AndamanandNicobarIslands

Area:8,249sq.km
Population:356,152
Capital:PortBlair
PrincipalLanguages:Hindi,Nicobarese,Bengali,Tamil,Malayalam,Telugu
Unionterritory(pop.,2008est.:411,000),India.
LIEUTENANTGOVERNOR
ANDAMAN&NICOBARISLANDS
LTGEN(Retd)BHOPINDERSINGH

It consists of two groups of islands in the Bay of Bengal about 800 mi (1,300 km) east of the Indian
subcontinent and Sri Lanka; the total area is 3,185 sq mi (8,249 sq km). The chief islands are North
Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman (known collectively as Great Andaman), and Little
Andaman. The Nicobar group includes Car Nicobar, Camorta (Kamorta) and Nancowry, and Great
Nicobar.Ofthehundredsofislandsthatconstitutetheterritory,thenumberofpopulatedislandsofthe
AndamangroupisaboutdoublethatoftheNicobargroup.PortBlaironSouthAndaman,establishedby
theBritishin1858,istheterritorialcapital.
Unionterritory,India,consistingoftwogroupsofislandsatthesoutheasternedgeoftheBayofBengal.
Thepeaksofasubmergedmountainrange,theAndamanIslandsandtheirneighbourstothesouth,the
Nicobar Islands, form an arc stretching southward for some 620 miles (1,000 km) between Myanmar
(Burma) and the island of Sumatra, Indonesia; the arc constitutes the boundary between the Bay of
BengaltothewestandtheAndamanSeatotheeast.
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The Andamans, situated on the ancient trade route between India and Myanmar, were visited by the
navy of the English East India Company in 1789, and in 1872 they were linked administratively by the
BritishtotheNicobarIslands.ThetwosetsofislandsbecameaunionterritoryoftheRepublicofIndiain
1956.PortBlair(onSouthAndamanIsland)istheterritorialcapital.
The territory has for more than a century been recognized for its indigenous communities, which have
ardently avoided extensive interaction with ethnic outsiders. In 2004 the islands drew global attention
whentheywereseverelydamagedbyalargetsunamithathadbeentriggeredbyanearthquakeinthe
IndianOceannearIndonesia.Area3,185squaremiles(8,249squarekm).Pop.(2008est.)411,000.
Land
TheAndamanscomprisemorethan300islands.North,Middle,andSouthAndaman,knowncollectively
as Great Andaman, are the main islands; others include Landfall Island, Interview Island, the Sentinel
Islands, Ritchies Archipelago, and Rutland Island. Little Andaman in the south is separated from the
NicobarIslandsbytheTenDegreeChannel,whichisabout90miles(145km)wide.
The Nicobars consist of 19 islands. Among the most prominent are Car Nicobar in the north; Camorta,
Katchall,andNancowryinthecentreofthechain;andGreatNicobarinthesouth.About90milestothe
southwestofGreatNicobarliesthenorthwesterntipofSumatra,Indonesia.
Reliefanddrainage
Both the Andaman and Nicobar groups are part of a great island arc, formed by the abovesea
extensions of submarine ridges of the Rakhine Mountains and the Patkai Range to the north and the
MentawaiRidge(thepeaksofwhichformtheMentawaiIslandsofIndonesia)tothesouth.Thehighest
elevation is 2,418 feet (737 metres) at Saddle Peak on North Andaman, followed by Mount Thullier at
2,106 feet (642 metres) on Great Nicobar and Mount Harriet at 1,197 feet (365 metres) on South
Andaman. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, there were volcanic eruptions on Barren Island in
thenorthernAndamans.
Formed of sandstone, limestone, and shale of Cenozoic age (i.e., formed during the past 65 million
years),theterrainoftheAndamansisrough,withhillsenclosingnarrowlongitudinalvalleys.Flatlandis
scarceandisconfinedtoafewvalleys,suchastheBetapuronMiddleAndamanandDiglipuronNorth
Andaman.Perennialriversarefew.Thecoralfringedcoastsoftheislandsaredeeplyindented,forming
safeharboursandtidalcreeks.
The terrain of the Nicobars is more diverse than that of the Andamans. Some of the Nicobar Islands,
such as Car Nicobar, have flat coralcovered surfaces with offshore coral formations that prevent most
shipsfromanchoring.Otherislands,suchasGreatNicobar,arehillyandcontainnumerousfastflowing
streams. Great Nicobar is the only island in the territory with a significant amount of fresh surface
water.
Climate
The climate of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is tropical but is moderated by sea breezes.
