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Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.[4] The territory is about 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea. It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands (partly) and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 150 km (100 mile) wide Ten Degree Channel (on the 10°N parallel), with the Andaman islands to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobar islands to the south (or by 179 km; 111 miles). The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west. The island chains are thought to be a submerged extension of the Arakan Mountains.[5]

Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Clockwise from top-right: Beach at Ross and Smith island; Cellular Jail in Port Blair; Nicobar Islands aerial view; diving near Andaman Sea
Location of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India
Coordinates (Port Blair): 11°41′N 92°46′E / 11.68°N 92.77°E / 11.68; 92.77Coordinates: 11°41′N 92°46′E / 11.68°N 92.77°E / 11.68; 92.77
Country India
RegionEast India[1]
Established1 November 1956
Capital and largest cityPort Blair
Districts3
Government
 • Lieutenant GovernorAdmiral (Retd.) Devendra Kumar Joshi
 • Chief SecretaryKeshav Chandra, IAS
 • MP (Lok Sabha)Kuldeep Rai Sharma
 • High CourtCalcutta High Court (Port Blair Bench)
Area
 • Total8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi)
 • Rank28th
Population
 (2012)[3]
 • Total380,520
 • Density46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official
 • Spokenvarious (see § Languages)
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-AN
HDI (2019)0.741 (high) • 6th
Websiteandaman.gov.in
Symbols of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
EmblemEmblem of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
MottoSatyameva Jayate
(Truth alone triumphs)
MammalDugong
BirdAndaman Wood Pigeon
FlowerLagerstroemia speciosa Pyinma
Tree
Andaman Padauk

The territory's capital is the city of Port Blair. The total land area of the islands is approximately 8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi). The territory is divided into three districts: the Nicobar District with Car Nicobar as its capital, the South Andaman district with Port Blair as its capital, and the North and Middle Andaman district with Mayabunder as its capital.

The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces.[6]

The Andaman Islands are also home to the Sentinelese people, an uncontacted tribe. The Sentinelese are considered to be the only people currently known to not have reached further than a Paleolithic level of technology;[7] however, this is disputed, as evidence of metalwork was found on their island.[8]

History

First inhabitants

The earliest archaeological evidence documents some 2,200 years. However, genetic and cultural studies suggest that the indigenous Andamanese people may have been isolated from other populations during the Middle Paleolithic, which ended 30,000 years ago.[9] Since that time, the Andamanese have diversified into linguistically and culturally distinct territorial groups.

The Nicobar Islands appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds. By the time of European contact, the indigenous inhabitants had coalesced into the Nicobarese people, speaking an Austroasiatic language, and the Shompen, whose language is of uncertain affiliation. Neither language is related to Andamanese.

Chola Period

Rajendra Chola II (1051–1063 CE), used the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a strategic naval base to launch an expedition against the Srivijaya Empire (Indonesia).[10][11] The Cholas called the island Ma-Nakkavaram ("great open/naked land"), found in the Thanjavur inscription of 1050 CE.[12][13] European traveller Marco Polo (12th–13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann' and a corrupted form of the Tamil name Nakkavaram would have led to the modern name Nicobar during the British colonial period.[14]

Maratha imperial period

The islands became a temporary shipping port of the Maratha Empire and its navy in the 17th century. The Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre established a basic naval dominance in the islands and played a role in the annexation of the islands to India.[15]

Danish colonial period and British rule

 
Andaman tribals fishing (c. 1870)

The history of organised European colonisation on the islands began when settlers from the Danish East India Company arrived in the Nicobar Islands on 12 December 1755. On 1 January 1756, the Nicobar Islands were made a Danish colony, first named New Denmark,[16] and later (December 1756) Frederick's Islands (Frederiksøerne).[17]: 7  During 1754–1756 they were administrated from Tranquebar (in continental Danish India).[17]: 8  The islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria between 14 April 1759 and 19 August 1768, from 1787 to 1807/05, 1814 to 1831, 1830 to 1834 and gradually from 1848 for good.[citation needed]

From 1 June 1778 to 1784, Austria mistakenly assumed that Denmark had abandoned its claims to the Nicobar Islands and attempted to establish a colony on them,[18] renaming them Theresa Islands.[19]

In 1789, the British set up a naval base and penal colony on Chatham Island next to Great Andaman, where now lies the town of Port Blair. Two years later the colony was moved to Port Cornwallis on Great Andaman, but it was abandoned in 1796 due to disease.

In 1858, the British again established a colony at Port Blair, which proved to be more permanent. The primary purpose was to set up a penal colony for criminal convicts from the Indian subcontinent.[20] The Cellular Jail, which was used to house political prisoners, was constructed on the islands.[21][22]

Italy made an attempt at buying the Nicobar Islands from Denmark between 1864 and 1865. The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Luigi Torelli started a negotiation that looked promising, but failed due to the unexpected end of his office and the second La Marmora Cabinet. The negotiations were interrupted and never brought up again.[23]

Denmark's presence in the territory ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to Britain,[18] which made them part of British India in 1869.

In 1872, the Andaman and Nicobar islands were united under a single chief commissioner at Port Blair.

World War II

 
Japanese military delegation salute Lieutenant Colonel Nathu Singh, commanding officer of the Rajput Regiment, following their surrender of Islands, 1945

During World War II, the islands were practically under Japanese control, only nominally under the authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind of Subhash Chandra Bose. Bose visited the islands during the war and renamed them as "Shaheed-Dweep" (Martyr Island) and "Swaraj-dweep" (Self-rule Island).

General Loganathan, of the Indian National Army, was made the Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On 22 February 1944 he along with four INA officers—Major Mansoor Ali Alvi, Sub. Lt. Md. Iqbal, Lt. Suba Singh, and stenographer Srinivasan—arrived at Lambaline Airport in Port Blair. On 21 March 1944, the Headquarters of the Civil Administration was established near the gurdwara at Aberdeen Bazaar. On 2 October 1944, Col. Loganathan handed over the charge to Maj. Alvi and left Port Blair, never to return.[24]

Japanese Vice Admiral Hara Teizo and Major-General Tamenori Sato surrendered the islands to Brigadier J A Salomons, commander of 116th Indian Infantry Brigade, and Chief Administrator Noel K Patterson, Indian Civil Service, on 7 October 1945, in a ceremony performed on the Gymkhana Ground, Port Blair.

