Hyderabad

Hyderabad is the most advanced district of Andhra Pradesh surrounded by Nalgonda in the east, Mahaboobnagar in the south, Karnataka state in the west and Medak district in the north. It is the capital city of the state and is fifth-largest city of the country. The city was founded in 1590 by Muhammad Quli, the fourth of the Qutb Shahi kings.

Hyderabad consists of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and is a bustling 400-year-old metropolis with an urban population of 6 million approximately. The city is famous for the fact that it was the former seat of the fabulously wealthy Nizams of Hyderabad. Built on the banks of the river Musi, and surrounded by huge prehistoric rock formations like petrified, gray elephants.

Hyderabad (Urban) District in its present shape has come into existence in August, 1978 consequent on formation of a new District, Ranga Reddy from the erstwhile Hyderabad District. All the rural areas of erstwhile Hyderabad District have been included in Ranga Reddy District, while the area of Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (Excluding a small part), Secunderabad Cantonment, Lalaguda and Osmania University are included in Hyderabad District.

Attractions
Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum, Hussain Sagar, St. Joseph's Cathedral, St. Mary's Church, Birla Mandir, Birla Planetarium, Falaknuma Palace, Hi-Tech City, High Court, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Paigah Tombs, Chote Hazrat Ki Dargah, Raymond's Tomb, Sanjeevaiah Park, Indira Park, Naubat Pahad, Public Gardens, Nehru Zoological Park etc.

Facts & Figures

Area	217 sq. kms.
Latitude	17.366° N
Longitude	78.476° E
Temperature	Max.: 43°C; Min.: 13°C
Average Rainfall	786.8 mm
Population	38, 29,753 (2001 census)
Population Density	19149 per sq. km
Sex Ratio	945 females per 1000 males
Literacy	68.80%
No. of Villages	66
STD Code	044

How to Reach
Hyderabad, being one of the important cities of India is well connected by air, rail and roads to major destinations of the country and world.

By Air : Hyderabad is well connected to all major cities of the world. The city has an international airport at Begumpet which is just 8 km north of Abids. The city is also connected to major Indian cities with domestic flights. Several international air lines like Lufthansa Airlines, SilkAir, Malaysian Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, and Indian Airlines operate flights on regular and weekly basis to several destinations of the globe.

By Rail : Hyderabad is the head quarter of South Central Railway; hence well connected with all major cities of India. Several mails, express and super fast trains are available from Hyderabad to other cities of India.

There are two train stations—Hyderabad railway station (also called Nampally) and Secunderabad. Trains leave daily from both stations for almost all parts of India. While booking tickets at a particular station one should ask what station the train departs from, as the two stations are about a half-hour apart and this can sometimes cause confusion.

By Road : Hyderabad is well connected to other cities in the state by a network of highways. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses and buses belonging to other South Indian State Roadways also operate from here. The city is also connected to other neighboring states through a network of national highways. Express and luxury coaches are available for inter-city and interstate services. There are two bus stands – the old and the new. The new bus stand is just 3 km southeast of the railway station. Buses are available for Tirupati, Vijayawada, Aurangabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Hospet and many other places.