Largest Islands of India

Geography and geology

The Andaman Archipelago is an oceanic continuation of the Burmese Arakan Yoma range in the north and of the Indonesian Archipelago in the south. It has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,408 km2 (2,474 sq mi), with the Andaman Sea to the east between the islands and the coast of Burma. North Andaman Island is 285 kilometres (177 mi) south of Burma, although a few smaller Burmese islands are closer, including the three Coco Islands.

The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andamans from the Nicobar Islands to the south. The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 m (2,402 ft)).

History

In the 13th century, the name of Andaman appears in Late Middle Chinese as ʔˠanH dɑ mˠan (晏陀蠻, pronounced yàntuómán in modern Mandarin Chinese) in the book Zhu Fan Zhi by Zhao Rukuo. In Chapter 38 of the book, Countries in the Sea, Zhao Rukuo specifies that going from Lambri (Sumatra) to Ceylon, an unfavourable wind makes ships drift towards the Andaman Islands. In the 15th century, Andaman was recorded as "Andeman Mountain" (安得蠻山, pronounced āndémán shān in modern Mandarin Chinese) during the voyages of Zheng He in the Mao Kun map of the Wu Bei Zhi.

The oldest archaeological evidence for the habitation of the islands dates to the 1st millennium BC.

Climate

The climate is typical of tropical islands of similar latitude. It is always warm, but with sea breezes. Rainfall is irregular, usually dry during the north-east monsoons, and very wet during the south-west monsoons.

Demographics

As per 2011 census, Andaman had a population of 343,739 people, with 182,144 being males and 161,595 being females, making the sex ratio of 887 females per 1000 males. The population density is 53.64 inhabitants per square kilometre (138.9/sq mi). The average literacy is 87.5%, while male literacy is 91.0% and female literacy is 83.5%. 143,488 people live in urban areas.

As of 2011, the population of the Andaman Islands was 343,125, having grown from 50,000 in 1960. The bulk of the population originates from immigrants who came to the islands since the start of colonial times, mainly of Bengali, Hindustani, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam backgrounds.

A small minority of the population are the Andamanese, the aboriginal inhabitants (adivasi) of the islands.

Geography

The Laccadive subgroup includes the island of Agatti, with Agatti Aerodrome, the only airport in Lakshadweep, as well as Bangaram Atoll which has a tourist resort in Bangaram, its largest island.

The Laccadive group forms two talukas or subdivisions: Androth, with a population of 15,048 and Kavaratti with 17,193. The islands of Agatti, Androth, Kavaratti and Kalpeni are inhabited. Islam is the main religion of the islanders.

The Laccadive Islands subgroup consists mostly of atolls with islands, as well as part of one submerged bank. The Amindivi and the Laccadive subgroups have a submarine connection between them through Pitti Bank, a largely sunken atoll.

History

In the same manner as the Amindivi Islands further north, the islands of the Laccadive subgroup were settled from ancient times by people of nearby Kerala to which were added later people of Arab descent. Vasco da Gama visited these islands around 1498. In the mid 16th century all the inhabited islands of the Lakshadweep put themselves under the rule of the Arakkal kingdom in order to obtain protection from the Portuguese.

In 1697, the notorious pirate Captain Kidd and his crew brought their ship, the Adventure Galley, to the Laccadive Islands. The undisciplined crew chopped up the local boats for firewood, and raped the local women. When the men retaliated by killing the ship's cooper, the pirates attacked the village and beat up the people who lived there.

Geography

Indira Point (6.756378°N 93.827765°E / 6.756378; 93.827765) is the southernmost point of Great Nicobar Island and also of India itself, lying about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of Sumatra, Indonesia.

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 the Mentawai Islands.

The climate is warm and tropical, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 30 °C (72 to 86 °F).

History

The earliest extant references to the name "Nicobar" is in the Sri Lankan Pali Buddhist chronicles, the Dipavamsa (c. 3rd or 4th century CE) and the Mahavamsa (c. 4th or 5th century), which state that children of followers of Vijaya, the legendary founder of Tambapanni, landed on Naggadipa ("the island of the children", from Pali nagga meaning 'naked'). In the ninth century, the Persian explorer Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī referred to the Nicobar Islands as Lanjabālūs.

The modern name is likely derived from the Chola name for the islands, Nakkavaram (Tamil: நக்கவரம் "naked man's land" from நக்க nakka "naked"), which is inscribed on the Thanjavur (Tanjore) inscription of 1050 CE. Marco Polo (12th-13th century) also referred to this island as 'Necuverann'.

Geography

Great Nicobar is located 180 km (110 mi) to the north of the island of Sumatra. The island covers 921 km2 (356 sq mi) but is sparsely inhabited, with a population of 8067. It is largely covered by rainforest and known for its diverse wildlife.

The island has several rivers, including the Alexandra River (named after the Alexandra of Denmark who was wife of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom), Amrit Kaur River (named after the princess Amrit Kaur of princely state of Kapurthala who was the first and longest serving health minister of India), Dogmar River, and Galathea River (named after the Danish colonial vessel Galathea which conducted survey for minerals in Great Nicobar in 1845-47).

History

Nicobar Island has been well known to Indian mariners since the time of the seafaring Cholas.

In the 15th century, Great Nicobar Island was recorded as "Cui Lan island" (翠蘭嶼) during the voyages of Zheng He in the Mao Kun map of the Wu Bei Zhi.

The Nicobar Islands were claimed by Denmark in 1755; Great Nicobar Island was called New Denmark, and the whole of the Nicobars was called Frederikøerne. The islands were administered from the Tranquebar the headquarters of the Danish East Indian company, but were often abandoned due to Malaria outbreaks. The rights to the islands were sold to the British in 1868 along with the rest of the Danish holdings in India.

Ecology

The island is part of the Nicobar Islands rain forests ecoregion. Plant communities include mangroves and coastal forests near the seashore, and evergreen and deciduous forests in the interior.

The majority of the island is designated as the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. It is home to many unique and endemic species of plants and animals including the Nicobar scrubfowl (Megapodius nicobariensis, a megapode bird), the edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus), the Nicobar long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis umbrosa), saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), giant leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Malayan box turtle, Nicobar tree shrew, reticulated python (Python reticulatus) and the giant robber crab (or coconut crab, Birgus latro).

Geography

The island belongs to the Great Andaman Chain and is located 73 km (45 mi) north from Port Blair.

It is the central island of the Great Andaman archipelago of India, with a total area of 1,536 km2.

Middle Andaman is separated from North Andaman Island by Austen Strait, and from Baratang Island at the south by Homfray's Strait, both shallow and narrow channels, a few hundred metres wide; and from Interview Island at its west by the navigable Interview Passage.

The island's coastline was inundated by the tsunami resulting from the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, though the effect was far less severe when compared with other Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Demographics

Population of Middle Andaman consists of Bengali, Tamil and Keralite settlers. The island is also home to many of the indigenous Jarawa people. The main occupation of the inhabitants is farming and Agriculture.

Middle Andaman's main towns (Metro population in brackets) are Rangat (10,000), Mayabunder (5,565), Bakultala (4,454), Nimbutala (3,063), and Kadamtala (3,008).

According to the 2011 census of India, the Island has x households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 76%.