Temperatures typically rise from the low 70s F (about 23 C) into the mid80s F (about 30 C) daily
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throughout the year. The territory receives roughly 120 inches (3,000 mm) of rain annually, brought
mainly by the southwest monsoon, which blows from May through September, and by the tropical
cyclones that follow in October and November. In the Nicobars, Great Nicobar receives considerably
morerainthantheotherislands.TheAndamanshavelongprovidedmeteorologicaldataforshippingin
theBayofBengal;areportingstationwasinoperationatPortBlairasearlyas1868.
Plantandanimallife
ThegreatmajorityoftheareaoftheAndamanandNicobarIslandsiscoveredwithdensetropicalforest,
which supports a broad spectrum of flora and fauna. The dominant tree species include narra (also
called Andaman redwood, or padauk; Pterocarpus dalbergioides) and various large trees of the family
Dipterocarpaceae. The harbours and tidal creeks often are surrounded by mangrove swamps. Many
speciesoftreefernsofthefamilyCyatheaceaearefoundintheNicobarsbutnotintheAndamans.
Theislandsareinhabited byonlyafewdozenspeciesofterrestrialandmarinemammals,anumberof
whichsuch as the Andaman wild pig (Sus scrofa andamanensis)are endemic to the region. Other
common mammals include macaques, spotted deer, civets, shrews, whales, dolphins, and dugongs
(Dugong dugon). The territory is home to more than 200 species of birds, including many endemic
varieties. Numerous types of snakes and lizards inhabit the forests, and saltwater crocodiles, fish,
turtles,andseasnakesareabundantinthecoastalwaters.Manyspeciesoffloraandfaunahaveyetto
bedocumentedsystematically.
People
Populationcomposition
Although the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory consists of hundreds of islands, very few of them
areinhabited.RoughlytwodozenoftheAndamanIslandssupporthumansettlements,whileonly12of
theNicobarIslandsarepopulated.
The vast majority of the population of the Andamans consists of immigrants from South Asia and their
descendants. Most speak Hindi or Bengali, but Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam also are common. The
indigenous inhabitants of the Andaman Islands, the Andamanese, historically comprised small isolated
groupsallspeakingdialectsoftheAndamaneselanguage.Theyusedthebowandthedog(introduced
to the Andamans c. 1857) for hunting but knew no method of making fire. Turtles, dugongs, and fish
werecaughtwithnetsorharpoonedfromsingleoutriggercanoes.TheremotenessoftheAndamanese
and their general hostility toward foreigners prevented major cultural change until the mid20th
century. Few indigenous Andamanese survive today, most groups having been decimated by disease
following their encounter with Europeans, Indians, and other outsiders. In the early 21st century the
only Andamanese groups that remained intact and continued to practice the ways of their ancestors
included a small group of Great Andamanese on Strait Island, the Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island,
theJarawaoftheinteriorareasofMiddleandSouthAndaman,andtheOngeofLittleAndaman.
The indigenous inhabitants of the Nicobar Islands, the Nicobarese (including the related Shompen),
continued to constitute the majority of the population of the Nicobars in the early 21st century. They
probably descend both from the Malays of insular and peninsular Southeast Asia and from the Mon
(alsocalledtheTalaing)ofMyanmar.TheNicobaresespeakvariousNicobareselanguages,whichbelong
to the MonKhmer language group of the Austroasiatic language family; some also speak Hindi and
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English. In addition to the indigenous population, there are significant numbers of Tamils and other
peoplefromtheIndianmainlandlivingintheNicobarIslands.Manycameduringthe1960sand70sin
conjunctionwiththeIndiangovernmentsprogramtodeveloptheregionsagriculture.
More than twothirds of the people of the Andaman Islands are Hindu; Christians make up about one
fifthofthepopulationandMuslimslessthanonetenth.ManyNicobareseareChristian,althoughsome
communities practice local religions or have adopted Hinduism, which is prevalent throughout the
region.ThereisalsoanotableMuslimminorityintheNicobars.
Settlementpatternsanddemographictrends
The population of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands expanded particularly rapidly in the mid20th
century as immigrants took advantage of Indias postindependence development initiatives in the
territory. Growth began to slow by the 1980s, and by the early 21st century it had approached a rate
roughlycomparabletothatoftherestofIndia.PortBlairistheonlymajortown;itcontainsmorethan
onefourthoftheterritorysresidents.Theremainderofthepopulationisspreadacrossmorethan500
smallvillages,mostofwhichhavefewerthan500inhabitants.
Economy
Agriculture,forestry,andfishing
Agriculture is the occupation of most of the residents of the Andaman Islands. Principal crops include
rice, coconuts, betel (areca nuts), fruits, and spices (such as turmeric). Rubber, oil palms, and cashews
also are important. In addition to farming there is a small forestry sector on the islands, which focuses
onproductionofsawnwoodfordomesticuse;surplusesareexportedtotheIndianmainland.Similarly,
theproductsoftheislandsfisheriesareintendedprimarilyfordomesticconsumption.