After independence

During the independence of both India (1947) and Burma (1948), the departing British announced their intention to retain possession of the island chain, and use them to resettle Anglo-Indians and Anglo-Burmese on these islands, to form their own nation, although this never materialised. The islands, as a possession of the British Indian Empire, claimed as an asset to allocated, by both the Congress Party and Muslim League, during partition negotiations.[25] The Islands were later used to resettle peoples displaced by the partitions of the British Indian Empire, with a substantial number of displaced East Bengali families offered land on the islands, in exchange for clearing forests and establishing agricultural colonies.[26] Responsibility for the administration of the islands was transfered from Viceroy Mountbatten, to President Rajendra Prasad, in 1950, and was declared as a union territory of the India, in 1956.[27]

India has been developing defence facilities on the islands since the 1980s. The islands now have a key position in India's strategic role in the Bay of Bengal and the Malacca Strait.[28]

2004 tsunami

On 26 December 2004, the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami following an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean. More than 2,000 people died, 4,000 children were orphaned or suffered the loss of one parent, and at least 40,000 people were rendered homeless. More than 46,000 people were injured.[29] The worst affected Nicobar islands were Katchal and Indira Point; the latter subsided 4.25 metres (13.9 feet) and was partially submerged in the ocean. The lighthouse at Indira Point was damaged but has been repaired since. A significant portion of the union territory was submerged and subsequently lost to sea. The territory which measured 8,073 km2 (3,117 sq mi) before the tsunami now stands at 7,950 km2 (3,070 sq mi).[30]

While the locals and tourists on the islands suffered the greatest casualties from the tsunami, most of the aboriginal people survived on account of oral traditions passed down over generations that warned them to evacuate from the large waves that follow earthquakes.[31]

Geography

 
Barren Island in the Andaman Islands
 
Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair.

There are 572 islands[32] in the territory having an area of 8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi). Of these 38 are permanently inhabited. The islands extend from 6° to 14° North latitudes and from 92° to 94° East longitudes. The Andamans are separated from the Nicobar group by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some 150 km (93 mi) wide. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 m (2,402 ft)). The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,170 km2 (2,382 sq mi) while the Nicobar group has only 247 islands with an area of 1,765 km2 (681 sq mi).[27]: 33 

 
Sea shore at Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The capital of the union territory, Port Blair, is located 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata, 1,200 km (750 mi) from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai.[27]: 33  They are grouped with South India.[33] The northernmost point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is 901 km (560 mi) away from the mouth of the Hooghly River and 280 km (170 mi) from Myanmar Mainland. Indira Point at 6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E at the southern tip of the southernmost island, Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India and lies only 200 km (120 mi) from Sumatra island in Indonesia.

The only volcano in India, Barren Island, is located in Andaman and Nicobar. It is an active volcano and had last erupted in 2017. It also has a mud volcano situated in Baratang Island. These mud volcanoes have erupted sporadically, with recent eruptions in 2005 believed to have been associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The previous major eruption recorded was on 18 February 2003. The locals call this mud volcano Jalki. There are other volcanoes in the area. This island's beaches, mangrove creeks, limestone caves, and mud volcanoes are some of the physical features.

In December 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, renamed three of the islands as a tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose. Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island; Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep Island; and Havelock Island as Swaraj Island. The PM made this announcement during a speech at the Netaji Stadium, marking the 75th anniversary of the hoisting of the Indian flag by Bose there.[34][35]

Flora

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a tropical rainforest canopy, made of a mixed flora with elements from Indian, Myanmar, Malaysian and endemic floral strains. So far, about 2,200 varieties of plants have been recorded, out of which 200 are endemic and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India.

The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns, and orchids. The Middle Andamans harbours mostly moist deciduous forests. North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers. The North Nicobar Islands (including Car Nicobar and Battimalv) are marked by the complete absence of evergreen forests, while such forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group. Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars, and while deciduous forests are common in the Andamans, they are almost absent in the Nicobar. The present forest coverage is claimed to be 86.2% of the total land area.

This typical forest coverage is made up of twelve types, namely:

  1. Giant evergreen forest
  2. Andamans tropical evergreen forest
  3. Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest
  4. Canebrakes
  5. Wet bamboo brakes
  6. Andamans semi-evergreen forest
  7. Andamans moist deciduous forest
  8. Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest
  9. Littoral forest
  10. Mangrove forest
  11. Brackish water mixed forest
  12. Submontane forest

Fauna

 
Ross island, Andaman

This tropical rain forest, despite its isolation from adjacent landmasses, is surprisingly rich with a diversity of animal life.

About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Some are endemic, including the Andaman wild boar. Rodents are the largest group with 26 species, followed by 14 species of bat. Among the larger mammals there are two endemic[citation needed] varieties of wild boar, Sus scrofa andamanensis from Andaman and Sus scrofa nicobaricus from Nicobar, which are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Sch I). Saltwater crocodile is also found in abundance. The State Animal of Andaman is the dugong, also known as the sea cow, which can be found in Little Andaman. Around 1962 there was an attempt to introduce the leopard, which was unsuccessful because of unsuitable habitat. These were ill-considered moves as exotic introductions can cause havoc to island flora and fauna. Elephants also can be found in forested or mountainous areas of the islands; they were brought over from the mainland to help with timber extraction in 1883.[36]

 
Elephant on the Andaman and Nicobar seashore

About 270 species of birds are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 14 species of which are endemic. The islands' many caves are nesting grounds for the edible-nest swiftlet, whose nests are prized in China for bird's nest soup.[37] The islands also serve as a stopover site for several migratory birds such as Horsfield's bronze cuckoo, Zappey's flycatcher and Javan pond heron.[38]

The territory is home for about 225 species of butterflies and moths. Ten species are endemic to these Islands. Mount Harriet National Park is one of the richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The islands are well known for prized shellfish, especially from the genera Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus. Earliest recorded commercial exploitation began during 1929. Many cottage industries produce a range of decorative shell items. Giant clams, green mussels and oysters support edible shellfishery. The shells of scallops, clams, and cockle are burnt in kilns to produce edible lime.

There are 96 wildlife sanctuaries, nine national parks and one biosphere reserve in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[39]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1901 24,649—    
1911 26,459+7.3%
1921 27,086+2.4%
1931 29,463+8.8%
1941 33,768+14.6%
1951 30,971−8.3%
1961 63,548+105.2%
1971 115,133+81.2%
1981 188,741+63.9%
1991 280,661+48.7%
2001 356,152+26.9%
2011 380,581+6.9%
2022 434,192+14.1%
Source: Census of India[40]

As of 2011 Census of India, the population of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379,944, of which 202,330 (53.25%) were male and 177,614 (46.75%) were female. The sex ratio was 878 females per 1,000 males.[41] Only 10% of the population lived in Nicobar islands.

150 years ago, the original population of the islands – the Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawa and the Sentinelese, were estimated to be around 5,000. The population of islands increased massively due to the policies of Govt of India into islands under Jawaharlal Nehru in the late 1960s, that brought settlers from other parts of the country.[42]

The areas and populations (at the 2001 and 2011 Censuses) of the three districts[43] are:

Name Area (km2) Population
Census 2001
Population
Census 2011
Capital
Nicobar 1,765 42,068 36,842 Car Nicobar
North and Middle Andaman 3,536 105,613 105,597 Mayabunder
South Andaman 2,640 208,471 238,142 Port Blair
Totals 7,950 356,152 380,581

There remain approximately 400–450 indigenous Andamanese in the Andaman islands, the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining steadfast independence and refusing most attempts at contact. In the Nicobar Islands, the indigenous people are the Nicobarese, or Nicobari, living throughout many of the islands, and the Shompen, restricted to the hinterland of Great Nicobar. More than 2,000 people belonging to the Karen tribe live in the Mayabunder tehsil of North Andaman district, almost all of whom are Christians. Despite their tribal origins, the Karen of Andamans have Other Backward Class (OBC) status in the Andamans.

