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ANDAMAN & NICOBAR |
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FACTS & FIGURES |
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Language |
Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil |
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Capital |
Port Blair |
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Area |
8, 249 Sq. km |
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Population('000 in 1991) |
280, 661 |
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Tourism Of Andaman & Nocobar |
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Andaman and Nicobar islands are popularly known as the . Emerald Isles. . The erstwhile
'Kaala Paani' or the Cellular Jail, now a museum is the most popular tourist spot.
Other places of tourist interest include National Memorial, Marine Museum, Naval
Marine Museum, Smrithika Museum, Haddo Zoological Garden, Corbyn's Cove, and other
beaches, and Humphrey Gunj Memorial. Andaman Water Sports Complex at Port Blair.
Chatam Saw Mill (largest in Asia), Chidiya Tapu, Marine Museum, the island of red
Skibn, and Havelock are the other attractions. Corbyn's Cove, Wandoor beach, Sippighat
water sports complex, Cinque island, and Jolly Buoy island are some adventurous
spots on the island.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, home to a number of aboriginal tribes, lie in the
Bay of Bengal, approximately 1,220 km south east of the coast of West Bengal and
1,190 km east of Madras. The main islands in the Andamans are Land Fall Island,
Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Port Blair and Little Andaman. Nicobar, lying to
the south, comprises of Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Chowra, Teresa, Nancowrie, Katchal
and Little Nicobar. The two groups of islands, Andaman and Nicobar, are separated
by a deep ten degree channel. 12 of the islands, particularly Car Nicobar in the
north, are inhabited, while Great Nicobar, the largest and southernmost island in
the group, is virtually uninhabited. The capital of this Union Territory is Port
Blair, on the Andaman Islands.
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History |
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The existence of these islands was first reported in the 9th century by Arab merchants,
who sailed past them, on their way to the straits of Sumatra. The first Western
visitor was Marco Polo, who called it `the land of the head - hunters'. The islands
were annexed by the Marathas in the late 17th century. In the early 18th century,
the islands were the base of Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre, whose navy frequently
captured British, Dutch and Portugese merchant ships. Angre remained undefeated
by the combined British / Portuguese naval task force, right up to his death in
1729.
The Nicobar Islands were annexed by Britain in 1869 and were joined with the Andaman
Islands to form a single administrative unit in 1872. Japanese forces occupied the
islands from 1942 until the end of World War in 1945, and control of the territory
was transferred to India when it gained independence from Britain in 1947.
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Society & Culture |
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The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are characterised by two distinct native cultures.
One is of the Negrito population in the Andamans and other is of the Autochthones,
i.e. the Mongoloid Nicobarese and Shompen. Both during pre- and post-British periods
and even after Independence, these two cultures have maintained their distinct identities.
The main aboriginal group in the Andamans are the Onges, who live on Little Andaman.
Onges, like other Andamanese tribes, are of Negrito origin. They practice food -
gathering, hunting, honey - collecting and fishing, and are the only tribe on the
islands, who freely accept contact with the outside world. In the Nicobars, the
only aboriginals are the Shompens, who are averse to any contact with the outside
world.
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The Nicobarese, the largest group, seem to be of mixed Burmese, Malay, Mon and Shan
origin. They are a friendly and cheerful lot, who do not accept money and prefer
the barter system. Communing with the dead is one of the many intriguing rituals
practiced in Nicobar.
The special festive celebrations of particular groups include Durgapuja for the
Bengalis, Panguni Uthiram for the Tamils, Pongal for the Telugus and Onam for the
Malayalis. The Local Born of the Andamans, who are divided into Hindus, Muslims
and Christians, celebrate the festivals of all the three religions. Some of their
main festivals are Shivratri, Janmastami, Holi, Diwali, Ramanavami, Idd, Christmas,
Good Friday etc. All three religious groups among the locals participate in one
another's festivals.
Thus the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, irrespective of the regions
that they originally come from or the religion they practice or the language or
dialect they speak have many common cultural traits. A remarkable feature of Andaman
and Nicobar society is the amicable co-existence of the people belonging to the
different religions. Communal violence is unheard of here. There is amicable participation
of all in religious festivals and the incidence of inter-religious marriages is
increasing.
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Economy & Infrastructure |
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The Andamans have immense potential but they are not being tapped properly. The
development has been insignificant but the population has increased alarmingly.
Luxurious rainforests make the Andamans a 'gold mine' of timber. Tropical fruits
are found on the hilly parts of the islands in abundance, while the fishery potential
here, offers industrial possibilities. Paddy is the main cash crop here, while coconut
and arecanut are the main cash crops of the Nicobar islands. Field crops namely
pulses, oilseeds and vegetables and spices like pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
are also cultivated. Rubber, red oil, palm and cashew are grown on a limited scale
on these islands. The major industries in the region include PVC conduit pipes and
fittings, paints and varnishes, fibre glass, soft drinks and beverages, and steel
furniture.
Port Blair is connected by Indian Airlines with Madras, Calcutta and Car Nicobar.
East-West Airlines operate flights on Madras-Port Blair route on tuesday, thursday
and saturday.
Regular passenger ship services viz. M.V.Harshavardhana, M.V.Akbar and M.V.Nicobar
are plying between Port Blair and Madras (1190 km), Calcutta (1255 kms), Vizag (1200
kms).
Hotels In Andaman & Nicobar
The Union territory has hotels of star and non star category catering to the needs
of the tourists visiting the islands. Besides it has resorts, restaurants and cafés
which cater to the needs of all segment of travelers.
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