ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

islands on the southeastern margins of the Bay of Bengal. The peaks of a submerged mountain range, the islands form an arc 620 miles (1,000 kilometres) long between Myanmar (Burma) and Sumatra (in Indonesia). Their total area is 3,185 square miles (8,249 square kilometres). Linked administratively by the British in 1872, the two groups became a union territory of the Republic of India in 1956. The territory is administered by a lieutenant governor, appointed by the president of India. Port Blair (on South Andaman), the only major town on the island, is the territorial capital. The Andamans, located between latitudes 1030 and 1345 N, comprise more than 300 islands (26 are inhabited). North, Middle, and South Andaman, known collectively as Great Andaman, are the main islands; others include Landfall Island, Interview Island, the Sentinel Islands, Ritchie's Archipelago, and Rutland Island. Little Andaman in the south is separated from the Nicobar Islands by the 90-mile-wide Ten Degree Channel. union territory of India, consisting of two island groups in the Bay of Bengal. The Andamans are separated from the Nicobars to the south by the Ten Degree Channel, which is 90 miles (145 km) wide. The capital of the territory is Port Blair. The Andaman group includes more than 300 islands and islets, of which 26 are inhabited. The three chief islands in the principal groupNorth, Middle, and South Andamanare so closely positioned that they have been known collectively as Great Andaman. The Nicobars are a group of 12 inhabited and 7 uninhabited islands; they include Great Nicobar (largest and southernmost), Kamorta and Nancowry (central group), and Car Nicobar (northern group). The principal harbours are Port Blair, Diglipur, Rangat, Neil, and Mayabandar in the Andamans and Car Nicobar and Kamorta in the Nicobars. Because of their position on the trade routes between India and Myanmar (Burma), their existence has been known from earliest times. After the mid-18th century the islands were associated with the British, who established penal colonies there. They were occupied by the Japanese (194245) and passed to India on the establishment of Indian independence (1947). In the 1950s the Andamans were colonized with displaced persons from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), evacuees from Myanmar, and Indian emigrants from British Guiana (now Guyana). Exports from the territory include timber (especially Andaman redwood, gurjan for plywood, and softwoods), coconuts, and copra. Area 3,185 square miles (8,249 square km). Pop. (1991 prelim.) 279,111. Nicobar Islands The Nicobarsa group of 19 islands (12 inhabited) including Great Nicobar, Car Nicobar, Camorta (Kamorta), and Nancowry (Nankauri)are situated between the Andaman Islands and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Physical and human geography The land Some islands have flat coral-covered surfaces, while the others, such as Great Nicobar, are hilly. Great Nicobar, rising to 2,106 feet (642 metres) and containing numerous fast-flowing streams, is the only island with sufficient fresh surface water. Lying between latitudes 645 and 915 N, the Nicobars experience temperatures between 64 and 92 F (18 and 33 C). The southwest monsoon (May through September) brings up to 135 inches (3,400 millimetres) of rainfall each year. In addition to the ubiquitous areca (betel) and coconut palms, there are many species of tree ferns (family Cyatheaceae) not found in the Andamans. Animal life includes snakes, lizards and chameleons, crocodiles, and turtles, and its marine life, such as the Indian crab, is abundant. Many endemic species of flora and fauna have yet to be systematically collected.