Andhra Pradesh earns the most from agriculture, for which the state is also known as the rice bowl of India. Rice, sugarcane, cotton, mirchi, Mangoes and tobacco are the local crops.

The state has many multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the world's highest masonary dam.

The state has emerged in recent years as the hub of information technology and biotechnology. In 2004 - 2005, Andhra Pradesh was at the fifth position in the list of top IT exporting states of India.

In 2007, the state's gross domestic product stood at Rs 229,461 crore (Rs 2,294.61 billion).

Image: A cyclist rides past the Char Minar in Hyderabad. | Photograph: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images