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Andaman and Nicobar Islands
—  Union Territory  —
Location of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Coordinates (Port Blair): 11°41′N 92°46′E / 11.68°N 92.77°E / 11.68; 92.77Coordinates: 11°41′N 92°46′E / 11.68°N 92.77°E / 11.68; 92.77
Country	India
Established	1956-11-01
Capital	Port Blair
Largest city	Port Blair
Districts	3
Government
• Lt. Governor	Lieutenant General Bhopinder Singh
Area
• Total	8,250 km2 (3,190 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	379,944
• Density	46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	IN-AN
HDI	0.778 (High)
Official languages	Hindi, English[2]
Website	www.and.nic.in

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands /ˈændəmən/ & /ˈnɪkəbɑr/ ( local (help·info)) are a group of islands in the Bay of Bengal and a Union Territory of India.

The territory is 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Burma by the Andaman Sea. It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, 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 total land area of the territory is approximately 6,496 km² (2,508 sq mi). The capital of Nicobar Islands is Car Nicobar.

First inhabitants[link]

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 isolation studies suggests that it may have been in the Middle Paleolithic.^[3]

In the Andaman Islands, the various Andamanese people 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 people 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 people 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 people lost territory and numbers in the face of punitive expeditions by British troops, 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 people 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 hinterland of Great Nicobar.

Pre-colonial era[link]

Rajendra Chola I (1014 to 1042 CE), one of the Tamil Chola dynasty kings, occupied Andaman and Nicobar Islands to use it as a strategic naval base to launch a naval expedition against Sriwijaya Empire (a Hindu-Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia). The cholas called the 'Nicobar' island as 'Nakkavaram' which is inscribed on the Tanjore inscription of 1050 CE. Nakkavaram in Tamil means "naked man" or "land of the naked" which should have been evolved to the modern name "Nicobar". Marco Polo (12-13th Century CE) also referred this island as 'Necuverann'.

The name of the island has always been 'Andaman' and might represent Handuman, the Malay form of Hanuman.^[4]

The islands provided a temporary maritime base for ships of the Marathas in the 17th century. The legendary admiral Kanhoji Angre established naval supremacy with a base in the islands and is credited with attaching those islands to India.^[5][6]

Danish occupation of the Nicobar Islands[link]

The history of organized European colonization on the islands began when the Danish settlers of the Danish East India Company arrived on Nicobar Islands on 12 December 1755. On January 1, 1756, the Nicobar Islands was made a Danish colony and renamed 'New Denmark'.^[7] In December 1756, the Nicobar Islands was renamed 'Frederiksøerne' (Frederiks Islands). During 1754–1756 they were administrated under the name of Frederiksøerne from Tranquebar (in continental Danish India); missionaries from the Moravian Church Brethren's settlement in Tranquebar attempted a settlement on Nancowry and died in great numbers from disease; the islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria between 14 April 1759 - 19 August 1768, from 1787-1807/05, 1814–1831, 1830–1834 and finally from 1848 gradually for good.^[7]

From 1 June 1778 to 1784, they were occupied by Austria, and renamed 'Theresia Islands',^[7] attempting to establish a colony on the islands on the mistaken assumption that Denmark had abandoned its claims to the islands.^[8] Danish involvement ended formally on 16 October 1868 when the Danish rights to the Nicobar Islands were sold to Britain,^[8] which made them part of British India by 1869 when the British took possession

British colonial period[link]

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; and later the infamous Cellular Jail was also set up there.

The British used the islands as an isolated prison for members of the Indian independence movement.

Indian control[link]

The islands were only nominally put under the authority of the Arzi Hukumate Azad Hind of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and the Islands were practically under Japanese control, who committed tremendous atrocities. Netaji visited the islands during the war, and renamed them as "Shaheed-dweep" (Martyr Island) & "Swaraj-dweep" (Self-rule Island). 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 8o0olLambaline Airport in 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.^[9] The islands were reoccupied by British and Indian troops of the 116th 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 part of the Indian union in 1956. It was declared a union territory on 1956.^[10]:33

Recent history[link]

On 26 December 2004 the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At least 5,930 people were believed to have been killed on the Nicobar and Andaman Islands during the disaster. The worst affected Nicobar islands were Katchal and Indira Point; the latter subsided 4.25 m and was submerged in the ocean. The lighthouse at Indira Point was damaged but has been repaired since then.

