The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of scenic and picturesque islands at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, and are a Union Territory of India. It comprises of two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands which is separated by the Ten Degree Channel some 150 km wide, with the Andamans to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to the south. The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west. There are 572 islands in the territory having an area of 8,249 km2 out of which only 38 are permanently inhabited. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island known as Saddle Peak at 732 m. The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,408 km2 while the Nicobar group has only 24 islands with an area of 1,841 km2.
The Andaman territory's capital is Port Blair whereas the capital of Nicobar Islands is Car Nicobar. The islands have been inhabited for several thousand years and shrouded in mystery for centuries because of their inaccessibility. The earliest archaeological evidence yet documented goes back some 2,200 years and the Andamanese have diversified into distinct linguistic, cultural and territorial groups. The Nicobar Islands appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds. At the time of the European contact, the indigenous inhabitants were the Nicobarese people, speaking a Mon-Khmer language and the Shompen, whose language which isn't still traced back. Both are unrelated to the Andamanese.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are blessed with a unique tropical rainforest canopy, made of a mixed flora with elements from Indian, Myanmarese, 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. This tropical rain forest despite its isolation from adjacent land masses 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.
Particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs) have been identified in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are of great interest to anthropologist. They are the Great Andamanese of Strait Island, Onges of Little Andaman, Jarawas of South and Middle Andaman, Sentinelese of Sentinel Islands, Shompens of Great Nicobar.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
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