ruins, chaityas and stupas. It is also known for being the land of Koh-i-Noor and other globally known diamonds from Kollur Mine. It is also a major producer of rice known as the "Rice bowl of India". Its official language is Telugu; one of the classical languages of India, the fourth most spoken language in India and the 13th-most spoken language in the world. Andhra Pradesh's second official language is Urdu.Early inhabitants were known as the Andhras, tracing their history back to the Vedic period, when they were mentioned in the 8th century BCE Rigvedic text Aitareya Brahmana. According to the Aitareya Brahmana, the Andhras left North India from the banks of the Yamuna river and migrated to South India. The Assaka Mahajanapada (700–300 BCE) was an ancient kingdom located between the Godavari and Krishna rivers in southeastern India. Accounts that people in the region are descended from the Viswamitra are found in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. The region also derives its name from the Satavahanas, who are also known as Andhras, the earliest kings of Andhra Pradesh and India.People of the said era supported local art and culture by building temples and sculptures of the Buddhist monuments in the state. It was ruled by the Mauryan Empire, Satavahana dynasty, Salankayanas, Andhra Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Gajapati Empire, Mughal Empire, Deccan sultanates, Qutb Shahi dynasty, and Asaf Jahis. In the 3rd century BCE, Andhra was a vassal kingdom of Ashoka, but after his death Andhra became powerful and extended its empire to the whole of Maratha country and beyond.Andhra Pradesh comprises three major regions namely Rayalaseema in the south-west, Coastal Andhra bordering the Bay of Bengal in the east and Uttarandhra at north-east. The state has 26 districts, 6 in Uttarandhra, 12 in Coastal Andhra and 8 in Rayalaseema. The state also borders a union territory, Yanam – a district of Puducherry, which lies to the south of Kakinada in the Godavari delta on the eastern side of the state. The economy of Andhra Pradesh is the 8th largest in India, with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹8.84 trillion (US$110 billion) and has the country's 17th-highest GSDP per capita of ₹170,000 (US$2,100). Andhra Pradesh ranks 27th among Indian states in Human Development Index (HDI). It has a jurisdiction over almost 15,000 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi) of territorial waters.Andhra Pradesh hosted 121.8 million visitors in 2015, a 30% growth in tourist arrivals over the previous year, making it the third most-visited state in India. The Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati is one of the world's most visited religious sites, with 18.25 million visitors per year. The region is also home to a variety of other pilgrimage centres, such as the Pancharama Kshetras, Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga and Kodanda Rama Temple. The state's natural attractions include the beaches of Visakhapatnam, hill stations such as the Araku Valley and Horsley Hills, and the deltas of Konaseema in the Godavari river, and Diviseema in the Krishna river.

Palakollu or Palacole is a town and the administrative headquarters of Palakollu Mandal in Narasapuram revenue division in West Godavari district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Palakollu is situated in Coastal Andhra region of the state. It occupies 4.685 square kilometres (1.809 sq mi). As of 2011 census, it had a population of about 61,284 and a Metro population of about 81,199. Palakollu Municipality merged five Grama panchayats of Seven village's (Kontheru, Adavipalem, Palakollu Rural, Bhaggeswaram, Poolapalli, Varidhanam And Ullamparru) on 7 January 2020. The Seven Villages' had a population of 42,932 as of 2011 Census. It around occupies 20.08 square kilometres (7.75 sq mi) and after merged palakollu municipality, It around occupies 24.68 square kilometres (9.53 sq mi) with 35 election wards it is total population of 1,04,216 (as 2011 Census) and making it the third most populous urban area in West Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of Eluru Urban Development Authority. In 2018, as per the Swachh Bharat mission of the Ministry of Urban Development, Under Swachh Survekshan - 2018 Palakollu Municipality was ranked 43rd in the South Zone out of 1113 With Zonal Avg Marks 1438.96 And State Rank 20th Out of 79 With State Avg Marks 1916.2 Palakollu ULB Census Coad 802966. Palakollu was selected for the year 2015-16 Housing for All Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for houseless poor in the urban areas. At an average altitude of 1.5 metres (4.9 ft), Palakollu town is situated on National Highway 165 (India) and National Highway 216 (India). It is bounded by Krishna district and Vijayawada on the west, Amalapuram and Bay of Bengal on the east, Narasapuram and Bay of Bengal on the south, and Rajahmundry and East Godavari district on the north. Palakollu is home to Ksheerarama, one of the five great Pancharama Kshetras.