The History

Mythologically, the name Andaman is presumed to be derived from hanuman, who was known to the Malays as Handuman. Since pre-historic times, these islands were the home of aboriginal tribes. The tribes of the Andaman group of islands are the Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas and Sentinalese, 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 in1858, after the war of independence, followed by the settlement of Convicts, Moplas, some tribes from Central and United Provinces, refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan , Burma and Sri Lanka as well as ex-servicemen.

The people

In these islands people of all faiths-Hindus, Muslim, 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 aptly described as ‘Mini-India'.

The flora and fauna

Forests are the green 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 have been set aside as Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are inviolate. Luxuriant mangroves, perhaps the richest in the world, occupy nearly 11.5% of the territory. More than 150 plant and animal species are endemic to these islands. The Andaman Nicobar Islands hold over 110 species of wild orchids, which is about 10% of the known Indian orchids.

The surrounding seas are equally rich in marine bio-diversity. They harbour more than 1200 species of fish, 350 species of echinoderms, 1000 species of molluscs and many more other forms of life. Among vertebrates dugong, dolphin and whale are common. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is rich in corals, varieties of colourful fishes, sea turtles etc., besides other marine life.

Andaman is a bird's paradise. More than 246 varieties of birds inhabit the idyllic landscape, out of which 39 are endemic, out of which Megapode, Swiftlet, Hornbill and Nicobar Pigeon are mention worthy. The avi-faunal diversity has always attracted ornithologists and bird watchers to these islands.

Sandy beaches of these islands are famous for turtle nesting. Imporatant species of turltles include: Leather Back Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Olive Ridley Turtle. Water Monitor Lizard, Salt Water Crocodiles, Reticulate Python etc. are also seen here.

Corals and coral reefs are the most fascinating part of marine ecosystem here. So far 179 species of corals belonging to 61 genera have been reported. Reefs are mostly of the fringing type on the western coast. Coral reefs are important breeding and nursery ground for fish and many other organisms.

General information

Location: Bay Of Bengal
              92? to 94? East Longitude
              6? to 14? North Latitude

Area: Andaman Dist.: 6,408 Sq. Kms.
         Nicobars Dist. : 1,841 Sq. kms.
         Total area : 8,249 Sq. kms.

Capital: Port Blair

Distance: 1255 kms. From Kolkata
              1190 kms. From Chennai
              1200 kms. From Vishakapatnam

Altitude: Varies from sea level to 732 metres

Highest Peak: Saddle Peak- 732 metres

Climate: Tropical throughout the year with mean minimum Temperature at 23?C and Maximum at 30?C. Humidity is Relatively high – 70% to 90% with a gentle breeze blowing All the time. The weather is generally pleasant with Average annual rainfall of 3,000 mm at Port Blair( May to mid- September & November to January).

Forest Cover: 92%, Forest area 86%

Best Season: October to May

Monsoon Tourism: Season June to September

Clothing: Cottons throughout the year

ISD Code ++91-3192(STD 03192)