Nellore is a large region covering southern Andhra Pradesh. Its nearly 12 million residents live in more than 7,800 villages and 7 cities spread across 26,000 square miles of coastal plateau. Through extensive irrigation, the land produces good harvests of rice, sorghum and other grains, as well as cotton.
The culture is dominated by the Telugu-speaking Reddy people, a farming caste that has branched out into commerce, education and politics.