Andaman and Nicobar Islands
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | |
|
Port Blair Location of Andaman and Nicobar Islands | |
| Country | |
| 3 | |
| Largest city | |
| Lt. Governor | Lieutenant General Bhopinder Singh |
| 356,1521 (32) | |
| Nicobarese, Bengali, English, Hindi,Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu | |
| 8,250 km² (3,185 sq mi) | |
Coordinates: 11°41′N 92°46′E / 11.68°N 92.77°E / 11.68; 92.77
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a Union Territory of India located in the Indian Ocean. The territory comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands. Informally, the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI.
The two groups are separated by the 10° N parallel, with the Andamans to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to the south. The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west.
The territory's capital is the Andamanese town of Port Blair. The territory's population as per the most recent (2001) Census of India was 356,152. Added together, the total land area of the territory is approximately 6,496 km² or 2,508 sq mi.
History
First inhabitants
The Andaman and Nicobar islands have been inhabited for several thousand years, at the very least. The earliest archaeological evidence yet documented goes back some 2,200 years; however, the indications from genetic, cultural and linguistic isolation studies point to habitation going back 30,000 to 60,000 years, well into the Middle Paleolithic.[2]
In the Andaman Islands, the various Andamanese peoples maintained their separated existence through the vast majority of this time, diversifying into distinct linguistic, cultural and territorial groups. By the 1850s when they first came into sustained contact by outside groups, the indigenous peoples of the Andamans were:
- the Great Andamanese, who collectively represented at least 10 distinct sub-groups and languages;
- the Jarawa;
- the Jangil (or Rutland Jarawa);
- the Onge; and
- the Sentinelese (most isolated of all the groups).
In total, these peoples numbered somewhere around 7,000 at the time of these first encounters. As the numbers of settlers from the mainland increased (at first mostly prisoners and involuntary indentured labourers, later purposely recruited farmers), these indigenous peoples lost territory and numbers in the face of land encroachment and the effects of various epidemic diseases. The Jangil and most of the Great Andamanese groups soon became extinct; presently there remain only approximately 400-450 indigenous Andamanese, the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining a steadfast independence and refusing most attempts at contact.
The indigenous peoples of the Nicobars (unrelated to the Andamanese) have a similarly isolated and lengthy association with the islands. There are two main groups:
- the Nicobarese, or Nicobari, living throughout many of the islands; and
- the Shompen, restricted to the interior of Great Nicobar.
Pre-colonial era
The islands provided a temporary maritime base for ships of the Marathas in the 17th century. The legendary admiral Kanhoji Angre harassed colonial shipping routes with a base in the islands.
British colonial period
After an initial attempt to set up a colony in the islands by the British was abandoned after only a few years (1789-1796), a second attempt from 1858 proved to be more permanent. The primary purpose was to set up a penal colony for dissenters and independence fighters from the Indian subcontinent.
The British used the islands as an isolated prison for members of the Indian independence movement. The mode of imprisonment was called Kala pani. The Cellular Jail in Port Blair was regarded as the "Siberia" of British India.
The islands were administered as a Chief Commissioner's Province.
The British continued their occupancy until the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Andaman Islands during World War II.
Indian control
The islands were nominally put under the authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Netaji visited the islands during the war, and renamed them as "Shaheed" (Martyr) & "Swaraj" (Self-rule). General Loganathan, of the Indian National Army was made the Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On 22 February, 1944 he along with four INA officers-Major Mansoor Ali Alvi, Sub. Lt. Md. Iqbal, Lt. Suba Singh and stenographer Srinivasan arrived at Lambaline airport of Port Blair. On 21 March,1944 the Headquarters of the Civil Administration was established near the Gurudwara at Aberdeen Bazaar. On 2 October, 1944, Col. Loganathan handed over the charge to Maj. Alvi and left Port Blair, never to return. [3]. The islands were reoccupied by British and Indian troops of the 116 Indian Infantry Brigade on 7 October 1945, to whom the remaining Japanese garrison surrendered.
