Overview of Andaman & Nicobar

The unspoilt islands of Andaman & Nicobar are ideal tourist retreats for the lovers of nature, water sports, wildlife and history. In fact, any lover of life will fall in love with Andaman & Nicobar. The geography of Andaman & Nicobar comprises of 572 islands, which are demarcated into Andaman group of islands and Nicobar group of islands. 550 of these islands are in the group of Andaman Islands, out of which only 26 are inhabited by humans.

The remaining 22 islands fall in the ambit of Nicobar Islands, out of which 12 are inhabited by humans. This archipelago on the Bay of Bengal is blessed with dense mangrove forests teeming with varied flora and fauna, an exotic tribal population, rich marine life, and fascinating vignettes from its colonial past; which may send a shiver or two down your spine. However, tourism of Andaman & Nicobar, despite its awesome potential, is not the only industry of these emerald green isles.

The business and economy of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is buoyed by agriculture, though industry also has its place in the economy of this Union Territory. The wood and shell based handicrafts and fishery are other important industries of the region, besides of course tourism. Though the history of Andaman & Nicobar is lost in the realms of antiquity, but various scholastic studies indicate that these islands had habitation since 30,000 to 60,000 years. However, as these islands remained isolated to the outside world till the mid nineteenth century and were completely inhabited by indigenous tribes who were largely unlettered and uninfluenced by the progresses of civilization, the region do not have a comprehensive recorded history beyond 1850.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands may not have a long history in the conventional sense, but it does have a great heritage which is manifested in the exquisite handicrafts of Andaman & Nicobar. The primordial tribal culture of Andaman & Nicobar is also reflected in the dances of Andaman & Nicobar, among which the animated Nicobarese dance is perhaps the most popular. Over the years, Andaman & Nicobar has emerged as a cosmopolitan society, with people from various regions within India and abroad making it their home. But lamentably its tribal population has dwindled over the years.

Though the people in this region speak in a variety of languages, and the archipelago represents a mini India of sorts, but the official language of Andaman & Nicobar is English. Hindi, Tamil and Bengali are other prevalent languages of Andaman & Nicobar.

Last Updated On: 2011/07/04