Languages

Languages of Andaman and Nicobar Islands (2011)[44]

  Bengali (28.49%)
  Tamil (15.20%)
  Telugu (13.24%)
  Hindi (12.91%)
  Nicobarese (7.60%)
  Malayalam (7.22%)
  Sadri (5.53%)
  Kurukh (3.96%)
  Mundari (1.2%)
  Kharia (1.07%)
  Others (3.57%)

Indigenous to the Nicobar Islands are the five Nicobarese languages, which form part of the Austroasiatic language family and are spoken by about 29,000 people,[44] or 7.6% of the population of the union territory. The Andaman Islands are home to about a dozen endangered or extinct Andamanese languages, which constitute at least two families that are unrelated to each other or to any other language group.

The majority of the population, however, are speakers of immigrant languages. These include Bengali (the first language of 28.5% of the inhabitants of the union territory), Tamil (15.2%), Telugu (13.2%), Hindi (12.9%), Malayalam (7.2%). Sadri (5.5%), and Kurukh (4%).[44]

Hindi is the official language of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while English is declared an additional official language for communication purposes.[7]

Religion

Religion in Andaman and Nicobar (2011)[45]

  Hinduism (69.45%)
  Christianity (21.7%)
  Islam (8.51%)
  Sikhism (0.33%)
  Buddhism (0.08%)
  Other or non-religious (0.5%)
 
Thiru. Vettrimalai Murugan temple - Port Blair

The majority of people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindus (69.45%), with Christians forming a large minority of 21.7% of the population, according to the 2011 census of India. There is a significant Muslim (8.51%) minority.

Administration

In 1874, the British had placed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in one administrative territory headed by a Chief Commissioner as its judicial administrator. On 1 August 1974, the Nicobar islands were hived off into another revenue district with district headquarters at Car Nicobar under a Deputy Commissioner. In 1982, the post of Lieutenant Governor was created who replaced the Chief Commissioner as the head of administration. Subsequently, a "Pradesh council" with Councillors as representatives of the people was constituted to advise the Lieutenant Governor.[27] The Islands sends one representative to Lok Sabha from its Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Lok Sabha constituency).

Administrative divisions

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is divided into three districts:

  1. North and Middle Andaman (Capital: Mayabunder)
  2. South Andaman (Capital: Port Blair)
  3. Nicobar (Capital: Car Nicobar)

Each district is further divided into sub-divisions and taluks:

Sub-divisions and taluks of North and Middle Andaman district

Sub-divisions and taluks of South Andaman district

Sub-divisions and taluks of Nicobar district

Economy

 
Little Andaman Island seen by Spot satellite.
 
Ross Island a couple of days before the tsunami of December 2004.

Agriculture

A total of 48,675 hectares (120,280 acres) of land is used for agriculture purposes. Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated in Andaman group of islands, whereas coconut and arecanut are the cash crops of Nicobar group of islands. Field crops, namely, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are grown, followed by paddy during Rabi season. Different kinds of fruits such as mango, sapota, orange, banana, papaya, pineapple and root crops are grown on hilly land owned by farmers. Spices such as pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are grown under a multi-tier cropping system. Rubber, red oil, palm, noni and cashew are grown on a limited scale in these islands.

Industry

There are 1,374 registered small-scale, village and handicraft units. Two units are export-oriented in the line of fish processing activity. Apart from this, there are shells and wood-based handicraft units. There are also four medium-sized industrial units. SSI units are engaged in the production of polythene bags, PVC conduit pipes and fittings, paints and varnishes, fiberglass and mini flour mills, soft drinks, and beverages, etc. Small scale and handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts, bakery products, rice milling, furniture making, etc.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has spread its wings in the field of tourism, fisheries, industries, and industrial financing and functions as authorised agents for Alliance Air. The Islands have become a tourist destination, largely due to its beaches and waters.[46]

Tourism

 
Scuba diving
 
The view of the sky at sunset, from Neil Island.

Tourism to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is increasing due to the popularity of beaches and adventure sports like snorkelling and sea-walking.[47] Plans to develop various islands under NITI (National Institute of Transforming India) Aayog is also in progress. Luxury resorts with participation from the Government are set up to plan in Avis Island, Smith Island and Long Island.[48]

In Port Blair, the main places to visit are the Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Andaman Water sports complex, Chatham Saw Mill, Mini Zoo, Corbyn's cove, Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor Beach, Forest Museum, Anthropological Museum, Fisheries Museum, Naval Museum (Samudrika), Ross Island and North Bay Island. Viper Island which was earlier visited is now kept closed by the administration. Other places include Havelock island famous for Radhanagar Beach, Neil Island for Scuba diving/snorkeling/sea walking, Cinque Island, Saddle peak, Mt Harriet, and Mud Volcano. Diglipur, located at North Andaman is also getting popular in 2018 and many tourists have started visiting North Andaman as well. The southern group (Nicobar islands) is mostly inaccessible to tourists.

Indian tourists do not require a permit to visit the Andaman Islands, but if they wish to visit any tribal areas they need a special permit from the Deputy Commissioner in Port Blair. Permits are required for foreign nationals. For foreign nationals arriving by air, these are granted upon arrival at Port Blair.

According to official estimates, the flow of tourists tripled to nearly 430,000 in 2016-17 from 130,000 in 2008–09. The Radha Nagar beach was chosen as Asia's best beach in 2004.[47]

Macro-economic trend

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands at market prices, estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, with figures in millions of Indian rupees.[49]

Year GSDP (millions of )
1985 590
1990 1,100
1995 4,000
2000 7,750
2005 10,560
2010 16,130

Andaman and Nicobar Islands' gross state domestic product for 2004 was estimated at $354 million in current prices.

Power generation

With Japanese assistance, Southern Andaman Island will now have a 15-megawatt diesel power plant. This would be the first foreign investment of any kind allowed at this strategically significant island chain. This is believed to be an Indo-Japanese strategic initiative to strengthen civilian infrastructure in the vicinity of the Strait of Malacca – a strategically important choke-point for the Chinese oil supply.[50][51]

Education

B.ed

  • Tagore Government College of Education

Degree

Engineering

Law

Medicine

Infrastructure

Mega projects

Government of India has proposed the development of Great Nicobar.[52] A terminal, two townships, Solar Power and an strips will be created for logistics and tourism purposes. This will give boost to Nicobar Islands and expected to provide employment.[53] However project is considered as threat to indigenous communities on Nicobar Islands.