At the independence of both India (1947) and Burma (1948), the departing British announced their intention to resettle all Anglo-Indians and Anglo-Burmese on the islands to form their own nation, although this never materialized. It became an Indian union territory (UT) in 1950.
Recent history
On 26 December 2004 the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 metre high tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At least 5,930 people (possibly an accurate estimate) were believed to have been killed on the Nicobar and Andaman Islands during the disaster. One of the worst affected island was Katchal and Indira Point, the southernmost point of India, which got submerged under the ocean.
While newer settlers of the islands suffered the greatest casualties from the tsunami, most of the aboriginal people survived because oral traditions passed down from generations ago warned them to evacuate from large waves that follow large earthquakes.[1]
Geography
Aerial view of the Andaman Islands
There are 572 islands in the territory, of which only some 38 are permanently inhabited. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andamans group, 26 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andamans and Nicobars are separated by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some 150 km wide.
The total area of the Andaman Islands is some 6,408 km²; that of the Nicobar Islands approximately 1,841 km².
Demographics
|
| |||
| Census | Pop. |
| %± |
| 31,000 |
| — | |
| 64,000 |
| 106.5% | |
| 115,000 |
| 79.7% | |
| 189,000 |
| 64.3% | |
| 281,000 |
| 48.7% | |
| 356,000 |
| 26.7% | |
| Source:Census of India[4] | |||
The major languages spoken in the Andamans in numerical order are Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Nicobarese and Telugu. Other languages include Malayalam and English. [5] The majority of Andamans are Hindus, but there are significant Muslims and Christian and Sikh minorities.
Foreigners wishing to visit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands require a Restricted Area Permit; however, there are now available on arrival at Port Blair's Veer Savarkar Airport.
Administrative Divisions
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are divided into 3 districts. Each districts are again sub-divided into Sub-Divisions and taluks.
North and Middle Andaman district
Headquarters: Mayabunder
Sub-Divisions & Taluks:
- Diglipur Sub-Division
- Mayabunder Sub-Division
- Mayabunder taluk
- Rangat taluk
South Andaman district
Headquarters: Port Blair
Sub-Divisions & Taluks:
- Port Blair Sub-Division
- Port Blair taluk
- Ferrargunj taluk
- Little Andaman Sub-Division
- Little Andaman taluka (Hut Bay)
Nicobar District
Headquarters: Car Nicobar
Sub-Divisions & Taluks:
- Car Nicobar Sub-Division
- Car Nicobar taluk
- Great Nicobar Sub-Division
- Great Nicobar taluk (Campbell Bay)
- Little Nicobar taluk
Flora
Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are blessed with a unique tropical rainforest canopy, made of a mixed flora with elements from Indian, Myanmarese, Malaysian and endemic floral strains. So far, about 2,200 varieties of plants have been recorded, out of which 200 are endemic and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India.
The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and orchids. The Middle Andamans harbours mostly moist deciduous forests. North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers. The north Nicobar Islands (including Car Nicobar and Battimalv) are marked by the complete absence of evergreen forests, while such forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group. Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars, and while deciduous forests are common in the Andamans, they are almost absent in the Nicobars. The present forest coverage is claimed to be 86.2% of the total land area.
This atypical forest coverage is made-up of twelve types namely:
- Giant evergreen forest
- Andamans tropical evergreen forest
- Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest
- Cane brakes
- Wet bamboo brakes
- Andamans semi-evergreen forest
- Andamans moist deciduous forest
- Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest
- Littoral forest
- Mangrove forest
- Brackish water mixed forest
- Submontane hill valley swamp forest
Timber
Andaman Forest abounds in a plethora of timber species numbering 200 or more, out of which about 30 varieties are considered to be commercial. Major commercial timber species are Gurjan (Dipterocarpus spp.) and Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides). The following ornamental woods are noted for their pronounced grain formation:
- Marble Wood (Diospyros marmorata)
- Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides)
- Silver Grey (a special formation of wood in white chuglam)
- Chooi (Sageraea elliptical)
- Kokko (Albizzia lebbeck)
Padauk being sturdier than teak is widely used for furniture making.