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.^[11]

Geography[link]

Aerial view of the Andaman Islands

There are 572 islands in the territory having an area of 8,249 km² (3,185 sq mi). Of these, only 38 are permanently inhabited. The islands extends from 6° to 14° North latitudes and from 92° to 94° East longitudes. The Andamans are separated from the Nicobar group by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) some 150 km (93 mi) wide. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 m (2,402 ft)). The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,408 km² (2,474 sq mi) while the Nicobar group has only 24 islands with an area of 1,841 km² (711 sq mi).^[10]:33

The capital of the union territory, Port Blair, is located 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata, 1,200 km (750 mi) from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai.^[10]:33 The northernmost point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is 901 km (560 mi) away from the mouth of the Hooghly River and 190 km (120 mi) from Burma. Indira Point at 6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E at the southern tip of the southernmost island, Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India and lies only 150 km (93 mi) from Sumatra in Indonesia.

Flora[link]

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 characterized 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:

1. Giant evergreen forest
2. Andamans tropical evergreen forest
3. Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest
4. Cane brakes
5. Wet bamboo brakes
6. Andamans semi-evergreen forest
7. Andamans moist deciduous forest
8. Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest
9. Littoral forest
10. Mangrove forest
11. Brackish water mixed forest
12. Submontane hill valley swamp forest

Timber[link]

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:

1. Marble Wood (Diospyros marmorata)
2. Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides)
3. Silver Grey (a special formation of wood in white chuglam)
4. Chooi (Sageraea elliptical)
5. Kokko (Albizzia lebbeck)

Padauk being sturdier than teak is widely used for furniture making.

There are burr wood and buttress root formations in Andaman Padauk. The largest piece of buttress known from Andaman was a dining table of 13 × 7 ft (4.0 × 2.1 m). The largest piece of burr wood was again a dining table to seat eight persons at a time.

The holy Rudraksha (Elaeocarps sphaericus) and aromatic Dhoop/Resin trees also are found here.

Fauna[link]

This tropical rain forest despite its isolation from adjacent land masses is surprisingly rich with a diversity of animal life.

Mammals[link]

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[link]

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[link]

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[link]

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.

Demographics[link]

As of 2011 Census of India, the population of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379,944, of which 202,330 (53.25%) were male and 177,614 (46.75) were female. The sex ratio was 878 females per 1,000 males.^[13] Only 10% of the population lived in Nicobar islands.

The major languages spoken in the Andamans in numerical order are Bengali (32.6%), Hindi (25.95%), Tamil including Sri Lankan Tamils (17.84%), Nicobarese and Telugu (18.93%). Other languages include Malayalam and English.^[14] More than 2,000 people belonging to the Karen tribe live in the Mayabunder tehsil of North Andaman district, almost all of whom are Christians. Despite their tribal origins, the Karen of Andamans have OBC status in the Andamans.

The majority of Andamans are Hindus, with significant Christian, Muslim and Sikh minorities.

Foreigners wishing to visit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands require a Restricted Area Permit; permits are now^{[clarification needed (possibly dated info)]} available on arrival at Port Blair's Veer Savarkar Airport.^{[citation needed]}

Administration[link]

In 1874, the British had placed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in one administrative territory headed by a Chief Commissioner as its judicial administrator. On 1 August 1974, the Nicobar islands were hived off into another revenue district with district headquarters at Car Nicobar under a Deputy Commissioner. In 1982, the post of Lieutenant Governor was created who replaced the Chief Commissioner as the head of administration. Subsequently a "Pradesh council" with representatives of the people was constituted to advise the Lieutenant Governor.^[10]

Administrative divisions[link]

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

• Diglipur Sub-Division
  • Diglipur taluk

• Mayabunder Sub-Division
  • Mayabunder taluk
  • Rangat taluk

South Andaman district Headquarters: Port Blair

• Port Blair Sub-Division
  • Port Blair taluk
  • Ferrargunj taluk

• Little Andaman Sub-Division
  • Little Andaman taluka (Hut Bay)

Nicobar District Headquarters: Car Nicobar

• Car Nicobar Sub-Division
  • Car Nicobar taluk

• Nancowrie Sub-Division
  • Nancowrie taluk
  • Kamorta taluk
  • Teressa taluk
  • Katchal taluk

• Great Nicobar Sub-Division
  • Great Nicobar taluk (Campbell Bay)
  • Little Nicobar taluk

Economy[link]

Little Andaman Island seen by Spot satellite

Ross Island a couple of days before the tsunami of December 2004.

