VISHAKHAPATNAM

city, northeastern Andhra Pradesh state, southern India. It lies on the Bay of Bengal, about 380 miles (612 km) northeast of Madras. Vishakhapatnam lies along a small bay, and its natural harbour is formed by two promontories, the southern one of which is separated from the city by a small river. Vishakhapatnam's port has grown greatly in importance because it has the only protected harbour on the Coromandel Coast. Improvements to the harbour have made it capable of accommodating ships with a draft of 33.5 feet (10.2 m). The city is also an important shipbuilding centre; the first steamer to be built in India was launched in Vishakhapatnam's harbour in 1948. The suburb of Waltair, at the north end of the bay, is the site of Andhra University. Vishakhapatnam exports manganese and oilseeds and has an oil refinery. A medical college and medical museums are located there. The surrounding area is dominated on the west by the well-forested Eastern Ghats and farther east is drained by numerous rivers, among them the Godavari and Indravati. Agriculture is the mainstay of the region's economy. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 750,024; metropolitan area, 1,051,918.