Visakhapatnam

"Waltair" redirects here. For former Congolese airline, see Waltair (DR Congo).

Visakhapatnam
Vizag, Vizagapatam, Visakha, Waltair[1]
Metropolis
Clockwise from top: Skyline of Visakhapatnam, MV Goa built at Hindustan Shipyard in Vizag, Lord Shiva & Parvathi statues on Kailasagiri, Visakhapatnam Port, Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary and Old Vizag Lighthouse on RK Beach
Nickname(s): 
The City of Destiny
The Jewel of the East Coast
Map
Interactive map
Visakhapatnam is located in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is located in Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is located in India
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Coordinates: 17°42′15″N 83°17′52″E / 17.70417°N 83.29778°E / 17.70417; 83.29778
Country India
StateAndhra Pradesh
DistrictsVisakhapatnam, Anakapalli
Incorporated (town)1865
Incorporated (city)1979
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Corporation
 • BodyGVMC, VMRDA
 • MayorGolagani Hari Venkata Kumari[2] (YSRCP)
Area
[3][4][5][6][7]
 • Metropolis
640 km2 (250 sq mi)
 • Metro
[8][9]
7,328.86 km2 (2,829.69 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[10]
 • Metropolis
2,091,811
 • Estimate 
(2021)[11]
2,358,412
 • Rank17th
 • Density3,300/km2 (8,500/sq mi)
DemonymVizagite
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
530 0XX, 531 1XX[12]
Telephone code+91-891
Vehicle registrationAP-31, AP-32, AP-33, AP-34 , AP-39
Official languagesTelugu
Nominal GDP(2023-24) (Note: The following GDP Constitutes only for GVMC limits)₹129,571 crore (US$16 billion)[13]
Contribution to state as a % of GDP9%
GDP(PPP)US$64billion[14]
Website

Visakhapatnam (/vɪˌsɑːkəˈpʌtnəm/; formerly known as Vizagapatam,[17] also known as Vizag, Viśākha or Waltair)[1][18][19] is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.[20] It is between the Eastern Ghats and the coast of the Bay of Bengal.[21][22] It is the second largest city on the east coast of India after Chennai, and the fourth largest in South India. It is one of the four smart cities of Andhra Pradesh selected under the Smart Cities Mission[23] and is the headquarters of Visakhapatnam district.[24] With an estimated output of $43.5 billion, it is the ninth largest contributor to India's gross domestic product as of 2016.[25][26] Vizag is popularly knows as shipbuilding capital of India due to presence of multiple shipyard such as Hindustan Shipyard and being the central naval command of the east coast.

Visakhapatnam's history dates back to the 6th century BCE.[27] The city was ruled by the Andhra Satavahanas, Vengi, the Pallava and Eastern Ganga dynasties.[28][29] Visakhapatnam was an ancient port city which had trade relations with the Middle East and Rome.[30] Ships in Visakhapatnam were anchored at open roads and loaded with cargo transported from the shoreside using small masula boats.[31] A reference to a Vizagapatnam merchant is available in the inscriptions of Bheemeswara temple (1068 CE) in the East Godavari District.[32] During the 12th century CE, Vizagapatnam was a fortified mercantile town managed by a guild.[33] European powers eventually established trade operations in the city, and by the end of the 18th century it had come under French colonial rule.[34][35] Control of the city passed to the East India Company in 1804 and it remained under British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947.[35]

The city is home to some reputed Central and State educational institutions of the state, including Andhra University (AU), Andhra Medical College (AMC), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Indian Maritime University (IMU), and the National Institute of Oceanography among others. Visakhapatnam serves as the headquarters for the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command.[36] The city also serves as the zonal headquarters of South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR). The city is also home to the oldest shipyard and the only natural harbour on the east coast of India.[37] Visakhapatnam Port is the fifth-busiest cargo port in India. The city is a major tourist destination and is known for its beaches, ancient Buddhist sites, and the natural environment of the surrounding Eastern Ghats.[38] It is nicknamed as the "City of Destiny" and the "Jewel of the East Coast".[24] According to the Swachh Survekshan rankings of 2020, it is the ninth cleanest city in India among cities with a population of more than 1 million.[39] In 2020, it was a finalist in the Living and Inclusion category of the World Smart City Awards.[40][41]

