Vishakhapatnam [key], city (1991 pop. 1,057,118), Andhra Pradesh state, SE India, a port on the Bay of Bengal. Established by the British in the 17th cent. and known as Waltair under British rule and later as Vizagapatam, it was famous for cloth and for local handicrafts, especially ornamental objects of ivory, horn, and silver. In 1987 the city was given its current name. Today it is a district administrative center and a health resort and has a naval base, an airport, a shipyard, and an oil refinery. Andhra Univ. is on the outskirts of the city.
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