Burr and the Buttress formation in Andaman Padauk are world famous for their exceptionally unique charm and figuring. The largest piece of Buttress known from Andaman was a dining table of 13' x 7'. The largest piece of Burr was again a dining table to seat eight persons at a time.
The holy Rudraksha (Elaeocarps sphaericus) and aromatic Dhoop/Resin trees also occur here.
Fauna
This tropical rain forest despite its isolation from adjacent land masses is surprisingly rich with a diversity of animal life.
Mammals
About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Some are endemic, including the Andaman Wild Boar. Rodents are the largest group with 26 species, followed by 14 species of bat. Among the larger mammals there are two endemic[citation needed] varieties of wild boar, Sus scrofa andamanensis from Andaman and S. s. nicobaricus from Nicobar, which are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Sch I). The Spotted Deer Axis axis, Barking Deer and Sambar were all introduced to the Andaman District, though the Sambar did not survive. Around 1962 there was an attempt to introduce the Leopard, which was unsuccessful because of unsuitable habitat. These were ill-considered moves as exotic introductions can cause havoc to island flora and fauna. Interview island (the largest wildlife sanctuary in the ANI) in Middle Andaman holds a population of feral elephants. These elephants were brought in for forest work by a timber company, which subsequently released them when it went bankrupt. This population has been subject to research studies.
Birds
ANI has also 270 species of birds (including endemics); the Nicobar island group has a higher endemicity than the Andamans and there are a total of 14 species endemic to ANI. The State Bird of the Andamans is the Andaman Wood pigeon. Some endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are:
- Andaman Hawk Owl
- Andaman Scops Owl
- Andaman Crake (a data deficient species [IUCN 2000] - endemic species
- Andaman Coucal, subspecies of Brown Coucal - endemic subspecies
Butterflies and moths
With about 225 species, the A&N Islands house some of the larger and most spectacular butterflies of the world. Ten species are endemic to these Islands. Mount Harriet National Park is one of the richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on these Islands.
Shells
These islands are traditionally known for their shell wealth, especially in the genera Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus. Earliest recorded commercial exploitation began during 1929. Shells are important to these islands because some like turbo, trochus & nautilus etc. are used as novelties supporting many cottage industries producing a wide range of decorative items & ornaments. Shells such as giant clam, green mussel and oyster support edible shellfishery, a few like scallop, clam, and cockle are burnt in kilns to produce edible lime.
Agriculture
A total of 48,675 hectares of land is used for agriculture purposes. Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated in Andaman group of islands, whereas coconut and areca nut are the cash crops of Nicobar group of islands. Field crops, namely, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are grown, followed by paddy during Rabi season. Different kinds of fruits such as mango, sapota, orange, banana, papaya, pineapple and root crops are grown on hilly land owned by farmers. Spices, viz., pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are grown under multi-tier cropping system. Rubber, red oil, palm and cashew are grown on a limited scale in these islands.
Industry
There are 1,374 registered small scale, village and handicrafts units. Two units are export oriented in the line of fish processing activity. Apart from this, there are shell and wood based handicraft units. There are also four medium sized industrial units. SSI units are engaged in the production of polythene bags, PVC conduit pipes and fittings, paints and varnished, fibre glass and mini flour mills, soft drinks and beverages, etc. Small scale and handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts, bakery products, rice milling, furniture making , etc. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has spread its wings in the field of tourism, fisheries, industries and industrial financing and functions as authorised agents for Alliance Air/Jet Airways.
The Andamanese languages form a proposed language family spoken by the Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, a union territory of India. There are two clusters of Andamanese languages, Great Andamanese and Ongan, plus Sentinelese, which is unknown and therefore unclassifiable.
History
The indigenous Andamanese peoples have lived on the islands for thousands of years, and for the great majority of this period their societies and languages have remained quite undisturbed by external influences. Although the existence of the islands and their inhabitants was long known to maritime powers and traders of the South– and Southeast–Asia region, contact with these peoples was highly sporadic and very often hostile; as a result, almost nothing is recorded of them or their languages until the mid-18th century. From the 1860s onwards, the setting up of a permanent British penal colony and the subsequent arrival of immigrant settlers and indentured labourers mainly from the Indian subcontinent brought the first sustained impacts upon these societies, particularly among the Great Andamanese groups.
