Islands of the Bay of Bengal
The main islands of the Bay of Bengal are the Andaman and Nicobar groups. The Andaman and Nicobar islands are separated by the Ten Degree Channel. The shortest distance of the Andaman Islands from the mainland (Bay of Bengal Head) is about 2000 km and the extreme southern point is the Indira Point—the southern most point of the Great Nicobar Island (Fig. 2.22).
Mt. Harriet 460 m
West " Coral Bank
Middle Andaman Saddle Peak 737 m
o Narcondam North Andaman I. (Extinct Volcano) Duncan Passage
South Andaman Blair
o Barren I. (Volcano)
Little Andaman
Ten Degree Channel
ANDAMAN SEA
Car Nicobar
Total No. of Islands Permanently in habited islands Capital Sex - ratio Literacy rate
= 556
= 36
= Port. Blair = 878/1000
- 86.27%
25 0 25 50 km
Great Nicobar I.
Biosphere Reserve
Fig. 2.22 Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a warm tropical climate all year round with two monsoons. Temperatures are around 35° C, but the sea breeze has a cooling effect. The islands receive heavy rain, with the monsoon season lasting from mid-May to mid-September and from November to mid-December.
The Andaman Islands are thickly forested and have a rich marine life among the reefs. The islands are a birdwatcher’s paradise with 242 species recorded. The entire region falls in a major earthquake zone. The Barren Island in the Andamans has an active volcano.
In the Bay of Bengal, there are two volcanic islands (Barren and Narcondam) situated within 80 km east of the Andaman Islands. The Andaman Islands have been formed by the extension of the Tertiary mountain chain of Arakanyoma. The main rocks of these islands are sandstone, limestone and shale. The Nicobar group of islands comprise 18 islands of which only 11 are inhabited. The physiography of the Nicobar islands is mainly of coral origin.
Rice is the main crop in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Coconut and arecanut are the main cash crops of Nicobar. Tropical fruits like pineapple, a variety of bananas, sweet papaya and mango grow on a smaller scale in the Andaman group of islands.
The Tribal population in the Andaman Islands is fast dwindling. Most of its present inhabitants are migrants from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India and Tamils from Sri Lanka. Some of the well known surviving tribes of the Andamans and Nicobar are the Onges, Jarawas and Sentinelese.
One of the largest and also the rarest crabs in the world, the Giant Robber Crab, can be found in the Wandoor Marine Biosphere Resrve in south Andaman and Great Nicobar Islands. Its powerful claws help it to climb the coconut tree and break the hard shell of its fruit.