With a population of approximately 2.5 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was named after the god of Valor, Visakha. It is located 625 kilometers (388 mi) east of state capital, Hyderabad. The city is nestled among the hills of the Eastern Ghats and
faces the Bay of Bengal to the east. It is the administrative headquarters of Visakhapatnam district and is also headquarters to the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. Visakhapatnam is often referred to as The Jewel of The East Coast[citation needed] or The City of Destiny and is sometimes referred to as the "Goa of the East Coast." Just like its west coast counterpart, it has beautiful virgin beaches, laterite hillocks, smooth roads and stunning landscape. Visakhapatnam is second largest township in Andhra Pradesh with an area of 550 km². It also has Yo Vizag being circulated in it every month. It is primarily an industrial city, apart from being a port city. It is also home to the Eastern Naval Command. Visakhapatnam has seen rapid development in the past decade. The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) will get a new master plan consequent to the increase in its purview from 170 km² to 550 km². The earlier master plan was approved by the government in 2006. VUDA’s jurisdiction has been expanded in mid-2008. The city sometimes goes by its now mostly defunct colonial British name,Waltair. During the colonial era, the city's hub was the Waltair railway station, and that part of the city is still called Waltair. It is sometimes referred to as the "City of Destiny". Visakhapatnam is home to several state-owned heavy industries; one of the most advanced steel plants and has one of the country's largest ports and its oldest shipyard. It has the only natural harbour on the eastern coast of India.
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