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Andaman & Nicobar, the Emerald Islands, consisting of two island group lies east of the mainland between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Its southernmost island is only 200 km (120 mi) from the northern tip of the Indonesian island of 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 island of Katchall at the southern end was in the news in 1999 as the first rays of the sun of Jan.1, 2000 were believed to hit it.
The archipelago of 572 emerald islands, islets and rocks known as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andamans are separated from the Nicobars to the south by the Ten Degree Channel, which is 145 km (90mi) wide.
This Union Territory is spread over a distance nearly 800 Kms. from North to South with 38 inhabited islands. A hill range extending from Burma (Myanmar) to Indonesia, these undulating islands are covered with dense forests and an endless variety of exotic flora & fauna.
The untouched and pristine marine life, corals, crystal clear water, mangrove - forests and birds offer a dream view of the rare gifts of nature. The capital is Port Blair on Andaman Islands.
History: The name Andaman is presumed to be derived from Hanuman, who was known to the Malays as Handuman. The early history of these islands is not well known although these were familiar to Arab traders in ancient times, the islands being situated close to the trade route to the Far East. The existence of these islands was first reported in the 9th century.
The first western visitor was Marco Polo who called it the land of the headhunters. The islands were annexed by the Marathas in the late 17th century. In the early, 18th century, the islands were the base of Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre. The British were the first Europeans to settle in the islands when they established a colony at Chatham Island, near Port Cornwallis (Now Port Blair) in 1789.
It was discontinued after seven years, but in 1858 it was reestablished to imprison Indian freedom fighters. Initially the convicts were kept in a jail at Viper Island, which is about 15 minutes boat ride from Port Blair. The foundation of the infamous 'Cellular Jail' at Port Blair was laid in 1896. The building was completed in 1906.
The British joined the Andaman and Nicobar islands in a single administrative unit in 1872. The islands were occupied by Japanese forces from March 21,1942 until the end of World War II in 1945, when the British regained control of the territory. The islands became a union territory of India when India gained independence from British rule in 1947.
The population is made up of indigenous Negritos and settlers from the Indian mainland, Burma and refugees from East Pakistan & Sri Lanka. The aboriginal tribes, the Negritos, whose culture dates back to the Paleolithic era are the real treasure of the islands.
Literacy Rate: According to a recent survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organisation the literacy rate is now as high as 97%.
Languages: Bengali, Hindi, Nicobarese, Telugu, Tamil & Malayalam.
Climate
Minimum: 23 C and Maximum at 30 C.
Average Relative Humidity: 80% with a gentle breeze from the sea all the time. The weather is generally pleasant with average annual rainfall of 3,000mm at Port Blair.
The southwest monsoon touches first here then proceeds towards the mainland. It comes May to mid-September and the northeast monsoon arrives here between November to January.
The best season to visit is between October and May.
Exports: The territory includes timber (Andaman redwood, gurjan for plywood, and softwoods), coconuts, and copra.
Harbours: The principal harbours are Port Blair, Diglipur, Rangat, Neil, and Mayabandar in the Andamans and Car Nicobar and Kamorta in the Nicobars. There is a network of 866 km of black-tapped roads, 5 wharfs and 41 Jetties linking all inhabited islands.
Sights & Attraction
Cellular Jail: Built by the British to penalise Indian Freedom fighters, now one of India's declared National Monuments. The light and sound show screened in the backdrop of this jail is dedicated to the freedom fighters who perished or languished for years in solitary confinement in its cells.
Samudrika Marine Museum: The five sections of this unique museum display history and geography of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The displays include islands, the people, the tribals, their life-style, marine life and archaeology. The museum also has a sizable collection of shells and corals.
Fisheries Museum: This aquarium cum museum has a collection of some 350 species of marine animals found on the island.
Anthropological Museum: The islands are inhabited by tribals who are considered to be the original inhabitants of the Andamans. The tools used by them, their dresses and many photographs of their life style have been kept in this museum.
Mini Zoo & Forest Museum: Port Blair has a small Zoo, which houses some of the species which are found nowhere in the world. 200 species of animals, which includes the Nicobar Pigeon and the Andaman Pig.
The salt-water crocodile-breeding programme has been very successful and the many crocodiles, which were bred here, are now in wild waters among the dense mangrove forests. Near the zoo is the museum maintained and run by the forest department.
This unusual museum displays locally grown woods, including Pad auk, which has both light, and dark colours are present in the same tree.
Chatham Saw Mill: This one of the Asia's largest wood processing units. It is located on Chatham Island. Some of the woods being processed here are termed as rare.
How to get here: Port Blair, the capital town of this Union Territory is situated about 1200 km from the east coast of the mainland. The Alliance Airlines has flights from Calcutta and Chennai on rotational basis. Jet Airways operates flights daily from and to Chennai. It takes about two hours to reach Port Blair from Chennai by air.
There are passenger ships sailing from Calcutta, Chennai and Visakhapatnam. The trip may take a three to four days from Chennai and may be one more day on the Calcutta route. Locally one can take boats to various islands. Port Blair has taxis, auto-rickshaws and bicycles. Private boats can also be hired.
Travel Permits: All foreigners require a travel permit for 30 days to stay on the islands on their arrival at Port Blair from the immigration authorities. These permits can also be obtained from Indian Missions abroad, Airport Immigration authorities and Foreigners Registration Offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta. Please contact us further details.
Indian Nationals do not require a permit to visit these Islands but a special permit is required while visiting the tribal areas.
A Word of Caution: Persons visiting Andaman & Nicobar should obey the rules and regulations prescribed by the Islands Administration.
Carry narcotics or drugs a punishable offence.
Go out of your island lagoon without a proper escort can be risky.
Do not break plants or coral or collecting a piece as "souvenirs." Remember that even the lightest touch with hands or equipment can damage sensitive coral polyps.
Resist the temptation to feed fish, seabirds and marine mammals; it changes their natural behavior and diet.
Dumping trash at sea is illegal; plastic bags and other debris can injure or kill marine animals. Sets a good example of environmental responsibility and bring your trash back to shore and recycle it.
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