Agriculture[link]

A total of 48,675 hectares (120,280 acres) of land is used for agriculture purposes. Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated in Andaman group of islands, whereas coconut and arecanut 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 such as pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are grown under a multi-tier cropping system. Rubber, red oil, palm and cashew are grown on a limited scale in these islands.

Industry[link]

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.

Possible oil supply trade[link]

There is a nebulous idea of setting up an oil terminus or jetty at Campal Bay in Great Nicobar Island to cater to international maritime traffic south of Indira Point to and from the Malacca Straits. With a cargo ship passing through these waters every few minutes, there is a good scope for such an oil terminus.

Macro-economic trend[link]

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Andaman and Nicobar Islands at market prices, estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.^[15]

Andaman and Nicobar Islands' gross state domestic product for 2004 was estimated at $354 million in current prices.

Tourist places[link]

• Cellular Jail
• Baratang
• Barren Island
• Havelock Island
• Mount Harriot

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Asia portal
	South Asia portal
	Southeast Asia portal
	India portal

• Effect of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on India
• Andamanese languages
• Nicobarese languages
• Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
• Great Nicobar
• Endemic birds of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Official Andaman and Nicobar Tourism Website
• [1]
• Andaman and Nicobar Administration Website
• Andaman and Nicobar Administration Website (Hindi)
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the Open Directory Project
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands travel guide from Wikitravel
• Travel Information Portal - go2andaman.com

v t e States and territories of India States Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal Union Territories Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar Haveli National Capital Territory of Delhi Daman and Diu Lakshadweep Pondicherry

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011)

Map of Nicobar Islands

The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean. They are located in Southeast Asia, 150 km north of Aceh on Sumatra, and separated from Thailand to the east by the Andaman Sea. Located 1,300 km southeast of the Indian subcontinent, across the Bay of Bengal, they form part of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.

Geography[link]

Northern Group:

• Car Nicobar (126,9 km²)
• Battimaly (2,01 km², uninhabited)

Central Group:

• Chaura, Chowra or Sanenyo (8,2 km²)
• Teressa or Luroo (101,4 km²)
• Bompuka or Poahat (13,3 km²)
• Katchal (174,4 km²)
• Camorta (188,2 km²)
• Nancowry or Nancowrie (66,9 km²)
• Trinket (until 2004 86,3 km², surface greatly reduced after the Tsunami)
• Laouk or "Isle of Man" (0,01 km²) (uninhabited)
• Tillangchong (16,84 km²) (uninhabited)

Southern Group (Sambelong):

• Great Nicobar (1045,1 km², largest island of the Nicobars; 9,440 inhabitants in 2001)
• Little Nicobar (159,1 km²; 430 inhabitants)
• Kondul (4,6 km²; 150 inhabitants in 2001, evacuated in 2004)
• Pulo Milo or Pillomilo (Milo Island; 1,3 km²; 150 inhabitants)
• Meroe (0,52), Trak (0,26), Treis (0,26), Menchal (1,30), Kabra (0,52), Pigeon and Megapod (0,2) (all uninhabited)

Indira Point (6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E) is the southernmost point of the Great Nicobar Island and India itself, about 150 km north of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Nature[link]

A Nicobar Pigeon. While named after the Nicobar Islands, it is also found widely in the Malay Archipelago

The Nicobar Islands are part of a great island arc created by the collision of the Indo-Australian Plate with Eurasia. The collision lifted the Himalayas and most of the Indonesian islands, and created a long arc of highlands and islands, which includes the Arakan Yoma range of Burma, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, and the islands off the west coast of Sumatra, including the Banyak Islands and Mentawai Islands.

Ecology[link]

The climate is warm and tropical, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 30°C. Rainfall is heavy due to annual monsoons and measures around 3000 to 3800 mm each year. The vegetation of the Nicobars is typically divided into the coastal mangrove forests and the interior evergreen and deciduous Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. Additionally, several islands contain extensive inland grasslands, though these are thought to result from human intervention.

