Page 81 - SST Class 04

India. Its major cities include Warangal, Nizamadabad and Karimnagar. The state has
emerged as an important IT (information technology) centre. It also has a number of
aerospace and research laboratories, like the DRDO (Defence Research and
Development Organisation), DRDL (Defence Research and Development Laboratory)
etc. Agriculture is the main occupation with rice as an important crop. Other crops
include cotton, sugarcane, mango and tobacco.

The state has rich cultural heritage. It has several Know It!
important historical monuments including Charminar,
Warangal Fort, Thousand-pillar Temple etc. Its Golconda v It was at the DRDL that Dr.
mines are known for gems and diamonds. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam once
worked while working on
The common language of Telangana is Telugu; Urdu is missiles.
also spoken widely. The well-known dish of Telangana
is biryani .

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has both plain and plateau. The state of Telangana has been carved
out of it.

The inner area of Andhra Pradesh is a plateau while its coastal area is plain. Two chief
rivers in this state are the Krishna and Godavari. Tanks are used for irrigation in which
rainwater is collected.
The important occupations include farming and industries. The chief crops grown in

this state are rice, sugarcane, millets, banana and tobacco. There are a number of
industries, such as cement,
fertilizers, machine tools,
tobacco products, computer
parts, textiles, paper etc., in
which a large number of people
work. Handicrafts are practised

on a large scale. Kalamkari
work and carving work are
Kalamkari Kuchipudi
famous here.
Telugu and Urdu are common language; besides other South Indian languages and

English are also spoken. Men wear dhoti-kurta and women wear saree . Rice is the
staple diet. Idli, dosa, sambar, rasam etc., are the popular dishes of this state. All
festivals are celebrated with fanfare, such as Dussehra, Onam and Eid. A classical
dance, Kuchipudi , is popular here.

Its permanent capital Amaravati is being built, until then Hyderabad is functioning as

India : Life in Southern Plateaus 81