Andaman & Nicobar Islands  is a group of over  572 Islands in the Bay of Bengal, South-East of the Indian mainland. 

Andaman & Nicobar Islands stretches over a length of more than 800 kms from North to South. Some of the large Islands are Middle Andaman, North Andaman, South Andaman, Baratang and Little Andaman islands .

The Nicobar group of Islands is out of bounds for Tourism activities. i.e., only the Andaman group of Islands  are open for Tourism. This is because the majority of people living in Nicobar Islands are Tribals.

The capital of Andaman & Nicobar Islands  is Port Blair. Most of the islands are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands, 10 of which are inhabited. The Andamans and Nicobars are separated by the Ten Degree Channel,  some 150 km wide.The territory’s population as per the year 2001 Census of India is 356,152.

The Andaman group is inhabited by tribes of Negrito origin, while the Nicobar Islands are inhabited by tribes of Mongloid origin.  There are 4 tribes in the Andaman District and they  are Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas and Sentinelese, while 2 other tribes, Nicobarese & Shompens of Mongloid origin live in Nicobar district.

The topography of the Andaman islands is hilly and they abound in evergreen forests. Timber is plentiful and of a vast variety. These undulating islands are covered with dense forests and endless variety of exotic flora and fauna. 

The first settlement by the British took place in 1789, which was later abandoned in 1796. The second settlement was basically a penal settlement, established in 1858, after the First War of Indian Independence, followed by the settlement of convicts, Moplas, some criminal tribes from Central and United Provinces, refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka as well as ex-servicemen.

People of all faiths like Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhist etc.,  live together in complete peace and harmony. The sandy beaches of Andaman & Nicobar Islands are fringed with coconut-palms. The sea around the islands offer excellent scope for water sports.  Adventure tourism like trekking, Camping, snorkeling, scuba diving etc., are the real attractions.

The Indian government is trying to develop the Andaman islands into a low volume, high yield tourist zone. To promote eco-friendly tourism, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration is developing  36 beach sites on the islands.  India’s first ever marina is to be developed in A&N islands.

 

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