  1. ^ a b "How Waltair flourished to become Visakhapatnam, the City of Destiny". 18 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Vizag mayor: Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari of YSRCP elected mayor of Visakhapatnam | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  3. ^ "Vizag metro gets in-principle nod | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  4. ^ "Vizag tops the list of most populated districts in AP | Visakhapatnam News - Yo Vizag". Yo Vizag.
  5. ^ "Clean Visakha Green Visakha: Abstract". 2018. pp. 168–172.
  6. ^ "Now, GVMC area to be reorganised into 98 wards | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  7. ^ "Stakes high for 1st GVMC polls following merger of Bheemili&Anakapalli | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  8. ^ "Vizag to expand: 13 mandals added to VMRDA, beach corridor and airport prioritised | The News Minute". The News Minute.
  9. ^ "VMRDA area now 7.3k sq km after addition of 13 mandals | Visakhapatnam News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  10. ^ "INDIA STATS : Million plus cities in India as per Census 2011". Press Information Bureau, Mumbai. National Informatics Centre (NIC). Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  11. ^ "INDIA STATS : Vizag's population to cross 30 lakh mark by 2035". The Times of India. 11 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Pin Codes of Visakhapatnam, Andhra-Pradesh, India, Visakhapatanam Pincode Search". indiapincodes.net. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  13. ^ https://des.ap.gov.in/MainPage.do?mode=menuBind&tabname=publications
  14. ^ https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/PPPEX@WEO/OEMDC
  15. ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Vishakhapatnam, India". www.fallingrain.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  16. ^ Seta, Fumihiko; Biswas, Arindam; Khare, Ajay; Sen, Joy (2016). Understanding Built Environment: Proceedings of the National Conference on Sustainable Built Environment 2015. Springer. p. 98. ISBN 9789811021381. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  17. ^ "The untold story of Vizagapatam's 1780 mutiny". The Hindu. 29 April 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Behind The Name - Vizag". Vizag -. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  19. ^ "From Allahabad to Prayagraj: 20 cities that changed their names". The New Indian Express. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  20. ^ Menon, Vandana (1 May 2024). "Why Vizag, financial capital powering Andhra Pradesh's economy, hasn't realised its potential". ThePrint. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  21. ^ "In pics: Hudhud takes the green sheen off Vizag". Hindustan Times. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  22. ^ "About District | Visakhapatnam District, Government of Andhra Pradesh | India". Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  23. ^ "AP: Andhra Pradesh smart cities to be ready by 2021". Vijayawada News. The Times of India. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  24. ^ a b Academy, Students'. Visakhapatnam-The City of Destiny-India. Lulu.com. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-257-06510-3. Retrieved 16 May 2017.[self-published source]
  25. ^ "Visakhapatnam district development plan" (PDF).
  26. ^ "Vizag 9th richest city in country". 23 November 2017.
  27. ^ Jesudasan, Dennis S. (19 September 2019). "Keezhadi excavations: Sangam era older than previously thought, finds study". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Visakhapatnam District". Visakhapatnam District. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  29. ^ "Satavahana History". VMRDA. Visakhapatnam. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  30. ^ "City of destiny Visakhapatnam, a new address of Andhra Pradesh Capital?". Deccan Herald. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  31. ^ "Our History". Visakhapatnam Port Authority. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  32. ^ Onka, Sumit Kumar (25 May 2016). "Visakhapatnam was a land of traders, artists: Researcher Edward Paul". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  33. ^ "Visakhapatnam Port Trust". Visakhapatnam Port Trust. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  34. ^ "Maps of India – Visakhapatnam History". Maps of India. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  35. ^ a b "History of Visakhapatnam". I Love India. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  36. ^ "Basic Organization". Join Indian Navy. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  37. ^ Gopalakrishnan, Hema (7 November 2012). "A career in Vizag". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  38. ^ Ghosh, G. K. (2008). Bamboo: The Wonderful Grass. APH Publishing. p. 300. ISBN 9788131303696. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  39. ^ "Swachh Survekshan 2020" (PDF). Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2021.
  40. ^ "Vizag stands third at World Smart City Awards 2020". Vizag. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Visakhapatnam will be Andhra's capital, says Jagan. What happens to Amaravati and the 3-capitals plan?". 31 January 2023.


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