STATE CAPITAL
Port Blair
LOCATION
Stretches from 6o N to 14o N and 92o E and 94o E longitude.
AREA
8,249 sq. km.
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.
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.
THE PEOPLE
The aborigines can be classified into two main groups. The tribes of Andamans of Negrito origin and the tribes of Nicobar of Mongoloid stock. Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas, and Sentinalese reside in the Andamans while only two tribes the Nicobarese and Shompes live in Nicobar. Due to the interaction of some of these tribes with the mainlanders, and the ensuing diseases contracted, they are at a risk of being exterminated. To save these tribes, the government of India has set up protected areas where they can live their original life styles. A couple of tribal groups, especially the Sentinelese (in North Sentinel Island) are even now hostile towards outsiders! However their numbers do not exceed even a few hundredsand they live in protected areas where no one would ever volunteer taking you to.
TOURIST ATTRACTION
CELLULAR JAIL
ANDAMAN WATER SPORTS COMPLEX
CHILDREN’S TRAFFIC PARK
GANDHI PARK
CORBYN’S COVE
THE CHATHAM SAW MILL
ROSS ISLAND
VIPER ISLAND
PARROT ISLAND
NEIL ISLAND
ANTHROPOLOGICAL MUSEUM
FISHERIES MUSEUM
NAVAL MARINA MUSEUM
CHATHAM SAW MILL
COTTAGE INDUSTRIES EMPORIUM (ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM)
PLACES FOR EXCURSION ANDMAN
MAHATMA GANDHI MARINE NATIONAL PARK
LITTLE ANDAMAN WATERFALLS
MOUNT HARRIET
MINI ZOO
MADHUBAN
SIPPIGHAT FARM
JOLLY BUOY
CINQUE ISLAND
RED SKIN ISLAND
TOURIST ATTRACTION
CAR NICOBARÂ – (270 kms by sea from Port Blair)
KATCHALÂ – (425 kms by sea from Port Blair)
GREAT NICOBARÂ – (540 kms by sea)
BY AIR
The only airstrip in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is at Port Blair. There are regular flights for Port Blair from Calcutta and Chennai. The flight takes about 2 hours from either of these two cities.Indian Airlines and a couple of private airlines fly on these routes a couple of times each week.
BY SEA
Calcutta , Chennai, and Visakhapatnam are the entry points by sea. Ships set sail about 4 times every month from Chennai and Calcutta and once every month from Visakhapatnam. The journey takes 60 hours from Chennai, 66 hours from Calcutta, and 56 hours from Visakhapatnam.Bookings begin one month in advance and the tickets are issued 3 days before sailing. The ships are organised and managed by the shipping corporation of India.