By the turn of the 20th century most of these populations were greatly reduced in numbers, and the various linguistic and tribal divisions among the Great Andamanese effectively ceased to exist, despite a census of the time still classifying the groups as separate.[1] Their linguistic diversity also suffered as the surviving populations intermingled with one another, and some also intermarried with Karen (Burmese) and Indian settlers.
By the latter part of the 20th century the majority of Great Andamanese languages had become extinct, as the multi-lingual knowledge of the older generations was not replaced in succeeding ones.
At the start of the 21st century only about 50 or so individuals of Great Andamanese descent remained, resettled to a single small island (Strait I.); about half of these speak what may be considered a modified version (or creole) of Great Andamanese, based mainly on Aka-Jeru [2]. This modified version has been called "Present Great Andamanese" by some scholars[3][4], but also may be referred to simply as "Jero" or "Great Andamanese". Hindi increasingly serves as their primary language, and is the only language for around half of them.[5]
The Ongan languages survive mainly because of the greater isolation of the peoples who speak them. This isolation has been reinforced by an extreme reluctance against outside contact and outright hostility towards outsiders by South Andamanese tribes, particularly the Sentinelese and Jarawa. The Sentinelese have been so resistant that their language remains entirely unknown to outsiders to this day.
Grammar
The Andamanese languages are agglutinative languages, with an extensive prefix and suffix system.[3][6] Possibly their most distinctive characteristic is a noun class system based largely on body parts, in which every noun and adjective may take a prefix according to which body part it is associated with (on the basis of shape, or functional association).[4] Thus, for instance, the "aka-" at the beginning of so many Andamanese languages' names is actually the prefix for objects related to the tongue.[6] An adjectival example can be given by the various forms of yop, "pliable, soft", in Aka-Bea:[6]
- A cushion or sponge is ot-yop "round-soft", from the prefix attached to words relating to the head or heart.
- A cane is ôto-yop, "pliable", from a prefix for long things.
- A stick or pencil is aka-yop, "pointed", from the tongue prefix.
- A fallen tree is ar-yop, "rotten", from the prefix for limbs or upright things.
Similarly, beri-nga "good" yields:
- Un-beri-nga "clever" (hand-good).
- Ig-beri-nga "sharp-sighted" (eye-good).
- Aka-beri-nga "quick language learner" (tongue-good.)
Another peculiarity of terms for body parts is that they are inalienably possessed, requiring a possessive adjective prefix to complete them, so one cannot say "head" alone, but only "my, or his, or your, etc. head".[4]
The Andaman languages fall into two clear families, Great Andamanese and Ongan, plus one unattested language, Sentinelese. These are generally seen as related. However, the similarities between Great Andamanese and Ongan are so far mainly of a typological morphological nature, with little demonstrated common vocabulary. As a result, even long-range researchers such as Joseph Greenberg have expressed doubts as to the validity of Andamanese as a family.[7] The Andaman languages are:[8]
- Great Andamanese (spoken by Great Andamanese peoples)
- Southern
- Central
- Aka-Kede or Kede (extinct)
- Aka-Kol or Kol (extinct)
- Oko-Juwoi or Juwoi (extinct)
- A-Pucikwar or Pucikwar (extinct)
- Northern
- Ongan
In addition,
- Sentinelese; likely at least 50 speakers, and perhaps up towards 250 (the population of the Sentinelese is unknown).
Joseph Greenberg proposed that these languages, or at least Great Andamanese, are related to western Papuan languages as members of a larger phylum he called Indo-Pacific[7], but this is not generally accepted by other linguists. Stephen Wurm states that the lexical similarities between Great Andamanese and the West Papuan and certain languages of Timor "are quite striking and amount to vitual formal identity […] in a number of instances", but considers this to be due to a linguistic substratum rather than a direct relationship.
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