Andaman And Nicobar Islands: General Information

Andaman & Nicobar Islands Tourism Overview

One of the union territories of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a breathtaking archipelago located in the Bay of Bengal. The exotic beaches blessed with coral reefs and amazing marine life making the landscape breathtakingly exquisite, cater a perfect holidays away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. This group of islands is an empyrean for both nature admirers and adrenaline junkies alike.

Facts:

• Location: Andaman Nicobar Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal.
• Highest Points: The highest Point of Andaman islands is Saddle Peak (732 meters) while Mount Thullier (642 meters) is of Nicobar.
• Total Area: The area encompassed by these islands is 8249 square kilometers in which, 8211 square kilometers is rural.
• Capital: Port Blair
• Religion: The major Andaman and Nicobar Islands religion is termed as animism. As per this religion of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the sole deity responsible for everything that happens in the world is Paluga.
• Tribes: Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, Nicobarese and Shompen
• Population: According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379,944. In this population 202,330 (53.25%) are male and 177,614 (46.75%) are female.

History:Located on the primeval trade route connecting India to Myanmar, the Andaman Islands were visited by the navy brigade of East India Company in the year 1789. In 1872, Andaman Islands were connected administratively to the Nicobar Islands by the British. During the Second World War, these islands were occupied by the Japanese. This archipelago became the union territory of India in the year 1956.

Geography:The terrain of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a part of South-East Asia Landmass. It is a group of 3000 islands. It includes chain of mountains and ridges with moderate heights and gradients. The geography at Andaman and Nicobar Islands states that the archipelago comprises of North Andaman, South Andaman, Middle Andaman, and Little Andaman in the Andaman group of islands, as well as Great Nicobar, Nancowry, Car Nicobar, Chowra and Katchal in the Nicobar group of islands.

• Latitude- 6° to 14° North.
• Longitude: 92° to 94° East.
• Temperature: 31° C (maximum) and 23° C (minimum)
• Climate: Tropical
• Forest area: 92%
• Biggest Island: Middle Andaman Islands (Andaman group)- (1536 square kilometers) and Great Nicobar Islands (Nicobar group)- (1045 square kilometers)
• Smallest Island: Ross Island (Andaman)- (0.8 square kilometers) and Pilomillow Island (Nicobar)- (1.3 square kilometers)

Fauna:The archipelago is blessed with lush flora including evergreen tropical rainforest canopy. These forests engross an assorted a jumble of Indian, Malaysian and indigenous floral stretches. There are more than 2000 varieties of plants found here. This uncharacteristic forest stretch is made-up of twelve types that are:

• Giant Evergreen Forest
• Andaman’s Tropical Evergreen Forest
• Southern Hilltop Tropical Evergreen Forest
• Cane Brakes
• Wet Bamboo Brakes
• Andaman’s Semi-Evergreen Forest
• Andaman’s Moist Deciduous Forest
• Andaman’s Secondary Moist Deciduous Forest
• Littoral Forest
• Mangrove Forest
• Brackish Water Mixed Forest
• Sub-Montane Hill Valley Swamp Forest

Flora:These islands are extremely profuse with fauna. Around 50 species of forest mammals are found here among which 26 rat species and 14 bat species are primarily notable. Other than these, the prominent mammal species that can be spotted here are Sus Scorfa (wild pig), spotted deer, barking deer feral elephant, etc. Butterfly, moths and shells also increase the charm of nature’s exquisiteness in Andaman and Nicobar. Coral reefs and marine life of this archipelago is a prominent factor attracting the tourists from all around the blue planet.

Activities to Do:There is no scarcity of activities to do in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There is a plethora of things to do here thus making the trip congenial and gratifying. Multitude of adventure activities are offered here. The major adventure activities that can be carried out here are:

• Scuba Diving
• Snorkeling
• Camping
• Surfing
• Trekking

Being blessed with sublime landscapes and equipped with beautiful markets, Andaman and Nicobar Islands are perfect destinations for sightseeing and shopping. In addition to this, Island Tourism Festival celebrated in Port Blair for 15 days between Dec and Feb attracts the tourists to witness exuberance.

Places to see:The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are no less than a heaven for the nature lovers and therefore exert a pull on a large number of tourists all the year round. This archipelago is a beautiful place that caters a superlative holiday. Nicobar engrosses a minuscule but completely furnished world in itself.
Nature tour at Nicobar refers to relish the wonderfully beautiful beaches and mangrove woods. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an ideal place for the nature admirers. The contiguous areas of the seashores are marvelous. The Nicobar Islands are profuse in marine life. Moreover, many exemplifications of architectural brilliance are also found here. Some of the places to see in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Neil Island, Havelock Island, Long Island, Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park,Anthropological Museum, Indira Point, Car Nicobar, Katchal, etc.

How to Reach There:A tourist can reach Andaman and Nicobar through air or ship.

• By Air: There are direct day flights to Port Blair from Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. On certain days, there are few flights from Bhubneshwar as well.
• By Ship: The ships sail from Vizag, Chennai and Kolkata. Ship journey takes 50-60 hours to reach these islands.