 Andaman
and Nicobar Islands Floating in splendid isolation,
cast of the Indian mainland is the archipelago of 572 emerald
islands, islets and rocks known as Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
This Union Territory is stretched over an area of more than
700 Km. from north to south with 36 inhabited islands. Once
a hill range extending from Burma (Myanmar) to Indonesia,
these undulating . islands are covered with dense forests
and endless variety of exotic flowers
and birds. The topography of the islands is
hilly and abounds in evergreen forests. The sandy beaches
on the edge of meandering coastline are fringed with coconut-palms
that sway to the rhythm of the sea. The sea around the islands
offer excellent scope for water sports. The rare flora and
fauna, underwater marine life and corals, with crystal clear
water and mangrove-lined creeks, offer a dream-view of the
rare gifts of nature. The clean and wide roads, free of filth
as well as unpolluted fresh air attract any nature-lover,
who seek absolute peace and tranquility in the lap of mother
nature. Adventure tourism like trekking, island camping, snorkeling,
scuba diving etc., are the real attractions. A visit to these
islands is a memorable lifetime experience. Mythologically,
the name Andaman was presumed to be derived from Hanuman,
who was known to the Malays as Handuman.
Since Prehistoric times, these islands were the home of aboriginal
tribes. The tribes of, the Andaman group of islands are the
Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas, and Sentinatese, all of
Negrito origin, while the tribes of Nicobars are the Nicobarese
and Shompens, both of Mongoloid stock. The first settlement
by the British took place in 1789, which was later abandoned
in 1796. The second settlement was basically a penal settlement,
taken up in 1858, after the First War of 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.In
these islands people of all faiths - Hindus,
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs etc., and of all
languages like Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi,
Nicobari etc., live together in complete peace and harmony.
Inter-religion and inter-regional marriages are common. This
amazing racial and cultural mix is correctly described as
Mini-India. Forests are the green extend over gold of the
islands. The reserved and protected forests extend over 86%
area of the territory and the forest cover is more
than 92 %. About 50 % of the forests has been set aside as
Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries,
which are inviolate. Luxuriant mangroves, perhaps the richest
in the world, occupy nearly II. 5 % of the territory. More
than 150 plant and animals species are endemic in nature.
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is rich in corals, varieties
of colored fishes, sea turtles etc., besides other marine
life. It is a birds paradise - more than 271 varieties of
birds inhabit the idyllic landscape, out of which 39 are endemic.
Megapode, Swiftlet, Hornbill and Nicobar Pigeon
are some of the specialties of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
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