Kadapa is located to the south of River Penna at an elevation of about 452 feet and is surrounded by the Nallamala and Palkonda Hills from three sides. The city enjoys favorable climate through the year, nestled between the Western and Eastern Ghats on either side to protect the region from extreme summer waves and cold winter winds. Telugu is the native, official and most widely spoken language. The total population of the city is 3,40,000 with a literacy rate of over 78 percent and it serves as the headquarters for the Kadapa district. According to the 2011 census, the total population of the district is 2.8 million out of which 46 percent constitute the working age population. Majority of the workers i.e. 60 percent are engaged in the agriculture sector, 4 percent work in the household industry while 36 percent work in services and industry. The local economy is primarily based on Agriculture, Mining and being the district headquarters, a number of people are employed in the government. Tourism also contributes to the economy with the most visited sights being the Ameen Peer Dargah and Devuni Kadapa. Etymologically, the word Kadapa is derived from the Telugu word Gadapa which means threshold or gate and in the past the city served as a gateway to the Tirumala hills. The city was a part of ancient kingdoms of the Cholas, Rashtrakutas, Vijaynagar, Nizams and Mysore.
