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 offers 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 seeks 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.
Mythological,
the name Andaman was presumed to be
derived from Hanuman, who was known
to the Malays as Handyman. Since Prehistoric
times, these islands were the home of
aboriginal tribes. The tribes of, the
Andaman group of islands are the Great
Andaman’s, 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 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 bird 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.