Internet

Internet access on the islands used to be limited and unreliable, since all connectivity to the outside world had to go through satellite links. Bharat Broadband Network started work on laying a fibre optic submarine cable running from the five islands to Chennai on 30 December 2018, with completion expected in December 2019.[54][55] On 10 August 2020, PM Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the Chennai–Andaman undersea Optical fibre cable which enables high-speed broadband connections in the Union Territory. The submarine cable also connects Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat.[56] The initial bandwidth of the cable is 400 Gbit/s, roughly 400 times more than what the islands possessed before the fibre link.[57][58]

Ports

On 10 August 2020, PM Narendra Modi announced plans for the construction of a transshipment port in the Great Nicobar Island at a cost of ₹10,000 crore to provide shippers an alternative to similar ports in the region. The move is aimed at improving the ease of doing business of the country and enhancing maritime logistics.[59]

Transportation

 
Cargo vessel Sindhu manufactured by CSL used for local transportation

The only civil airport of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Veer Savarkar International Airport near Port Blair. It has regular flights to Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, and Visakhapatnam. From 2016 onwards, night flights were also operated along with the day flights.[citation needed]

Another mode of transport is ship which has routes from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. The journey takes approximately three days and two nights.[citation needed]

Popular culture

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle refers to the Andaman Islands in his Sherlock Holmes novel The Sign of the Four.[60]

The National Award winning Malayalam film Kaalapani was set against backdrop of the Port Blair's Cellular Jail. It is one of the films that was extensively shot in the islands.[61]

Most parts of the song Life Of Ram got shot in this island which is featured in the 2018 Tamil language film '96.

Gallery

See also

References

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  19. ^ Karl Ritter von Scherzer. Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara. Vol. II. p. 63.
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  21. ^ Murthy, R.V.R. (2006). "Cellular Jail:a Century of Sacrifices". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 67 (4): 879–888. JSTOR 41856271.
  22. ^ "How India's Cellular Jail was integral in the country's fight for freedom". The Independent. 14 August 2017. from the original on 11 November 2020.
  23. ^ Ministero della Guerra, Ufficio Storico, Storia Militare della Colonia Eritrea, Vol. I, Roma 1935, pp. 15-16
  24. ^ "Black Days in Andaman and Nicobar Islands" by Rabin Roychowdhury, [Pub. Manas] Pubs. New Delhi
  25. ^ Manmadhan, Ullattil (12 August 2021). "When Pakistan Claimed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands". www.livehistoryindia.com. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
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  30. ^ Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India
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  34. ^ Bedi, Rahul (1 January 2019). "Indian PM strips islands of British colonial names – and renames them after freedom fighter". The Telegraph. from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  35. ^ "PM Modi renames 3 Andaman & Nicobar islands as tribute to Netaji". The Economic Times. 31 December 2018. from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  36. ^ Thomas, Maria (4 August 2016). "The incredible life of India's iconic swimming elephant". qz.com. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  37. ^ R. Sankaran (1999), The impact of nest collection on the Edible-nest Swiftlet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands 4 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, India.
  38. ^ Singh, Shiv Sahay (21 April 2019). "In a first, east Asian birds make Andaman stopover". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  39. ^ India Year Book 2015
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  41. ^ "Census of India" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
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  53. ^ Ramakrishna, Ishika (20 October 2022). "Massive infrastructure project threatens Great Nicobar Island". frontline.thehindu.com. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  54. ^ "PM Modi inaugurates 2,312-kilometre undersea optical fibre cable link between Andaman-Chennai". The Indian Express. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
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  61. ^ "കാലാപാനി എന്ന വിസ്മയം; ഷൂട്ട് 60 ദിവസം; അന്നത്തെ മെഗാ ബജറ്റ്; കുറിപ്പ്". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). 9 April 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

External links

  • Census of India, Provisional Population Totals
  • Andaman and Nicobar Islands at Curlie
  •   Andaman and Nicobar Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage
  • Best Time to Visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands

andaman, nicobar, islands, union, territory, india, consisting, islands, which, inhabited, junction, bengal, andaman, territory, about, north, aceh, indonesia, separated, from, thailand, myanmar, andaman, comprises, island, groups, andaman, islands, partly, ni. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands of which 37 are inhabited at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea 4 The territory is about 150 km 93 mi north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea It comprises two island groups the Andaman Islands partly and the Nicobar Islands separated by the 150 km 100 mile wide Ten Degree Channel on the 10 N parallel with the Andaman islands to the north of this latitude and the Nicobar islands to the south or by 179 km 111 miles The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west The island chains are thought to be a submerged extension of the Arakan Mountains 5 Andaman and Nicobar IslandsUnion territoryClockwise from top right Beach at Ross and Smith island Cellular Jail in Port Blair Nicobar Islands aerial view diving near Andaman SeaEmblemLocation of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in IndiaCoordinates Port Blair 11 41 N 92 46 E 11 68 N 92 77 E 11 68 92 77 Coordinates 11 41 N 92 46 E 11 68 N 92 77 E 11 68 92 77Country IndiaRegionEast India 1 Established1 November 1956Capital and largest cityPort BlairDistricts3Government Lieutenant GovernorAdmiral Retd Devendra Kumar Joshi Chief SecretaryKeshav Chandra IAS MP Lok Sabha Kuldeep Rai Sharma High CourtCalcutta High Court Port Blair Bench Area 2 Total8 249 km2 3 185 sq mi Rank28thPopulation 2012 3 Total380 520 Density46 km2 120 sq mi Languages OfficialHindiEnglish Spokenvarious see Languages Time zoneUTC 05 30 IST ISO 3166 codeIN ANHDI 2019 0 741 high 6thWebsiteandaman wbr gov wbr inSymbols of Andaman and Nicobar IslandsEmblemEmblem of Andaman and Nicobar IslandsMottoSatyameva Jayate Truth alone triumphs MammalDugongBirdAndaman Wood PigeonFlowerLagerstroemia speciosa PyinmaTreeAndaman PadaukThe territory s capital is the city of Port Blair The total land area of the islands is approximately 8 249 km2 3 185 sq mi The territory is divided into three districts the Nicobar District with Car Nicobar as its capital the South Andaman district with Port Blair as its capital and the North and Middle Andaman district with Mayabunder as its capital The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command the only tri service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces 6 The Andaman Islands are also home to the Sentinelese people an uncontacted tribe The Sentinelese are considered to be the only people currently known to not have reached further than a Paleolithic level of technology 7 however this is disputed as evidence of metalwork was found on their island 8 Contents 1 History 1 1 First inhabitants 1 2 Chola Period 1 3 Maratha imperial period 1 4 Danish colonial period and British rule 1 5 World War II 1 6 After independence 1 7 2004 tsunami 2 Geography 2 1 Flora 2 2 Fauna 3 Demographics 3 1 Languages 3 2 Religion 4 Administration 4 1 Administrative divisions 4 2 Sub divisions and taluks of North and Middle Andaman district 4 3 Sub divisions and taluks of South Andaman district 4 4 Sub divisions and taluks of Nicobar district 5 Economy 5 1 Agriculture 5 2 Industry 5 3 Tourism 5 4 Macro economic trend 5 5 Power generation 6 Education 6 1 B ed 6 2 Degree 6 3 Engineering 6 4 Law 6 5 Medicine 7 Infrastructure 7 1 Mega projects 7 2 Internet 7 3 Ports 7 4 Transportation 8 Popular culture 9 Gallery 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksHistory EditMain article History of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands First inhabitants Edit The earliest archaeological evidence documents some 2 200 years However genetic and cultural studies suggest that the indigenous Andamanese people may have been isolated from other populations during the Middle Paleolithic which ended 30 000 years ago 9 Since that time the Andamanese have diversified into linguistically and culturally distinct territorial groups The Nicobar Islands appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds By the time of European contact the indigenous inhabitants had coalesced into the Nicobarese people speaking an Austroasiatic language and the Shompen whose language is of uncertain affiliation Neither language is related to Andamanese Chola Period Edit Rajendra Chola II 1051 1063 CE used the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a strategic naval base to launch an expedition against the Srivijaya Empire Indonesia 10 11 The Cholas called the island Ma Nakkavaram great open naked land found in the Thanjavur inscription of 1050 CE 12 13 European traveller Marco Polo 12th 13th century also referred to this island as Necuverann and a corrupted form of the Tamil name Nakkavaram would have led to the modern name Nicobar during the British colonial period 14 Maratha imperial period Edit The islands became a temporary shipping port of the Maratha Empire and its navy in the 17th century The Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre established a basic naval dominance in the islands and played a role in the annexation of the islands to India 15 Danish colonial period and British rule Edit Andaman tribals fishing c 1870 The history of organised European colonisation on the islands began when settlers from the Danish East India Company arrived in the Nicobar Islands on 12 December 1755 On 1 January 1756 the Nicobar Islands were made a Danish colony first named New Denmark 16 and later December 1756 Frederick s Islands Frederiksoerne 17 7 During 1754 1756 they were administrated from Tranquebar in continental Danish India 17 8 The islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria between 14 April 1759 and 19 August 1768 from 1787 to 1807 05 1814 to 1831 1830 to 1834 and gradually from 1848 for good citation needed From 1 June 1778 to 1784 Austria mistakenly assumed that Denmark had abandoned its claims to the Nicobar Islands and attempted to establish a colony on them 18 renaming them Theresa Islands 19 In 1789 the British set up a naval base and penal colony on Chatham Island next to Great Andaman where now lies the town of Port Blair Two years later the colony was moved to Port Cornwallis on Great Andaman but it was abandoned in 1796 due to disease In 1858 the British again established a colony at Port Blair which proved to be more permanent The primary purpose was to set up a penal colony for criminal convicts from the Indian subcontinent 20 The Cellular Jail which was used to house political prisoners was constructed on the islands 21 22 Italy made an attempt at buying the Nicobar Islands from Denmark between 1864 and 1865 The Italian Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Luigi Torelli started a negotiation that looked promising but failed due to the unexpected end of his office and the second La Marmora Cabinet The negotiations were interrupted and never brought up again 23 Denmark s presence in the territory ended formally on 16 October 1868 when it sold the rights to the Nicobar Islands to Britain 18 which made them part of British India in 1869 In 1872 the Andaman and Nicobar islands were united under a single chief commissioner at Port Blair World War II Edit Main article Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands Japanese military delegation salute Lieutenant Colonel Nathu Singh commanding officer of the Rajput Regiment following their surrender of Islands 1945 During World War II the islands were practically under Japanese control only nominally under the authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind of Subhash Chandra Bose Bose visited the islands during the war and renamed them as Shaheed Dweep Martyr Island and Swaraj dweep Self rule Island General Loganathan of the Indian National Army was made the Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands On 22 February 1944 he along with four INA officers Major Mansoor Ali Alvi Sub Lt Md Iqbal Lt Suba Singh and stenographer Srinivasan arrived at Lambaline Airport in Port Blair On 21 March 1944 the Headquarters of the Civil Administration was established near the gurdwara at Aberdeen Bazaar On 2 October 1944 Col Loganathan handed over the charge to Maj Alvi and left Port Blair never to return 24 Japanese Vice Admiral Hara Teizo and Major General Tamenori Sato surrendered the islands to Brigadier J A Salomons commander of 116th Indian Infantry Brigade and Chief Administrator Noel K Patterson Indian Civil Service on 7 October 1945 in a ceremony performed on the Gymkhana Ground Port Blair After independence Edit During the independence of both India 1947 and Burma 1948 the departing British announced their intention to retain possession of the island chain and use them to resettle Anglo Indians and Anglo Burmese on these islands to form their own nation although this never materialised The islands as a possession of the British Indian Empire claimed as an asset to allocated by both the Congress Party and Muslim League during partition negotiations 25 The Islands were later used to resettle peoples displaced by the partitions of the British Indian Empire with a substantial number of displaced East Bengali families offered land on the islands in exchange for clearing forests and establishing agricultural colonies 26 Responsibility for the administration of the islands was transfered from Viceroy Mountbatten to President Rajendra Prasad in 1950 and was declared as a