Manufacturing
Neither the Andaman nor the Nicobar island groups are highly industrialized. However, a variety of
manufacturingactivitiesareundertakenonbothsetsofislands.Furnitureandotherwoodproductsare
manufacturedontheAndamanIslands.Processedfoodsandgarmentsareamongtheprincipalproducts
ofbothislandgroups.
Tourism
Tourism is a growing industry in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with dozens of hotels scattered
throughout the territory. Most tourists are from the Indian mainland. Popular historical attractions
includeremnantsoftheBritishcolonialadministration,suchastheAndamanCellularJail(completedin
1906),inPortBlair,wheretheIndianrevolutionaryVinayakDamodar(Vir)Savarkarwasdetainedinthe
firsthalfofthe20thcentury.Thenaturalenvironmentoftheterritory,withitsmanyparks,gardens,and
sanctuaries,isattractivetoecotouristsandtrekkers.
Transportation
MostofthepavedroadsareinSouthAndaman.PortBlairandDiglipurareimportantharboursofSouth
AndamanandNorthAndaman,respectively.AninterislandboatserviceconnectsPortBlairwithNorth,
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Middle, South, and Little Andaman islands. Air service is available to the northern and southern Indian
mainlandfromPortBlair.
Governmentandsociety
Administrativeframework
The administrative structure of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, like most other Indian states and
territories, is defined by the national constitution of 1950. The territory is administered by the central
government through a lieutenant governor, who is appointed by the president of India. The lieutenant
governor is assisted by a Council of Ministers. The territory also has its own legislature with elected
members.
Healthandwelfare
BasichealthcareisofferedfreeofchargetoresidentsoftheAndamanandNicobarIslands.Servicesare
provided by hospitals in the more densely populated areas and by community healthcare centres and
primaryhealthcarefacilitiesinthemoreruralregions.Therealsoisanextensivenetworkofhealthcare
subcentres spread across the islands. Malaria has been a perennial problem in the territory, and the
government has participated in nationally sponsored mosquitocontrol and malariaprevention
initiatives to combat the disease. Similarly, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory joined the
nationalgovernmentsleprosyeradicationprogram,withtheresultthattheincidenceofthatillnesshas
droppeddramaticallyintheterritorysincethe1990s.
Education
The number of educational institutions is limited, and most schools offer only primary education.
Nevertheless, more than fourfifths of the territorys population is literate, which is well above the
Indian national average. There are several postsecondary institutions offering industrial, technical, and
teacherstraining.Thefirstnursingschoolopenedin2001.
History
LocatedonthetraderoutesfromIndiatoEastAsia,theAndamanandNicobarislandgroupshavebeen
knownfromearliesttimes.The7thcenturyChineseBuddhistmonkIching,theArabtravelersofthe9th
century, and Marco Polo (c. 12541324) are among those who mentioned the islands. The name
Andaman mostlikelyisderivedfromthenameofthemonkey godofHindu mythology,Hanuman.The
nameNicobarprobablyderivesfromtheTamilwordnakkavaram(landofthenaked).
TheBritishfirstsurveyedtheAndamanIslandsin1789insearchofaplacetoestablishapenalcolonyfor
offendersfromBritishIndia.Suchacolonywasestablishedin1790butwasabandonedjustafewyears
later. In the mid19th century, concern over native attacks on shipwrecked crews and the need for a
penal settlement after the Indian Mutiny (185758) led the British to return to the Andamans. In 1858
they founded a new penal colony, named Port Blair. It was during a visit to Port Blair that Lord Mayo,
viceroy of India (186972), was murdered by a convict in 1872. Meanwhile, the Danish, who had been
the claimants of the Nicobar Islandsthe ownership of which had since the 17th century shifted
variouslybetweenFrance,Denmark,Austria,andGreatBritainrelinquishedtheirrightstotheterritory
totheBritishin1868.
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The population of the region, particularly of the Andamans, was greatly changed by the settlement of
convicts from the mainland and, beginning in the 1950s, of numerous refugees, especially from East
Pakistan (since 1971, Bangladesh). Japanese forces occupied both the Andaman and Nicobar island
groups from 1942 to 1945 (during World War II); after the British recaptured the islands, the penal
colony in the Andamans was abolished. Administration of the Andamans and Nicobars was passed to
Indiawhenitgainedindependencein 1947.TheAndamanCellularJail,whereIndianpoliticalprisoners
wereheld,wasdeclaredanationalmonumentin1979.
In 2004 the Andaman and Nicobar island groups were struck by a tremendous tsunami that had been
generatedbyanearthquakeintheIndianOceannearSumatra,Indonesia.Theinundationleftthousands
of people dead and many more displaced. The lowerlying Nicobars were most severely affected, with
significantportionsofsomeofthoseislandssubmergedbythetidalwave.
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