Andaman and Nicobar islands

State Capital : Port Blair
Location : Stretches from 6o N to 14o N and 92o E and 94o E longitude.
Area : 8,249 sq. km.
Population : 356,265 (according to the 2001 census)
Seasons : Summer - January to April, and
Monsoon - May to December.
Climate : Tropical climate. Andaman and Nicobar Islands come in hot and torrid zone and has no winter season. Rain season lasts for 180 days in a year.

Relative Humidity: 70% to 90%.
Altitude: From sea-level to 732 m above sea level, highest point being Saddle Peak in North Andaman near Kalipur beach.
Topography: Except a few small islands of the Nicobar district, others have rising and falling terrain with main ridges running North-South and spurs running East-West in between the main ridges. The submerged valleys form deep inlets and creeks. Only in Great Nicobar one can see 5 perennial rivers. The islands are surrounded by coral reefs in most parts.
Climate: Tropical climate. Andaman and Nicobar Islands come in hot and torrid zone and has no winter season. Rain season lasts for 180 days in a year.
Seasons: Summer - January to April, and
Monsoon - May to December.
Relative Humidity: 70% to 90%.
Altitude: From sea-level to 732 m above sea level, highest point being Saddle Peak in North Andaman near Kalipur beach.
Topography: Except a few small islands of the Nicobar district, others have rising and falling terrain with main ridges running North-South and spurs running East-West in between the main ridges. The submerged valleys form deep inlets and creeks. Only in Great Nicobar one can see 5 perennial rivers. The islands are surrounded by coral reefs in most parts.



Regional Language : Due to its being cosmopolitan, most of the In languages are spoken in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The main languages used here are Hindi, English, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Gujarati, Karen with Burmese script and alphabets along with tribal dialects including Onge, Jarawa, Sentinelese, Andamanese and Nicobarese.
By Air: Port Blair is connected to and from Chennai and Calcutta by regular flights.
By Ship: Port Blair is connected to and from Chennai, Calcutta and Vishakhapatnam by regular passenger ship services.

The inaccessible and mysterious islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now within reach of the inquisitive tourists who fly or cruise to the place to take a look at these paradisiacal tropical islands of Bay of Bengal that are an epitome of beauty and present scenic natural picturesque panorama created by its dense forest covers, multitude of exotic flowers, colorful plumaged friends and solitary and cozy romantic atmosphere. These islands tickle the imagination of the poems with white beaches, meandering coastline, swaying palm trees and gentle waves of the sea that produce a divine music with an added charm of the drumbeats of the tribals of the land and decorated with the technicolor fish and aquatic life that can be easily spotted in the crystal clear water.



The matchless naturally beautiful islands are of great maritime importance. The 'Kala Pani' or 'Black Water Prison' of the British Raj Period, dreaded political leaders and criminals were deported from mainland of India to the Cellular Jail - the Indian Bastille, which was situated in the northeastern part of Port Blair. These groups of islands consist of 572 islands in all consisting of big and small, inhabited and uninhabited islands, islets and rocks in the Bay of Bengal lying in a long and narrow broken archaic chain, nearly 800 km long. Soils of these Islands are nutritionally poor and their organic matter content is on decline. The Nicobars are said to be just off the edge of the principal lines of weakness consisting of volcanoes and prone to violent earthquakes in the earth's surface while Andamans are at a safer distance from these lines threatening of natural calamities.

Spotlights:
Shell crafts and wooden handicrafts are the main items that can be bought from here as souvenirs and are a specialty of the region. Aberseen Bazaar at Port Blair is the main shopping and commercial centre while the other notable places to go on a shopping spree are Clock Tower, Goalghar, Junglighat, Prem Nagar and Delanipur.