union territory of the India in 1956 27 India has been developing defence facilities on the islands since the 1980s The islands now have a key position in India s strategic role in the Bay of Bengal and the Malacca Strait 28 2004 tsunami Edit Main article 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami On 26 December 2004 the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 m 33 ft high tsunami following an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean More than 2 000 people died 4 000 children were orphaned or suffered the loss of one parent and at least 40 000 people were rendered homeless More than 46 000 people were injured 29 The worst affected Nicobar islands were Katchal and Indira Point the latter subsided 4 25 metres 13 9 feet and was partially submerged in the ocean The lighthouse at Indira Point was damaged but has been repaired since A significant portion of the union territory was submerged and subsequently lost to sea The territory which measured 8 073 km2 3 117 sq mi before the tsunami now stands at 7 950 km2 3 070 sq mi 30 While the locals and tourists on the islands suffered the greatest casualties from the tsunami most of the aboriginal people survived on account of oral traditions passed down over generations that warned them to evacuate from the large waves that follow earthquakes 31 Geography Edit Barren Island in the Andaman Islands Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair There are 572 islands 32 in the territory having an area of 8 249 km2 3 185 sq mi Of these 38 are permanently inhabited The islands extend from 6 to 14 North latitudes and from 92 to 94 East longitudes The Andamans are separated from the Nicobar group by a channel the Ten Degree Channel some 150 km 93 mi wide The highest point is located in North Andaman Island Saddle Peak at 732 m 2 402 ft The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6 170 km2 2 382 sq mi while the Nicobar group has only 247 islands with an area of 1 765 km2 681 sq mi 27 33 Sea shore at Andaman and Nicobar Islands The capital of the union territory Port Blair is located 1 255 km 780 mi from Kolkata 1 200 km 750 mi from Visakhapatnam and 1 190 km 740 mi from Chennai 27 33 They are grouped with South India 33 The northernmost point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is 901 km 560 mi away from the mouth of the Hooghly River and 280 km 170 mi from Myanmar Mainland Indira Point at 6 45 10 N and 93 49 36 E at the southern tip of the southernmost island Great Nicobar is the southernmost point of India and lies only 200 km 120 mi from Sumatra island in Indonesia The only volcano in India Barren Island is located in Andaman and Nicobar It is an active volcano and had last erupted in 2017 It also has a mud volcano situated in Baratang Island These mud volcanoes have erupted sporadically with recent eruptions in 2005 believed to have been associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake The previous major eruption recorded was on 18 February 2003 The locals call this mud volcano Jalki There are other volcanoes in the area This island s beaches mangrove creeks limestone caves and mud volcanoes are some of the physical features In December 2018 Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was on a two day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands renamed three of the islands as a tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island Neil Island as Shaheed Dweep Island and Havelock Island as Swaraj Island The PM made this announcement during a speech at the Netaji Stadium marking the 75th anniversary of the hoisting of the Indian flag by Bose there 34 35 Flora Edit The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a tropical rainforest canopy made of a mixed flora with elements from Indian Myanmar Malaysian and endemic floral strains So far about 2 200 varieties of plants have been recorded out of which 200 are endemic and 1 300 do not occur in mainland India The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation mostly ferns and orchids The Middle Andamans harbours mostly moist deciduous forests North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type with plenty of woody climbers The North Nicobar Islands including Car Nicobar and Battimalv are marked by the complete absence of evergreen forests while such forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars and while deciduous forests are common in the Andamans they are almost absent in the Nicobar The present forest coverage is claimed to be 86 2 of the total land area Nicobar pigeon This typical forest coverage is made up of twelve types namely Giant evergreen forest Andamans tropical evergreen forest Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest Canebrakes Wet bamboo brakes Andamans semi evergreen forest Andamans moist deciduous forest Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest Littoral forest Mangrove forest Brackish water mixed forest Submontane forestFauna Edit Ross island Andaman This tropical rain forest despite its isolation from adjacent landmasses is surprisingly rich with a diversity of animal life About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Some are endemic including the Andaman wild boar Rodents are the largest group with 26 species followed by 14 species of bat Among the larger mammals there are two endemic citation needed varieties of wild boar Sus scrofa andamanensis from Andaman and Sus scrofa nicobaricus from Nicobar which are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 Sch I Saltwater crocodile is also found in abundance The State Animal of Andaman is the dugong also known as the sea cow which can be found in Little Andaman Around 1962 there was an attempt to introduce the leopard which was unsuccessful because of unsuitable habitat These were ill considered moves as exotic introductions can cause havoc to island flora and fauna Elephants also can be found in forested or mountainous areas of the islands they were brought over from the mainland to help with timber extraction in 1883 36 Elephant on the Andaman and Nicobar seashore About 270 species of birds are found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands 14 species of which are endemic The islands many caves are nesting grounds for the edible nest swiftlet whose nests are prized in China for bird s nest soup 37 The islands also serve as a stopover site for several migratory birds such as Horsfield s bronze cuckoo Zappey s flycatcher and Javan pond heron 38 The territory is home for about 225 species of butterflies and moths Ten species are endemic to these Islands Mount Harriet National Park is one of the richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on Andaman and Nicobar Islands The islands are well known for prized shellfish especially from the genera Turbo Trochus Murex and Nautilus Earliest recorded commercial exploitation began during 1929 Many cottage industries produce a range of decorative shell items Giant clams green mussels and oysters support edible shellfishery The shells of scallops clams and cockle are burnt in kilns to produce edible lime There are 96 wildlife sanctuaries nine national parks and one biosphere reserve in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands 39 Demographics EditHistorical populationYearPop 190124 649 191126 459 7 3 192127 086 2 4 193129 463 8 8 194133 768 14 6 195130 971 8 3 196163 548 105 2 1971115 133 81 2 1981188 741 63 9 1991280 661 48 7 2001356 152 26 9 2011380 581 6 9 2022434 192 14 1 Source Census of India 40 As of 2011 update Census of India the population of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379 944 of which 202 330 53 25 were male and 177 614 46 75 were female The sex ratio was 878 females per 1 000 males 41 Only 10 of the population lived in Nicobar islands 150 years ago the original population of the islands the Great Andamanese the Onge the Jarawa and the Sentinelese were estimated to be around 5 000 The population of islands increased massively due to the policies of Govt of India into islands under Jawaharlal Nehru in the late 1960s that brought settlers from other parts of the country 42 The areas and populations at the 2001 and 2011 Censuses of the three districts 43 are Name Area km2 PopulationCensus 2001 PopulationCensus 2011 CapitalNicobar 1 765 42 068 36 842 Car NicobarNorth and Middle Andaman 3 536 105 613 105 597 MayabunderSouth Andaman 2 640 208 471 238 142 Port BlairTotals 7 950 356 152 380 581There remain approximately 400 450 indigenous Andamanese in the Andaman islands the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining steadfast independence and refusing most attempts at contact In the Nicobar Islands the indigenous people are the Nicobarese or Nicobari living throughout many of the islands and the Shompen restricted to the hinterland of Great Nicobar More than 2 000 people belonging to the Karen tribe live in the Mayabunder tehsil of North Andaman district almost all of whom are Christians Despite their tribal origins the Karen of Andamans have Other Backward Class OBC status in the Andamans Languages Edit Languages of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 2011 44 Bengali 28 49 Tamil 15 20 Telugu 13 24 Hindi 12 91 Nicobarese 7 60 Malayalam 7 22 Sadri 5 53 Kurukh 3 96 Mundari 1 2 Kharia 1 07 Others 3 57 Indigenous to the Nicobar Islands are the five Nicobarese languages which form part of the Austroasiatic language family and are spoken by about 29 000 people 44 or 7 6 of the population of the union territory The