Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Area: 8249 sq km
Capital: Port Blair
Languages: Bengali, Hindi, Nicobarese, Telugu, Tamil , Malayalam.
Districts: 2
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of more than 3000 islands, the great majority of which (about 265) are uninhabited being too small and with little orno water. This group of islands in the Bay of Bengal may be considered the counterpart of the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian sea—both of them being the overseas possessions of the Indian Union.Capital: Port Blair
Languages: Bengali, Hindi, Nicobarese, Telugu, Tamil , Malayalam.
Districts: 2
Physiography: Andaman and Nicobar Islands are continental islands lying between 6 and 14 degrees north latitude and 92 and 94 degrees east longitude. They form two broad groups—Andamans and Nicobars which are separated by the 10 degree channel which is about 145 km wide and 400 fathoms deep. Geologically the islands appear to have been part of the land mass of south east Asia comprising north east India, Burma,Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Port Blair, the headquarters of the Islands, is 1255 km from Calcutta (by sea), 1191 km from Madras and 580 km from Yangon (Rangoon).The Andaman Group has, at the extreme north, Land Fall Island which is about 900 km from the mouth of the Hooghly river and about 190 km from Burma.
This Island is followed by the three main islands, North Andaman, Middle Andaman and South Andaman—all of them separated from each other by shallow seas. This area is known as Great Andaman. Further south, at a distance of about 100 km from Port Blair, lies Little Andaman Island. Besides these, there is a large number of other islands in the group, many of them very small in size.
The Nicobar Group lying south of the Andamans extends from 66× to 100× north
latitude. The northernmost island is Car Nicobar which lies about 120 km to the south of Little Andaman and the southernmost island is Great Nicobar barely 150 km from Sumatra.
Pygmalion Point also known as Parsons Point which has since been renamed as "Indira Point" is the southernmost tip of India and not "Kanyakumari" as is popularly known.The important islands in this group are Great Nicobar, Car Nicobar, Chowra, Teressa, Nancowrie, Katchal and Little Nicobar.The total area of the two groups of islands is 8249 sq km of which Andamans with 6340 sq km accounts for more than 76 per cent of the land area.
The total area of the Nicobar group of islands is 1953 sq km, the length and width being about 260 km and 58 km respectively. In this group, the Great Nicobar has the largest area of about 1045 sq km.The climate of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is of the tropical type but the continuous breeze blowing in from the surrounding seas make it very pleasant.The tiny, uninhabited Barren island, 139 km from Port Blair, has an active volcano, which is the only one of its kind in the region.
History: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, also known as the Bay Islands, had little historical importance till the advent of the European powers into India and the East in the 16th century. The Portuguese who came first were not particularly interested in these islands but they were interested in the East Indies. The Dutch who came next drove the Portuguese from the East Indies and the Bay Islands naturally came into their domain. Meanwhile, the British who had established themselves in India came into conflict with the Dutch in and around the Andamans. It did not take long for the British to drive out the Dutch and occupy the islands.The first settlement was established in North Andamans in the year 1789. Attempts at colonisation were ultimately given up but the penal settlement survived. Then came the Revolt of 1857 in India. The British found that they had on their hands a large number of rebel convicts whom the Indian prisons of those days would hardly contain. The Andamans offered a ready-made solution. It is estimated that between 1858 and 1860 some 2000-4000 sepoy mutineers were sent to the Andamans. Many of them died. The construction of the Cellular Jail was taken up in 1896. The construction itself was carried out by convicts. The constitutional reforms of 1935 necessitated a thorough revision of policy. In Sept. 1937, the first batch of prisoners left the Andamans and by Jan. 1938 all prisoners were released.
The Second World War and the consequent Japanese occupation from 1942-1945 brought the islanders a taste of foreign military occupation. After the evacuation of the Japanese in 1945, the islands, as part of India, became free on August 15, 1947.One beneficial result of the Japanese occupation was the expulsion of the mainland traders. After independence, the Government was keen that traders did not return to exploit the people and destroy their culture. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Act was passed in 1956, under which entry into tribal areas was prohibited and no outsider could carry on trade or industry in the islands, without the licence from the Administrator. Since 1938, refugees and ex-servicemen were permitted and encouraged to settle down in the islands. Many of them have now become permanent settlers.
On November 1, 1956 the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were constituted into a Union Territory, administered by the President of India. The local administration is headed by a Lt. Governor with his headquarters at Port Blair. The Cellular Jail is a National Memorial.
Administration: The entire territory is delimited into 4 Sub Divisions and 7 tehsils as follows:Area, Sub Divisions, TehsilsSub Division Tehsils in the Area Sub division sq km1. Mayabunder 1. Diglipur 884 2. Mayabunder 1348 3. Rangat 10982. South Andaman 1. Port Blair 2. Ferrargunj 30103. Car Nicobar 1. Car Nicobar 1294. Nancowrie 1. Nancowrie 1824
Districts
- Andaman (Port blair)
- Nicobar (Car Nicobar)
As large scale agricultural and industrial development is impossible here, fisheries, tourism and ship repairing are the areas that can create jobs and bring economic prosperity without causing environmental damage. Only six per cent of the island's area is available for cultivation.Total cropped area is 15,827 hectares. The principal crops are rice, coconuts and arecanut. Other crops are sugarcane, pulses, fruit and vegetables. Spices and rubber are being tried. Present fisheries output is only 25,000 tonnes p.a. but there is great potential in this sector.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) was set up in 1988.The installed capacity of power generation is 30,000 kw, with all revenue villages electrified. There is a network of 866 km of black–tapped roads and 5 wharfs and 41 jetties linking all inhabited islands.Tourist Centres: A & N Islands are popularly known as the Emerald Isles. Anthropological Museum, Marine Museum, Chatham Saw Mill, WIMCO Factory, Andaman Timber Industries, Zoological Garden, Mount Harriet, Chidiya Tapu (Bird Island), Wandoor Beach, Viper Island, Cellular Jail and Dilthaman Tank, sound and light show at National Memorial. In 1992 the government decided to open up the islands to foreign tourists.
There are regular air and sea services between the mainland and the islands. IA flies from Delhi, Calcutta and Madras to Port Blair. Ships ply between Calcutta, Madras, Vishakapatnam and Port Blair. The island of Katchall at the southern end of A & N Islands was in the news in end -1999 as the first rays of the sun of Jan.1, 2000 were believed to hit it. Labels: Andaman and Nicobar Islands