The Nicobar Islands are recognized as a distinct terrestrial ecoregion, the Nicobar Islands rain forests, with many endemic species.

As a result of lower sea levels during the ice ages, the Andaman Islands were linked to the Southeast Asian mainland, but it is not believed that the Nicobar Islands ever had a land bridge to the continent. Lower sea levels did link the islands to one another: Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar were linked to each other, and Nancowry, Chaura, Katchall, Trinka, Camorta, and the nearby smaller islands were linked to one another as well.

History[link]

The Nicobar Islands are believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years. Six indigenous Nicobarese languages are spoken on the islands, which are part of the Mon–Khmer branch of the Austroasiatic language family, which includes Mon, Khmer and Vietnamese languages of Southeast Asia, and the Munda languages of India. An indigenous tribe living at the southern tip of Great Nicobar, called the Shompen, may be of Mesolithic Southeast Asian origin.^[1]

The name "Nicobar" is likely derived from the Chola dynasty name for the islands, Nakkavaram (literally, "naked man" in Tamil) which is inscribed on the Tanjore inscription of AD 1050.^[2][3]

The history of organised European colonisation on the islands began with the Danish East India Company in 1754/56 when they were administrated under the name of Frederiksøerne from Tranquebar (in continental Danish India); missionaries from the Moravian Church Brethren's settlement in Tranquebar attempted a settlement on Nancowry and died in great numbers from disease; the islands were repeatedly abandoned due to outbreaks of malaria: 1784 - 1807/09, 1830–1834 and finally from 1848 gradually for good. Between 1778 and 1783, William Bolts attempted to establish an Austrian colony on the islands on the mistaken assumption that Denmark had abandoned its claims to the islands.^[4] Danish involvement ended formally on 16 October 1868 when the Danish rights to the Nicobar Islands were sold to Britain,^[4] which made them part of British India by 1869 when the British took possession. Incidentally, this was the context of the question which was asked for the final 50 Million Rupees jackpot prize on India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" - "Kaun Banega Crorepati" Season 5, answered correctly by Sushil Kumar from Motihari, Bihar.

The islands were occupied by Japan between 1942 and 1945. Together with the Andaman Islands, they became a union territory of India in 1950.

26 December 2004 Tsunami[link]

On 26 December 2004, the coast of the Nicobar Islands was devastated by a 10–15 m high tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. At least 6,000 people (possibly a conservative estimate) were killed on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the disaster. Reports put the death toll on Katchal Island alone at 4,600. Several islands were heavily damaged with initial reports of islands broken in two or three pieces and coral reefs moved above water. Teressa Island was said to have been split into two pieces and Trinkat Island into three pieces. Some estimates said that the islands were moved as much as 100 feet (30 m) by the earthquake and tilted.

Indira Point subsided 4.25 m in the 26 December 2004 tsunami and the lighthouse there was damaged. The lighthouse has been made functional since then.

On 24 July 2005, a strong earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, struck the Nicobar Islands but there was no immediate report of death or destruction.

On 10 November 2009, a strong earthquake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter Scale, struck the Nicobar Islands.

On 12 June 2010, at 19:26:50 UT (Sunday, June 13, 2010 01:26:50 AM at epicenter), a strong earthquake, magnitude 7.7, struck 153 km (95 mi) west of Mohean, Nicobar Islands (epicenter: 7.748N, 91.938E).

See also[link]

• Nicobarese people
• Nicobarese languages
• Shompen people
• 1881 Nicobar Islands earthquake
• Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
• Great Nicobar

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nicobar Islands

• "Nicobarese and Shompen". The Andaman Association. http://www.andaman.org/NICOBAR/text.htm. Retrieved January 2010. 
• WorldStatesmen- India
• Post-tsunami satellite photos from India's National Remote Sensing Centre (Alternate Link)

v t e Danish overseas colonies and territories Former colonies Danish Gold Coast (Ghana) Danish West Indies (U.S. Virgin Islands) Danish India Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) Balasore Frederiksnagore (Serampore) Danmarksnagore (Gondalpara) Calicut (Kozhikode) Oddeway Torre (Malabar Coast) Frederiksøerne (Nicobar Islands) Current overseas territories Faroe Islands Greenland See also: Danish East India Company Danish West India Company

Coordinates: 7°05′N 93°48′E / 7.083°N 93.8°E / 7.083; 93.8