Andaman Islands are home to about a dozen endangered or extinct Andamanese languages which constitute at least two families that are unrelated to each other or to any other language group The majority of the population however are speakers of immigrant languages These include Bengali the first language of 28 5 of the inhabitants of the union territory Tamil 15 2 Telugu 13 2 Hindi 12 9 Malayalam 7 2 Sadri 5 5 and Kurukh 4 44 Hindi is the official language of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands while English is declared an additional official language for communication purposes 7 Religion Edit Religion in Andaman and Nicobar 2011 45 Hinduism 69 45 Christianity 21 7 Islam 8 51 Sikhism 0 33 Buddhism 0 08 Other or non religious 0 5 Thiru Vettrimalai Murugan temple Port Blair The majority of people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindus 69 45 with Christians forming a large minority of 21 7 of the population according to the 2011 census of India There is a significant Muslim 8 51 minority Administration EditIn 1874 the British had placed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in one administrative territory headed by a Chief Commissioner as its judicial administrator On 1 August 1974 the Nicobar islands were hived off into another revenue district with district headquarters at Car Nicobar under a Deputy Commissioner In 1982 the post of Lieutenant Governor was created who replaced the Chief Commissioner as the head of administration Subsequently a Pradesh council with Councillors as representatives of the people was constituted to advise the Lieutenant Governor 27 The Islands sends one representative to Lok Sabha from its Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lok Sabha constituency Administrative divisions Edit The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is divided into three districts North and Middle Andaman Capital Mayabunder South Andaman Capital Port Blair Nicobar Capital Car Nicobar Each district is further divided into sub divisions and taluks Sub divisions and taluks of North and Middle Andaman district Edit Diglipur Sub Division Diglipur taluk Mayabunder Sub Division Mayabunder taluk Rangat talukSub divisions and taluks of South Andaman district Edit Port Blair Sub Division Port Blair taluk Ferrargunj taluk Jirkatang taluk native Jarawa reservation Ritchie s Archipelago Sub Division Ritchie s Archipelago taluk Havelock Island Little Andaman Sub Division Little Andaman taluk Hut Bay Sub divisions and taluks of Nicobar district Edit Car Nicobar Sub Division Car Nicobar taluk Nancowrie Sub Division Nancowrie taluk Kamorta taluk Teressa taluk Katchal taluk Great Nicobar Sub Division Little Nicobar taluk Great Nicobar taluk Campbell Bay Economy Edit Little Andaman Island seen by Spot satellite Ross Island a couple of days before the tsunami of December 2004 Agriculture Edit A total of 48 675 hectares 120 280 acres of land is used for agriculture purposes Paddy the main food crop is mostly cultivated in Andaman group of islands whereas coconut and arecanut are the cash crops of Nicobar group of islands Field crops namely pulses oilseeds and vegetables are grown followed by paddy during Rabi season Different kinds of fruits such as mango sapota orange banana papaya pineapple and root crops are grown on hilly land owned by farmers Spices such as pepper clove nutmeg and cinnamon are grown under a multi tier cropping system Rubber red oil palm noni and cashew are grown on a limited scale in these islands Industry Edit There are 1 374 registered small scale village and handicraft units Two units are export oriented in the line of fish processing activity Apart from this there are shells and wood based handicraft units There are also four medium sized industrial units SSI units are engaged in the production of polythene bags PVC conduit pipes and fittings paints and varnishes fiberglass and mini flour mills soft drinks and beverages etc Small scale and handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts bakery products rice milling furniture making etc The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has spread its wings in the field of tourism fisheries industries and industrial financing and functions as authorised agents for Alliance Air The Islands have become a tourist destination largely due to its beaches and waters 46 Tourism Edit Main article Tourism in Andaman and Nicobar Islands Scuba diving The view of the sky at sunset from Neil Island Tourism to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is increasing due to the popularity of beaches and adventure sports like snorkelling and sea walking 47 Plans to develop various islands under NITI National Institute of Transforming India Aayog is also in progress Luxury resorts with participation from the Government are set up to plan in Avis Island Smith Island and Long Island 48 A statue of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar at Cellular Jail In Port Blair the main places to visit are the Cellular Jail Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park Andaman Water sports complex Chatham Saw Mill Mini Zoo Corbyn s cove Chidiya Tapu Wandoor Beach Forest Museum Anthropological Museum Fisheries Museum Naval Museum Samudrika Ross Island and North Bay Island Viper Island which was earlier visited is now kept closed by the administration Other places include Havelock island famous for Radhanagar Beach Neil Island for Scuba diving snorkeling sea walking Cinque Island Saddle peak Mt Harriet and Mud Volcano Diglipur located at North Andaman is also getting popular in 2018 and many tourists have started visiting North Andaman as well The southern group Nicobar islands is mostly inaccessible to tourists Indian tourists do not require a permit to visit the Andaman Islands but if they wish to visit any tribal areas they need a special permit from the Deputy Commissioner in Port Blair Permits are required for foreign nationals For foreign nationals arriving by air these are granted upon arrival at Port Blair According to official estimates the flow of tourists tripled to nearly 430 000 in 2016 17 from 130 000 in 2008 09 The Radha Nagar beach was chosen as Asia s best beach in 2004 47 Macro economic trend Edit This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product GSDP of Andaman and Nicobar Islands at market prices estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian rupees 49 Year GSDP millions of 1985 5901990 1 1001995 4 0002000 7 7502005 10 5602010 16 130Andaman and Nicobar Islands gross state domestic product for 2004 was estimated at 354 million in current prices Power generation Edit With Japanese assistance Southern Andaman Island will now have a 15 megawatt diesel power plant This would be the first foreign investment of any kind allowed at this strategically significant island chain This is believed to be an Indo Japanese strategic initiative to strengthen civilian infrastructure in the vicinity of the Strait of Malacca a strategically important choke point for the Chinese oil supply 50 51 Education EditB ed Edit Tagore Government College of EducationDegree Edit Andaman and Nicobar college Jawaharlal Nehru Government College Mahatma Gandhi Government CollegeEngineering Edit Dr B R Ambedkar Institute of Technology Pondicherry University Port Blair campus Law Edit Andaman Law CollegeMedicine Edit Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical SciencesInfrastructure EditMega projects Edit Government of India has proposed the development of Great Nicobar 52 A terminal two townships Solar Power and an strips will be created for logistics and tourism purposes This will give boost to Nicobar Islands and expected to provide employment 53 However project is considered as threat to indigenous communities on Nicobar Islands Internet Edit Internet access on the islands used to be limited and unreliable since all connectivity to the outside world had to go through satellite links Bharat Broadband Network started work on laying a fibre optic submarine cable running from the five islands to Chennai on 30 December 2018 with completion expected in December 2019 54 55 On 10 August 2020 PM Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the Chennai Andaman undersea Optical fibre cable which enables high speed broadband connections in the Union Territory The submarine cable also connects Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep Little Andaman Car Nicobar Kamorta Great Nicobar Long Island and Rangat 56 The initial bandwidth of the cable is 400 Gbit s roughly 400 times more than what the islands possessed before the fibre link 57 58 Ports Edit On 10 August 2020 PM Narendra Modi announced plans for the construction of a transshipment port in the Great Nicobar Island at a cost of 10 000 crore to provide shippers an alternative to similar ports in the region The move is aimed at improving the ease of doing business of the country and enhancing maritime logistics 59 Transportation Edit Veer Savarkar International Airport Cargo vessel Sindhu manufactured by CSL used for local transportation The only civil airport of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Veer Savarkar International Airport near Port Blair It has regular flights to Chennai Kolkata New Delhi Bangalore and Visakhapatnam From 2016 onwards night flights were also operated along with the day flights citation needed Another mode of transport is ship which has routes from Chennai Kolkata and Visakhapatnam The journey takes approximately three days and two nights citation needed Popular culture EditSir Arthur Conan Doyle refers to the Andaman Islands in his Sherlock Holmes novel The Sign of the Four 60 The National Award winning Malayalam film Kaalapani was set against backdrop of the Port Blair s Cellular Jail It is one of the films that was extensively shot in the islands 61 Most parts of the song Life Of Ram got shot in this island which is featured in the 2018 Tamil language film 96 Gallery Edit Andaman Islands Andaman and Nicobar islands The coral reef at Havelock in Andaman Mangrove trees on the beach Shaheed Island Canopy of tropical rainforest The Andaman coast lined with coconut palms Seascape at Chidiyatapu Andaman islandsSee also Edit Geography portal Islands portal Asia portal India portal2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami 2014 Andaman boat disaster Andamanese peoples Coral reefs in India Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India List of endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands List of islands of IndiaReferences Edit Eastern Region Geological Survey of India Geological Survey of India MOI Government of India Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 2 May 2015 Andaman and Nicobar Administration And nic in Archived from the original on 18 February 2015 Retrieved 8 July 2013 Census of India Archived 14 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine 2011 Census Data Online Population Sawhney Pravin 30 January 2019 A watchtower on the high seas The Tribune Archived from the original on 16 April 2019 Retrieved 16 April 2019 Andaman and Nicobar Beyond India s landmass www downtoearth org in Retrieved 12 May 2021 Andaman and Nicobar Command ANC Drishti IAS Retrieved 8 December 2020 a b Andaman amp Nicobar Administration and nic in Archived from the original on 18 February 2015 Pandit T N 1990 The Sentinelese Kolkata Seagull 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Bulletin de l Ecole Francaise d Extreme Orient in French 18 6 6 doi 10 3406 befeo 1918 5894 JSTOR 43729861 Retrieved 21 September 2022 via JSTOR Yule Henry Burnell Arthur Coke 1903 Nicobar Islands Hobson Jobson A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo Indian Words and Phrases and of Kindred Terms Etymological Historical Geographical and Discursive Vol 1 London J Murray pp 624 625 Kukreja Air Marshal Dhiraj 1 January 2013 Andaman and Nicobar Islands A security challenge for India Indian Defence Review Retrieved 24 November 2021 Danish National Archives C Rise Hansen 18 October 2011 Sources of the History of North Africa Asia and Oceania in Denmark Walter de Gruyter p 19 ISBN 978 3 11 097036 4 a b John Gottfried Haensel 1812 Christian Ignatius Latrobe ed Letters on the Nicobar islands their natural productions and the manners customs and superstitions of the natives with an account of an attempt made by the Church of the United Brethren to convert them to Christianity a b Ramerini Marco Chronology of Danish Colonial Settlements ColonialVoyage com Archived from the original on 4 April 2005 Retrieved 16 November 2010 Karl Ritter von Scherzer Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara Vol II p 63 MATHUR L P 1967 A Historical Study of Euro Asian Interest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 29 60 JSTOR 44137988 Murthy R V R 2006 Cellular Jail a Century of Sacrifices The Indian Journal of Political Science 67 4 879 888 JSTOR 41856271 How India s Cellular Jail was integral in the country s fight for freedom The Independent 14 August 2017 Archived from the original on 11 November 2020 Ministero della Guerra Ufficio Storico Storia Militare della Colonia Eritrea Vol I Roma 1935 pp 15 16 Black Days in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by Rabin Roychowdhury Pub Manas Pubs New Delhi Manmadhan Ullattil 12 August 2021 When Pakistan Claimed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands www livehistoryindia com Retrieved 29 October 2022 Bengali settlers in the Andaman Islands the performance of homeland IIAS www iias asia Retrieved 29 October 2022 a b c d Planning Commission of India 2008 Andaman and Nicobar Islands Development Report State Development Report series illustrated ed Academic Foundation ISBN 978 81 7188 652 4 Archived from the original on 9 December 2015 Retrieved 12 March 2011 David Brewster India s Defence Strategy and the India ASEAN Relationship RSIS Monograph No 28 Retrieved 24 August 2014 Carl Strand and John Masek ed 2007 Sumatra Andaman Islands Earthquake and Tsunami of December 6 2004 Lifeline Performance Reston VA ASCE Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering ISBN 9780784409510 Archived from the original on 24 October 2013 Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India Tsunami folklore saved islanders BBC News 20 January 2005 Archived from the original on 30 September 2009 Retrieved 23 April 2010 Brief Industrial Profile of Andaman and Nicobar Islands PDF Government of India Ministry of M S M E Archived PDF from the original on 6 November 2015 Retrieved 1 May 2019 Andaman and Nicobar Wikitravel wikitravel org Retrieved 9 November 2021 Bedi Rahul 1 January 2019 Indian PM strips islands of British colonial names and renames them after freedom fighter The Telegraph Archived from the original on 3 January 2019 Retrieved 2 January 2019 PM Modi renames 3 Andaman amp Nicobar islands as tribute to Netaji The Economic Times 31 December 2018 Archived from the original on 3 January 2019 Retrieved 2 January 2019 Thomas Maria 4 August 2016 The incredible life of India s iconic swimming elephant qz com Retrieved 22 June 2020 R Sankaran 1999 The impact of nest collection on the Edible nest Swiftlet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Archived 4 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History Coimbatore India Singh Shiv Sahay 21 April 2019 In a first east Asian birds make Andaman stopover The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 7 March 2021 India Year Book 2015 Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901 Census of India Office of the Registrar General amp Census Commissioner India Census of India PDF Archived PDF from the original on 13 November 2011 Retrieved 13 April 2012 Sekhsaria Pankaj How a statist vision of development has brought Andaman s tribals close to extinction Scroll in Retrieved 21 November 2020 source The Office of Registrar General amp Census Commissioner of India a b c Office of the Registrar General amp Census Commissioner India C 16 Population by mother tongue India 2011 Retrieved 7 November 2022 Population by religion community 2011 Census of India 2011 The Registrar General amp Census Commissioner India Archived from the original on 25 August 2015 Andaman and Nicobar Islands Unexplored Beauty of India The Indian Backpacker December 2012 Archived from the original on 21 December 2012 Retrieved 2 January 2013 a b How Andaman amp Nicobar can fully capitalize its Tourism Potential IANS news biharprabha com 6 March 2014 Archived from the original on 5 November 2014 Retrieved 6 March 2014 Holistic Development of Islands Niti Aayog Niti Aayog Archived from the original on 4 December 2018 Retrieved 4 December 2018 1 Archived 16 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine India collaborates with Japan on Andamans project The Hindu 13 March 2016 ISSN 0971 751X Archived from the original on 16 March 2016 Retrieved 14 June 2016 These 8 narrow chokepoints are critical to the world s oil trade Business Insider Archived from the original on 29 June 2016 Retrieved 14 June 2016 Development of Great Nicobar strategic imperative and ecological concerns The Indian Express 22 November 2022 Retrieved 29 November 2022 Ramakrishna Ishika 20 October 2022 Massive infrastructure project threatens Great Nicobar Island frontline thehindu com Retrieved 29 November 2022 PM Modi inaugurates 2 312 kilometre undersea optical fibre cable link between Andaman Chennai The Indian Express 10 August 2020 Retrieved 10 August 2020 Sridhar Lalitha 17 February 2018 It s 2018 but still tough to get online in the Andamans The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 8 November 2018 Andaman and Nicobar islands fast speed internet will depend on a 2 300 kilometre long fibre optic cable Business Insider Retrieved 11 August 2020 BSNL to enhance bandwidth 400 times in Andaman and Nicobar island in 2 years Financial Express 26 June 2018 Archived from the original on 8 November 2018 Retrieved 8 November 2018 PM Modi inaugurates Chennai Andaman amp Nicobar submarine optical cable project Times of India The Times of India 10 August 2020 Retrieved 10 August 2020 www ETHRWorld com India plans Rs 10 000 cr transshipment port at Great Nicobar Island PM ETHRWorld ETHRWorld com Retrieved 10 August 2020 Hill David 31 March 2012 The wild people as tourist stops The Hindu Archived from the original on 25 December 2013 Retrieved 12 October 2018 ക ല പ ന എന ന വ സ മയ ഷ ട ട 60 ദ വസ അന നത ത മ ഗ ബജറ റ ക റ പ പ ManoramaOnline in Malayalam 9 April 2020 Retrieved 21 November 2020 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andaman and Nicobar Islands Census of India Provisional Population Totals Andaman and Nicobar Administration Website Andaman and Nicobar Islands at Curlie Andaman and Nicobar Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage Best Time to Visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Andaman and Nicobar Islands amp oldid 1131292183, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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